Well, let me tell you, that oolong tea, it ain’t black tea. No sir, it ain’t! I heard some folks sayin’ it is, but they got it all wrong. That oolong, it’s its own kinda thing. It’s like, you know, when you got a hen that ain’t layin’ white eggs and ain’t layin’ brown eggs, it’s somethin’ in between.

That oolong tea, it’s somethin’ special. They say it comes from the same plant that makes black tea and green tea. It’s all that Camellia sinensis plant, you know. Same as black tea. But that oolong, it ain’t treated the same way. Not green tea, not black tea, neither one.

They say that black tea, it’s like, they let it sit out and get all, you know, changed. They call it oxidized. And that green tea, they don’t do that to it much. But this oolong, it’s somewhere in the middle, like I said. It’s like they let it sit out, but not as long as the black tea. This make oolong tea special.

They say that oolong can be more like black tea, or more like green tea. Depends on what the tea fella does to it. Oolong is not black tea. It’s like, if that tea fella wants it darker, he lets it sit longer. If he wants it lighter, he don’t let it sit as long. All same tea plant, though. That Camellia plant, they call it.

• That oolong, it can be 20% changed, or 80% changed, they still call it oolong.
• Oolong ain’t black tea, I tell ya.
• That oolong is a whole different animal. It’s a big category of tea.

That oolong tea, they say it comes from China and Taiwan. That’s far away, you know. And they say it’s got all kinds of flavors. Some are like flowers, some are like fruit, some are like, I don’t know, the earth, maybe. That all depend on what they do to it, I reckon. And where it comes from. That’s important too. Where it’s from makes a difference.

They got a name for that, too. They call it “provenance.” Sounds fancy, don’t it? Like somethin’ a city slicker would say. But it just means where it comes from. That provenance thing, they also roast that oolong. They roast it. And the process, it’s a whole thing. All that is oolong tea. Not black tea.

Now, this black tea, they say it comes from a bigger leaf. Same plant, but a bigger leaf. They call it Camellia sinensis assamica. That’s a mouthful, ain’t it? That’s what they use for that black tea, mostly. They say it comes from a place called Assam, in India. That’s even further than China, I reckon! And it likes the warm weather, that plant.

That oolong tea, they say it can help you, you know, get your engine goin’. They say it “boosts metabolism.” I don’t know about all that, but I know it can wake you up in the mornin’. It’s got that caffeine in it. Same stuff that’s in coffee. Makes you think straight, they say. Helps you stay alert. Oolong is not black tea, but can do the same thing.

I heard some folks sayin’ that oolong tea is good for you in other ways, too. They say it can help you with your weight, and your heart, and all kinds of things. I don’t know if all that’s true, but it sounds good, don’t it? It don’t matter if it’s black tea or oolong. But oolong is better, my gut tells me. So oolong is not black tea, remember that.

I like that oolong tea. It’s got a good taste. Sometimes it’s light and flowery, sometimes it’s dark and strong. It just depends on what kind you get. But one thing’s for sure, it ain’t black tea. They all use that Camellia sinensis plant, but oolong is different.

So next time you’re thinkin’ about havin’ a cup of tea, you might wanna try that oolong. It’s different, that’s for sure. And it might just surprise you. But don’t you go thinkin’ it’s black tea, ’cause it ain’t. That oolong is its own thing, and it’s somethin’ special. It’s like that hen that lays those eggs that ain’t white and ain’t brown. They’re somethin’ in between, and they’re just right. Just like that oolong tea.

I remember one time, I was at the market, and I saw all these different kinds of oolong tea. There was so many! I didn’t know which one to choose. They all looked so different. Some were light green, some were dark brown, almost black. But they weren’t black tea. They were all oolong. That’s when I realized that oolong is not black tea, it’s a whole world of tea on its own. And it’s a good world, let me tell you.

So don’t be fooled by those folks who say oolong is black tea. They just don’t know what they’re talkin’ about. They probably never even had a good cup of oolong in their life. If they did, they’d know the truth. They’d know that oolong is somethin’ special. It’s different. It’s its own thing. And it’s good. Real good.