Oolong Tea
Oolong is a partially oxidised tea. Its leaves are oxidised more than green tea but less than black, so it sits between the two. It is not a blend of green and black tea but a style of its own, and one of the four main types of tea, made from the leaves of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis.
How oolong tea is made
- Withering: the leaves are wilted, often first in the sun.
- Tossing: the leaves are tossed and rested several times. This bruises their edges so that they begin to oxidise.
- Fixing: once the tea maker is happy with the colour, the leaves are heated to stop oxidation.
- Rolling and drying: the leaves are rolled and dried (Washington State University Extension, Tea Types and Home Processing).
Because the tea maker decides when to stop oxidation, oolongs range from light, green and floral to darker and more toasty. Some are also roasted after drying, a step that can reduce bitterness and astringency (Ye et al. (2022), Bitterness and astringency of tea leaves and products, Trends in Food Science & Technology).
What does it taste like?
Lighter oolongs are fresh and floral; darker ones are richer, with toasted or fruity notes. Many people find oolong a good step from green tea towards black.
How to brew
- Amount: 1 teaspoon (about 2–3g) per cup
- Water: around 90°C
- Time: 3–5 minutes
- The leaves can often be brewed two or three times
More tips in our guide to brewing loose leaf tea.
Caffeine
Oolong tea contains caffeine. The amount in a cup varies with the leaf, how much you use and how long you brew it, so any figure is only a rough guide. As a reference point, the NHS uses around 75mg for a mug of tea and advises keeping caffeine below 200mg a day during pregnancy (Tommy’s, citing NHS guidance). For a caffeine-free cup, try our fruit and herbal infusions.
Our teas
We don’t stock a oolong tea yet. To explore what we do make, our Six-Blend Tasting Set has a 20g pouch of each of our six fruit, herbal and green tea blends.