Alright, let’s talk about this oolong tea, you know, the one them fancy folks drink. Is it green tea? Well, it ain’t exactly green, and it ain’t exactly black either. It’s kinda like… in-between, you get me?

What is oolong tea, anyway?

See, all these teas, they come from the same plant, somethin’ called Camellia sinensis. Sounds fancy, right? But it’s just a plant. Now, what makes ’em different is how they’re messed with after they’re picked. Green tea, they don’t do much to it. Black tea, they let it sit around for a long time, gets all dark and strong. Oolong, well, it’s in the middle. They let it sit a bit, but not too much. So, it’s not as grassy as green tea, and not as strong as black tea. It’s got its own thing going on, ya know?

• Green tea: Barely messed with, stays green.
• Black tea: Messed with a lot, turns black.
• Oolong tea: Messed with just right, somewhere in the middle.

They say oolong can be anywhere from a little bit messed with to a whole lot, like 15% to 80%. I don’t know what them numbers mean exactly, but it tells ya there’s a whole bunch of different oolong teas out there. Some taste more like green tea, some more like black. It all depends on how the tea fella made it.

Oolong tea and that caffeine stuff

Now, all these teas got that caffeine in ’em, the stuff that perks ya up. Black tea’s got the most, makes ya real jumpy. Oolong’s got less, maybe around 30 to 50 milligrams a cup, they say. Green tea’s got even less. So, if ya want a good jolt, go for the black tea. If ya want somethin’ a bit gentler, oolong might be your thing. Me? I just drink whatever’s hot and cheap, caffeine or no caffeine, makes no difference to this old gal.

So, is oolong tea green? Kinda sorta, but not really.

It’s got the smell of green tea, kinda fresh and flowery. But it tastes smoother, more like black tea, but not so strong. It’s its own beast, ya know? Like a mix of the two, but special in its own way. Don’t go thinkin’ it’s just green tea, cause it ain’t. And don’t go thinkin’ it’s just black tea neither, cause it ain’t that either.

Where to get this oolong tea?

Heck, I don’t know. Them fancy stores, maybe? Or online, I hear you can buy just about anything online these days. Seen some ads talkin’ ’bout free shipping and money-back guarantees. Sounds like a good deal, if you’re into that sort of thing. Me? I just stick to what I know. But if you wanna try oolong tea, go ahead. Just don’t expect it to be exactly like green tea, or exactly like black tea. It’s somethin’ else entirely, somethin’… in-between.

Why do people drink oolong tea, anyway?

Well, some folks say it’s good for ya, helps ya think clearer and whatnot. Me, I think it just tastes nice. It’s warm and comforting, ya know? Like a hug in a cup. But heck, I ain’t no doctor, so don’t take my word for it. If ya wanna know if it’s good for ya, go ask one of them fancy doctors. They know all that stuff.

Anyways, that’s the long and short of it. Oolong tea is oolong tea. It ain’t green, it ain’t black. It’s somethin’ special all on its own. So go try it, if ya want. And if ya don’t like it, well, more for me, I guess. Just kidding, I probably won’t even touch the stuff! Now, where did I put my regular old tea bags…

Tags: [oolong tea, green tea, black tea, caffeine, tea benefits, tea types, tea processing, oxidation, Camellia sinensis]