What is Milky Oolong tea?

Speaking with fellow tea lovers, each one of us has one tea that started it all. For me it was the Milky Oolong tea that I bought in Paris without having a slightest idea what it was. It is the most exceptional of teas, with a flavour so intense that it is difficult to conceive that it can be natural.

In this post I will try to explain:

• what is oolong tea
• what is milky oolong tea
• what are the milky oolong tea health benefits

What is oolong tea?

Oolong tea is situated between black and green tea. Whereas black tea is fully oxidized and green tea - not oxidized, oolong tea is partially oxidized. 

To understand oxidation, think about an apple chunk left aside. After a few minutes, the apple chunk would turn brown. 

The same process occurs with tea. Green tea is fried or baked before the process of oxidation occurs and black tea - once the leaves have turned dark and are fully oxidized. 

Oolong tea is fried or baked once the oxidation process is well under way but not yet complete. This means that oolong teas can differ widely between each other depending on the degree of oxidation. The lightly oxidized oolong teas would be similar to green teas, the more heavily oxidized ones - closer to black teas. 

What is milky oolong tea?

Milky oolong is the name of a cultivar - a variety of tea plant used to produce a tea. The Milky Oolong cultivar is also called Jin Shan, Chinsuan or Tai Cha No. 12. Its leaves have a naturally milky taste. This cultivar was first created in Taiwan.

The tea made from this cultivar, also called Milky Oolong, is probably the most exceptional and unusual teas in the world. It has an unexpected milky taste that is nothing like any other tea. The experience of drinking it is closer to that of drinking hot chocolate than to that of drinking tea.

What are the milky oolong tea health benefits?

Oolong tea has been known in China for centuries as helping with weight loss and recent research seems to confirm this belief. Countless studies on both animals and humans prove that regular consumption of oolong tea accelerates metabolism and increases energy expenditure and in turn helps lose weight.

Apart from that, research on oolong tea shows that it can help with prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases and even certain types of cancer, thanks to its antioxidant properties.