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Chinese is among the biggest producers of tea in the world. That title is not credited to only the volume of tea produced, but also the varieties. In fact in tea diversity, China is a first. Though the species of the plant that produces all the kinds of teas is one, there are different varieties that include white, black and oolong teas. The differences arise in the processing where oxidation and fermentation are allowed to take place. With oolong tea, it's half-fermented. In other words, it's allowed to ferment more than the green tea is, but not too much as to make it black tea. The oxidation percentages are not permitted past the 70% mark.

Oolong tea has long been believed to have a Chinese origin which is apparent from the naming. Sometimes referred to as Wu-Long tea, Oolong tea is the most common tea in Chinese restaurants. It stands out from the other kinds of teas with its aroma, flavor and aftertaste. It's considerably better, as compared to white tea which is mildly sweeter, has less grassy taste when compared to green tea. It has a sweet aftertaste though. Oolong tea can either be roasted or light. The bigger percentage of drinkers has a preference to roasted oolong tea as it has lesser odors or undesired tastes.

There are different varieties of Chinese oolong tea, which are graded differently. Topping the list is Big Red Robe. Golden Water Turtle, White Cockscomb and Water Sprite are other common varieties. Iron Guanyin and Dan Cong, both produced in different provinces have gained popularity with Chinese tea drinking audiences. The easiest method of identification for Chinese Oolong teas is based on the provinces where they are found. Although green tea is considered the healthier alternative, mainly because it has a longer list of benefits, oolong tea does have a special place. It is not widely studied as green tea is, but what has been established so far is that it has more tastes and flavors than green tea.

Some of those apparent benefits that you would expect after taking Oolong tea include boosting of cardiovascular health by fighting atherosclerosis, reducing of blood cholesterol, promoting vascular health which directly reduces high blood pressure. The immune system also gets a boost from a regular cup of Chinese Oolong tea. It also decelerates the aging process and stimulates brain activity. But topping the list is its involvement in weight loss. It's sometimes referred to as the weight-loss tea by health experts.