oolong tea

Oolong has a taste more akin to green tea than to black tea: it has neither the rosy, sweet aroma of black tea, nor the stridently grassy vegetal notes that typify green tea. It is commonly brewed to be strong, with the bitterness leaving a sweet aftertaste. The name oolong tea comes into the English language from the Chinese name which is pronounced as O·-liông tê in the Min Nan spoken variant. The Chinese name means "black dragon tea". Generally, 2.25grams of tea per 170ml of water, or about two teaspoons of oolong tea per cup, should be used. Oolong teas should be prepared with 180 to 190 °F (82to 88°C) water (not boiling) and steeped 3–4 minutes. High quality oolong can be brewed several times from the same leaves and, unlike other teas, it improves with reuse. It is common to brew the same leaves three to five times, the third or fourth steeping usually being the best.