Oolong tea: benefits and harms. Oolong tea - what is it?

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

The name of Chinese tea with the poetic name "Raven Dragon" is pronounced "oolong" in European countries, "oolong" in Russia, and it is also called turquoise or blue-green. He is a recognized panacea for many ailments. It is considered a rejuvenating drink and a remedy to help fight excess body weight.

So, elite oolong tea - what it is, consumers who first encountered it want to know. Oolongs are semi-fermented tea drinks. They have the aroma of green teas and taste similar to red varieties.

Oolong tea - what is it?

Oolongs make up a certain group of teas that vary quite a lot in appearance, taste and quality. To understand: oolong tea - what it is, you need to understand the intricacies of this product. In some cases, oolongs are mistakenly referred to as green tea, believing that they are its variety.

This is due to the fact that some of them have grassy shades. The color scheme of the first oolong teas was not green at all. Masters twisted tea leaves for them along the axis. Then the raw material went through a series of technological stages, exposure to heat and fire.

At the output, large dark leaves were obtained, similar in shape and color to a snake-dragon (hence the name -"crow" or "black dragon"). And until now, the leaves, while maintaining their structure, are twisted into dense balls. At the moment of brewing, tight balls unfold, turning into leaves.

Oolongs are elite tea varieties. They are leaders among the sought-after expensive drinks. The plants that produce this variety of tea leaves are extremely whimsical. They need scrupulous care, ideal growing conditions and a unique climate. This is the reason for the high cost of Black Dragon varieties.

Chinese oolong tea, the price of which is quite high, has a characteristic feature due to the degree of fermentation of its leaves. Fermentation is not carried out over the entire leaf. It touches only specific areas and edges of the leaves.

The middle part of the leaves does not change, which affects the taste of the drink. Oolongs are not like other varieties of tea. Their leaves have a completely different shape and organoleptic. They are oily, their chemical composition is unique and specific.

Variety variety

There are 2 subspecies of this drink. Lightly fermented varieties are similar to green tea. The leaves are strongly twisted, slightly fried, with a fermentation step of 25-40% green shades. The taste of the drink obtained from them is mild.

Heavily fermented varieties are close to red tea. The leaves are slightly twisted longitudinally, with a fermentation step of 40-70%, they are almost black in color. Drinks from them are endowed with a deep, tart, full-bodied taste and a rich royal aftertaste.

Experimental Flavored Oolongs

Flavored oolong tea - what is it? Such a "Black Dragon" is considered an independent subspecies of oolongs, in the manufacture of which all kinds of flavors are added to improve the taste of the drink. The Chinese do not recognize flavored blends. In their opinion, additives negatively affect the taste of drinks, spoiling them. They produce these tea blends exclusively for export.

Perform natural and artificial flavoring of tea leaves. With natural aromatization, dried leaves are mixed with flowers. Rose, chrysanthemum, jasmine are used as natural aromatic additives. In addition, the original aroma of oolongs is given by harmonious flower arrangements.

Oolong Ginseng

Ginseng oolong tea - what is it? The drink belongs to an unusual type of oolong. It exudes a rich aroma of ginseng. It has a sweet floral and slightly spicy taste. It is endowed with tonic properties and a generous aftertaste.

The mixture is made from inexpensive tea leaves. Strongly crumpled leaves are carefully dumped into ginseng roots, pounded to a powdery appearance. The leaves take on the appearance of blue-green or blue-black pebbles, which unfold only when they are doused with boiling water.

Oolong milk tea

This is a popular flavored blend with a strong milky flavor. The secret of its flavor range lies in the method of cultivation of tea bushes. Cuban reeds are used for pollination of plants, and forwatering rhizomes take milk. The faint milky smell of fresh leaves after fermentation is added with a sweetish caramel note.

Another way involves holding prepared tea leaves over clouds of milk vapor. In a third, inexpensive method of producing this type of tea, the leaves are treated with artificial additives. It is clear that opinions about these drinks will be contradictory. However, when people try milk oolong tea with natural additives, the reviews are always great.

The healing power of the "Black Dragon"

It is almost impossible to confuse high-quality oolongs with their cheap varieties. They are endowed with specific characteristics and properties. The best of them have an intense floral aroma and a delightful peach flavor. The color palette of the infused drink ranges from pale jade to dark red-brown.

The Chinese produce several dozen subspecies of the Black Dragon for export. All of them are incredibly popular due to the possession of numerous healing properties. The incredible benefits of oolong tea are due to the fact that it contains over four hundred biologically active substances that are very beneficial for the human body.

What is the use of oolongs?

Chinese oolong tea, the benefits and harms of which have long been described, has a positive effect on the functioning of every cell of the body. A cup of aromatic drink eliminates headaches and stomach pains.

Polyphenolic compounds, which tea leaves are enriched with, break down fats and remove them from the body. As a result, the drink is referred to as a means for losing weight. Those who drink daily oolong tea, the beneficial properties of which cannot be disputed, reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. Thanks to him, dental tissues are strengthened.

They quench their thirst and cheer up. It relaxes under stress. Hypertensive patients can drink it without damage to he alth. The drink from the "Black Dragon" is saturated with tannins - substances similar in invigorating effect to caffeine. The difference between them is that caffeine, invigorating, raises blood pressure, while tannins, on the contrary, infusing life-giving energy, do not affect it in any way.

As a result of laboratory and clinical tests, it was established with accuracy that tannins, breaking down, help to synthesize acetylcholine in cells. With a deficiency of this substance, people lose the ability to mentally concentrate and remember the necessary information.

The action of oolongs in the body is selective. They give the body of a particular person those substances in which he experiences an individual need. Medical scientists have not yet found an explanation for such a unique mechanism of action.

Drink rich in flavonoids, restores the strength of patients who have suffered a heart attack or stroke. Antioxidants protect cell membranes from free radicals. Therefore, doctors recommend oolong tea as a prophylactic against cancer and with impaired metabolism, the benefits and harms of whichwell known.

Contraindications

Although the he alth drink doesn't do much harm, some people need to decide what they're risking by enjoying its taste and aroma. Hypersensitivity to specific components of tea sometimes results in allergies. It is not recommended to drink with acute gastritis and stomach ulcers.

The drink is not recommended for people with low cholesterol. The high concentration of tannins sometimes causes insomnia, so it is preferable to enjoy it in the morning and afternoon hours. For the same reason, it is not suitable for pregnant and lactating women.

Noble drink with healing power, harmoniously combines benefits and pleasure. Therefore, when consumed in moderation, it does not harm he althy people.