| All About Gourmet Teas |
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Oolong tea
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All teas
begin as the same tea plant and then are processed to become the
particular type or flavor of tea that is desired. Oolong tea comes in
both a lighter and darker variety., and must be prepared differently to
achieve their best flavor.
For most of the gourmet oolong teas the leaves are still picked by hand first. Then the leaves go through a three step process to turn them into oolong tea. First the tea leaves are wilted in direct sunlight, then they are put in bamboo baskets and shaken until the edges are bruised. Finally, the leaves are spread out and allowed to dry until they take on a slightly yellowish-green appearance.
When it comes to preparing oolong tea for drinking make sure that you boil the water differently for the type of oolong tea that you are preparing. For darker teas bring the water to a full boil, which is about 212 degrees and use two teaspoons per cup. Then steep the tea for about seven minutes. For lighter oolong teas bring the water to pre-boil, or around 180 degrees, use only one teaspoon per cup, and steep the tea for 3-5 minutes.
It's best to use 100% spring water for making oolong teas, as most tap waters tend to be very poor and will often result in making a high quality and flavorful tea taste very ordinary and even bitter at times.
There are some great resources on the internet for oolong tea, and we have provided links to each website for your convenience below.
For most of the gourmet oolong teas the leaves are still picked by hand first. Then the leaves go through a three step process to turn them into oolong tea. First the tea leaves are wilted in direct sunlight, then they are put in bamboo baskets and shaken until the edges are bruised. Finally, the leaves are spread out and allowed to dry until they take on a slightly yellowish-green appearance.
When it comes to preparing oolong tea for drinking make sure that you boil the water differently for the type of oolong tea that you are preparing. For darker teas bring the water to a full boil, which is about 212 degrees and use two teaspoons per cup. Then steep the tea for about seven minutes. For lighter oolong teas bring the water to pre-boil, or around 180 degrees, use only one teaspoon per cup, and steep the tea for 3-5 minutes.
It's best to use 100% spring water for making oolong teas, as most tap waters tend to be very poor and will often result in making a high quality and flavorful tea taste very ordinary and even bitter at times.
There are some great resources on the internet for oolong tea, and we have provided links to each website for your convenience below.
Recommended Oolong Tea Resources
- Adagio Teas
- Very large selection of gourmets teas. The most visited tea website on the web. They even have a tea community with a tea newsletter and chat rooms. Free shipping available.
- Spice Of Life Teas
- They have several of the world's top brands of teas that come from the most exclusive tea growing areas in the world. A wide selection of flavors too. They also carry a great line of Chai.
- Peet's Coffee & Tea
- Peet's is well-known for their coffees but their teas are also very
unique and there are more than 45 hand selected and blended teas
available, all with very distinctive flavors. They have a great online
Tea Selector too.
Green Tea
Black Tea
Oolong Tea
White Tea
Herbal Tea
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