The Chinese have perfected Oolong tea in the Fujian Province, Guangdong Province, and Taiwan. In China semi fermented teas are referred to as Wu Longor Wu-Lung; while in the US we refer to these same teas as Oolong. Since they are the same teas; no matter the name they are semi-fermented compared to green tea (no oxidation) and black tea (fully oxidized). Oolong or Wu-long teas are easily recognized by the appearance of the leaves which are stout, crinkled and when infused, often tend greenish with reddish edges.Oolong leaves are generally quite large so are inappropriate for tea bags, however loose tea almost always best in freshness and flavor. The flavor profiles can vary tremendously according to the tea maker's skills and the soil condition of the tea bushes. After rolling, the tea is allowed to oxidize only until the edges of the leafs start to turn brown. The tea is then fired which arrests the oxidation process and captures the interesting character associated with Oolong tea. In Taiwan, producing oolong tea involves highly specialized skills in the control of the withering, oxidation and firing. A slight variance in any of these gives each variety a distinctive aroma, flavor, color and finish.

My absolute favorite Oolong tea is Milk Oolong. This tea is grown in the Wuyi Mountains of China and has a really unique taste of sweet milk. This unique taste is the result of a sudden shift in temperature during harvest that is an extremely rare occurrence. Over the years, production methods have remained unchanged for the most part although some aspects like withering temperatures have been automated and regulated. First, the leaf is plucked from gardens situated between 500-1200 meters, and is produced between March and December. Next, the plucked leaf is withered in air conditioned rooms until it is has reached the desired level of oxidation. The tea is then sifted to sort the prime leaf required, and steamed over hot fire. Finally the tea is dried then re-sorted to ensure leaf quality and packed. The tea is produced in relatively small quantities from March to December; in fact, only 80,000 kg are produced with about 60,000 kg headed for the export market. Because of the short amount of time to produce this tea, milk oolong can be difficult to find and may cost more than other oolong teas; however because of the high quality of this tea, the leaves can be brewed three times. This makes milk oolong an economical buy.