Are Wu Yi Tea and Oolong Tea the Same Thing?

Well, sort of. Oolong tea is not wu yi tea, but wu yi tea IS oolong tea. Do I have you scratching your head? It is not that complicated. Let’s go over tea varieties, and then it will be more clear.

First of all, real tea is all from the plant Camellia sinensis. There are four different varieties: white tea, green tea, oolong tea and black tea. The variety depends on the processing.

Over 75% of tea produced in the world is the highly popular black tea. The leaves are harvested and then withered by leaving them out. The remaining moisture is then rolled out via a machine (CTC) or the old-fashioned way by hand (orthodox). The hand method leaves the tea in tact more while the CTC method is a bit harsher leaving the leaves more crushed.

Afterwards, the tea leaves are spread out. They are left to oxidize in a damp place and the leaves turn from green to brown. Drying takes place using hot air. Then the tea is divided up in various categories according to the size of the leaf. These will be sold as different “grades” of tea.

Green tea processing is quite like black tea processing, however, there is no oxidative process. After drying, the tea is steamed before rolling and the final drying stage. Although this leaves more viable phytochemicals (nutrients) in green tea, the tea does not taste very much like black tea. It has a sort of bitter flavor.

Now, white tea is a rather special little tea. It is harvested only few days a year when the buds on the Camellia sinensis plant have yet to open. White tea processing is like green tea, but the young leaves lend to a very delicate, smooth flavor and aroma. We are finally seeing more white tea distribution, though it was once reserved for Chinese nobility. Because of its difficulty in harvesting, it is rather pricey.

Oolong tea is the best of both worlds because it is only partially oxidized. This allows it to taste similar to black tea, but retain more of the natural nutrients as green tea. Obviously, this is an advantage because if you would like to reap the health benefits of green tea, but you prefer the flavor and aroma of black tea, you will enjoy oolong tea more.

Okay, so why do we call some oolong tea, wu yi tea? Think of it more as a brand name, but perhaps a bit more special. Wu yi tea is oolong tea so named for the chain of mountains where it grows. The Wuyi mountain chain in Northeastern China is home to the Camellia sinensis plant where wu yi tea is harvested.

It is sort of like “New Zealand” kiwis, only they leave the oolong completely out of the name. Oolong tea can be grown in other regions, but the quality may not match that of wu yi tea. The mountain range has a great climate and fantastic soil for growing oolong tea.

Once only considered for nobility, just like white tea, wu yi has grown in popularity with the world due to its great flavor, nutritional value and weight loss capabilities.

Discover how celebrities are losing weight safely and effectively with wu yi tea. Go there now and get your own free e-book by signing up to our amazing newsletter packed with hints on dieting, fitness and wu yi green tea.

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