Oolong tea

Oolong tea
Rolled oolong tea leaves
Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese
Cantonese Jyutping	wu1 lung2 caa4
Hanyu Pinyin	wūlóng chá
Literal meaning	black dragon tea
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin wūlóng chá IPA [ú.lʊ̌ŋ ʈʂʰǎ] Yue: Cantonese Jyutping wu1 lung2 caa4 Southern Min Hokkien POJ O·-liông tê

Oolong (pronunciation: /ˈuːlɒŋ/) (simplified Chinese: 乌龙; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: wūlóng) is a traditional Chinese tea (Camellia sinensis) produced through a process including withering the plant under strong sun and oxidation before curling and twisting. Most oolong teas, especially those of fine quality, involve unique tea plant cultivars that are exclusively used for particular varieties. The degree of oxidation can range from 8 to 85%, depending on the variety and production style. Oolong is especially popular with tea connoisseurs of south China and Chinese expatriates in Southeast Asia, as is the Fujian preparation process known as the Gongfu tea ceremony.

Different styles of oolong tea can vary widely in flavor. They can be sweet and fruity with honey aromas, or woody and thick with roasted aromas, or green and fresh with bouquet aromas, all depending on the horticulture and style of production. Several types of oolong tea, including those produced in the Wuyi Mountains of northern Fujian, such as Da Hong Pao, are among the most famous Chinese teas. Different varieties of oolong are processed differently, but the leaves are usually formed into one of two distinct styles. Some are rolled into long curly leaves, while others are 'wrap-curled' into small beads, each with a tail. The former style is the more traditional of the two in China.

The name oolong tea came into the English language from the Chinese name (simplified Chinese: 乌龙茶; traditional Chinese: 烏龍茶; pinyin: wūlóng chá), meaning "black dragon tea". In Chinese, oolong teas are also known as qingcha (Chinese: ; pinyin: qīngchá) or "dark green teas".