So, I’ve always been a big tea drinker, but for a long time, I mostly stuck to the basics – your regular black teas, green teas, you know the drill. But recently, I started hearing more and more about oolong tea. It sounded interesting, a bit mysterious even, like it was somewhere in between green and black tea. I got curious, so I decided to figure out what this oolong stuff was all about.

First thing I did was buy a few different kinds of oolong from the local tea shop. I got some that looked pretty green and others that were much darker, almost black. I figured this was a good way to see the range of what oolong could be.

Brewing and Tasting

Next up, I started brewing them. I didn’t want to mess it up, so I read up on how to brew oolong properly. Turns out, the water temperature and steeping time can really change the flavor. For the lighter oolongs, I used water that was a bit cooler than boiling, around 180-190 degrees Fahrenheit. For the darker ones, I used hotter water, close to boiling. And the steeping times? Those varied too, from just a couple of minutes for some to almost five minutes for others.

• Lighter Oolongs:
• Used cooler water (180-190°F)
• Steeped for 2-3 minutes
• Tasted floral, a bit sweet, kinda like a green tea but with more going on
• Darker Oolongs:
• Used hotter water (near boiling)
• Steeped for 4-5 minutes
• Had a roasty, nutty flavor, sometimes with a hint of caramel – definitely closer to black tea territory

After tasting all these different oolongs, I finally got it. Oolong tea is like a whole spectrum of flavors. It all depends on how much the leaves are oxidized during processing. The lighter ones are less oxidized, so they’re closer to green tea. The darker ones are more oxidized, making them more like black tea. It’s not just one or the other – it’s a whole range in between!

So, is oolong green or black tea? Well, it’s kinda both, and kinda neither. It’s its own thing, and that’s what makes it so cool. I’m definitely going to keep exploring the world of oolong. There are so many different varieties out there, each with its own unique taste. If you’re a tea lover like me, I highly recommend giving oolong a try. You might just discover your new favorite brew!