Oolong Tea: The Black Dragon

Oolong is a lesser known tea here in the West – and what a crying shame that is.

For tea lovers and aficionados everywhere, it’s time for Oolong to take its rightful place in the Tea Pantheon. Between rich blacks and herby greens, it should have an elegant throne all of its own.

The Black Dragon

“Oolong” comes from the Chinese Wu Long, which means “The Black Dragon.” And rightly so - Oolong Tea is a complex, intriguing and multi-faceted tea – as mystical as its name suggests.

The oolong tea making process is a tricky one! It can take up to a dozen different steps over a period of two days.

It’s not just down to the quality of the fields, the atmosphere and growing conditions – although these do of course impact the leaves. It’s down to the skill of the processing.

The end result is a tea that strengthens and evolves with each brew, revealing several layers of flavours from the subtle to the dark, rich and smoky. Just like the mythical black dragon it is named for!

While different Oolongs undergo different processes, they normally have two distinct appearances:  Some are rolled into long curly leaves, while others are 'wrap-curled' into small beads, each with a tail. The former style is the more traditional of the two in China.

Twinings Oolong Teas are sourced from exceptional tea estates in China, Indonesia, Taiwan and other countries.

Phew! It takes real skill and careful attention to detail. But the result is a captivating concoction that will ensnare the senses!

If you want to go all Oriental about it and become a tea ninja, you can try the traditional Taiwanese and Chinese ceremonial method: Gongfucha or… Kung Fu! 

This method uses a small steeping vessel, such as a gaiwan or Yixing clay teapot and a higher tea-to-water ratio is used. Multiple short steeps of 20 seconds to 1 minute are performed; the tea is then served in two-ounce “tasting cups”.