The long and short of oolong

In the same way that all wines come from grapes, all teas come from the same plant. Whether it be black tea, green or oolong it all originates from a plant called camellia sinensis. The differences in the appearance and flavours are due to how the plant is processed.

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Green tea is unoxidised, while black tea is 100% oxidised.  Oolong can be anywhere in the middle of those two ranges, from 1-99% oxidised. This results in some oolong teas being light and floral, whilst others have a strong, nutty or caramel flavour. 

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You may be wondering what is oxidisation?  In tea it is a chemical reaction where harvested leaves are exposed to oxygen, resulting in a change colour from green to a reddish brown.  It is similar to the oxidisation process if you remove a banana from its peel or if you cut open a potato.

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Generally speaking lightly oxidised teas will be closer to green teas in colour, aroma and flavour, whereas more heavily oxidised teas will be closer to black teas. 

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After oxidisation, some oolong tea leaves then get roasted.  This process can be repeated several times until the desired flavour and consistency is achieved.  Although oolong is the general term for teas that are partially oxidised, the aromas, colours and tastes can vary massively.