Benefits to Buying Loose Leaf Oolong Tea

Benefits to Buying Loose Leaf Oolong Tea

Oolong tea, although lesser known than some of the more common varieties of black and green tea, is an incredibly versatile tea with differing flavours. It would lie somewhere between the green and black varieties of tea. Quality Oolong tea has to be carefully processed from the plant using a lengthy and detailed production process. 

Benefits to Buying Loose Leaf Oolong Tea

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When a leaf is cut from a tree, it immediately begins to work through a process known as oxidation. Cut leaves can be oxidized to in a way so as to produce different tea varieties. Green tea is the variety which undergoes very little oxidation whilst, black tea has undergone a process of total oxidation. 

Oolong tea can be oxidized to any point in between the two and the producer of the tea will decide by how much to allow their tea to oxidize to produce the particular flavour that they desire. 

Different Oolong teas will have different flavours and the flavour will not only depend on the oxidation process but also on the particular cultivar of the plant. The particular soil and growing conditions will also make a significant difference in the quality and flavour of the tea as will the area of the world in which the plant is grown.

Oolong tea can be purchased as a loose-leaf and it can also be purchased as tea bags. Tea bags are very convenient but the convenience of the bag comes with compromises as there are many benefits to buying the loose-leaf variety Oolong tea. Some of the benefits are listed below.

Tea is commonly taken for its health benefits and Oolong tea is well known for its healthful properties. It contains many essential vitamins and minerals and it has a high antioxidant content. 

The loose variety of the tea, however, has to be consumed to provide the greatest benefit as most of the nutrients are found in abundance in the larger leaf. Tea bags contain only very small pieces of leaf and some of the particles used in the bags are as small as dust particles.

If it is flavour that is required, brewing a pot of tea using the whole leaf is most certainly the way to go. The whole leaf is designed to give the full aroma and flavour of the variety of tea. Tea bags on the other hand release more in the way of tannins and as a result produce a much more bitter pot of tea.

Tea bags are manufactured and you really have no way of knowing how fresh they are. They are manufactured in large batches and then shipped to the various outlets where they could lie around on shelves for long periods of time. 

If it is flavour, health benefits, and aroma that you are looking for and arguably most tea drinkers would be looking for their tea to be as fresh and flavoursome as possible, a quality loose leaf tea is what would be recommended. 

As with any loose leaf tea, care should be taken with its preparation to obtain the full benefits. Make sure that you are preparing your brew according to instructions, check out for more information https://www.tea-and-coffee.com/blog/oolong-tea