Oolong is a traditional Chinese tea crossed between green and black teas in oxidation levels.  Oolong has taste more similar to green tea than to black tea as it lacks the rosy, sweet aroma of black tea, but it doesn’t have the grassy vegetal notes that characterize a green tea.  It is typically brewed strong, with the bitterness leaving a sweet aftertaste.  Oolong tea leaves are processed in two different ways. Some teas are rolled into long curly leaves, while some are pressed into a ball-like form similar to gunpowder tea. The former method of processing is the older of the two.

Health

It has been found that the large amounts of polyphenols found in oolong tea remove free radicals.  This helps prevent skin damage such as dark pigmentation and liver spots that are caused by free radicals.  The free radicals turn skin lipids that are supposed to keep the skin fresh into lipid peroxide and this accelerates the ageing process. By combating free radicals, the polyphenols found in oolong tea slow down the ageing process.  Beyond this, the polyphenols enhance the function of enzymes which help control obesity from activating the enzyme responsible for dissolving the triglyceride (fat deposits) and enhancing the function of fat metabolism.