Monday, April 27, 2009

How to brew wu long tea?

The most common way to make wu long tea (also spelled oolong tea or oolong tea) is Gong Fu style. Making wu long tea this way requires a small earthenware teapot. The wu long is served in small cups, and the same oolong tea leaves can be brewed many times.

Making tea gong fu style is ideal for Taiwan wulong tea. The short brewing time allows the sweet flavor of the wulong tea to come out without excess caffeine or tannin. Even those who are sensitive to caffeine can drink this type of tea all evening and still get a good night’s sleep.

Water
When making tea of any sort high quality water is essential. This is especially true for Taiwan wu long tea because of the subtle flavors that are revealed through proper brewing techniques.
The best water for making wu long tea is spring water. If you don’t have access to spring water, you can improve tap water by letting the chlorine escape before making the tea. This is done by letting the water sit uncovered for 24 hours. Chlorine can also be removed by boiling the water for 5 minutes in an uncovered pot, but this method is not recommended for wu long tea because it makes the water flat.

Temperature
Water for making wulong tea should be just below the boiling point - about 85 - 95 degrees Celsius or 185 - 205 degrees Fahrenheit. Rather than measuring the temperature, try removing it from the heat when the large bubbles are just starting to form.

Utensils
A typical Taiwanese wu long tea set consists of an unglazed clay teapot, a serving pitcher, a strainer, several small ceramic tea cups, a scoop for putting the wu long leaves in the pot, and a tray to capture water. Tea towels can be useful for drying the bottom of cups before they are served, and prongs are used to remove used wu long tea leaves from the teapot.
Almost every household in Taiwan has this type of wu long tea set. The tray can be a simple round design made from stainless steel or an ornate decorative object made from carved wood or stone. Decorative trays have a drainpipe which leads to a small bucket underneath. Decorative trays for making oolong tea are prominently displayed and may even be integrated into a table top.

Method
-When the water has reached the correct temperature, a small amount is used to rinse the teapot and cups. wu long tea is then measured into the teapot - usually to about 1/4 or 1/3 of the volume of the teapot. The wu long tea leaves are not handled - a scoop is used to put the tea into the teapot.

-The teapot is filled about half-way with hot water. This first infusion is not for drinking - it allows the wulong tea leaves to “awaken” and start to unfurl. It also removes excess dust from the tea leaves.

-The teapot is swirled around to distribute the water evenly through the tea leaves and then poured out into the serving pitcher after about 10 seconds. The pot is immediately filled again for the first drinking infusion.

-As the tea is steeping the liquid from the serving pitcher is poured into the cups to heat them up. This water is then poured over the tea pot to draw steam through the hole.

The first steep is quite short - 30 to 50 seconds depending on the type and quality of the oolong. Making wulong tea is a delicate art and finding the appropriate balance between volume, temperature, and steeping time requires knowledge of the tea leaves. If the first steep is too strong or too weak, you can adjust the brewing time for subsequent steeps.

The wu long is poured through the strainer from the teapot to the serving pitcher and then to the individual cups. The cups are arranged next to each other and the pouring is done in a continuous circular motion. This allows each cup to receive wu long tea which is identical in taste and color.

The bottom of the cups are wet from the tray and the spillage so they should be briefly placed on the tea towel before serving.

After pouring the wu long tea the teapot can be immediately filled with hot water for the subsequent brew. Each brewing time can be slightly longer than the previous.

Health Benefits for drinking Wu Long Tea

Burns Calories MORE THAN TWICE as Green Tea
In a study published in the August 2003 edition of the Journal of Medical Investigation, scientists from Japan's University of Tokushima School of Medicine found that people who drank two cups a day of wu long tea experienced over 157% greater fat burning results than those who drank the same amount of green tea.

Turns Body Fat Naturally to Energy
In the Fall 2006 edition of the Tea Experience Digest, Dr. Saleeby reports "Wulong tea in fact lessens absorption of fats, increases the body’s metabolism and is responsible for noradrenaline-induced lipolysis (breakdown) of adipose tissue." Wu long tea burns stubborn body fat naturally converting it to energy! Wulong tea also appears in the latest issue of Women's Health and Fitness!

Blocks Fattening Carbs
Eating too many carbohydrates causes weight gain by increasing insulin levels. However, a new study from scientists at the Suntory Research Center in Osaka, Japan, shows that the nutrients in WuLong tea may help "blunt" the rise in insulin you normally get after eating carbs. This means that by drinking Wu Long tea, you may be able to have your cake and eat it, too!

Helps Managing Blood Sugar, Preventing and Controlling Type 2 Diabetes
For people with type 2 diabetes, tea, along with a healthy diet could help. Statistics for type 2 diabetes are on the rise, especially in our young. Nutritionists, doctors and scientific researchers are focusing their energies on discovering ways a healthier diabetes diet, which could include consumption of wulong tea, could help to reduce the affects of this disease.

May Assists in Managing High Cholesterol Levels
Catechins, another group of antioxidants, have been found to reduce cholesterol, and wu long tea is teeming with them. Cholesterol is a special type of fat and is necessary for health. There is good cholesterol and bad cholesterol, and wulong tea increases the good while decreasing the bad. This helps prevent hardening of the arteries and blockage of blood flow. A 2001 Japanese study found that it reduces cholesterol after 1 month of regular drinking.

Has Been Shown to Assist Lowering Blood PressureA
2004 study by Yang found that drinking green and oolong tea for at least a year reduces high blood pressure. Regular drinkers are 46% less likely to develop high blood pressure if they drink one-half to two-half cups a day. They are 65% less likely to develop high blood pressure if they drink more than 2 cups a day.

May Protects HeartA
2007 American study found that wu long tea reduces the blood concentrations of triglycerides (the most common form of fat that exists in the body) by a whopping 80% compared to rats on normal diet. Another 2001 Japanese study found that it reduces cholesterol after 1 month of regular drinking. A 2004 Japanese study conducted by Osaka City University found that wulong tea increases plasma adiponectin levels. Low levels of plasma adiponectin are associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease (CAD). The study concluded that wulong tea may have beneficial effects on the progression of atherosclerosis in patients with CAD.

Assists Healthy Skin and Radiant glow, Reduce Acne, Brown Sports and Wrinkles.
In a new study published in the academic journal Archives of Dermatology, researchers from Japan's Shiga University of Medical Science found that the nutrients in this kind of tea may dramatically clear up skin eczema within just one month. Free radicals are damaging substances in your body caused by ultra-violet rays, chemical food additives, pollution and stress. As you grow older, the amount of free radicals within your body increases naturally. Unfortunately, research links these damaging substances to many signs of aging, including wrinkles, dark spots and certain diseases. In one 2004 study by Dr. Kenichi Yanagimoto and colleagues from the University of California, Davis, the nutrients in this kind of tea may elicit a remarkable 50 percent reduction in free radicals within just 15 days!

100% Natural & NourishingUnlike artificial "fat burners," wulong is natural and nourishing to your health. Many users report feelings of increased focus and well-being. Keep in mind, wulong does contain some caffeine, about as much as a cup of green tea but less than a cup of coffee.

History about Wu Long Tea

Wu Long Tea (Oolong ) is a semi-oxidized tea, occupying the middle ground between green and black teas. Combining the best qualities of green tea and black chinese tea.

Wu Long Tea is not only as clear and fragrant as GreenTea, but also as fresh and strong as Black Tea.If you drink WuLong Tea, the natural aroma may linger in your mouth and make your throat comfortable.

WuLong Tea is helpful in antiaging, bringing high blood pressure down, improving immunocompetence, anti-heart-disease etc.Wu Long Tea can help you digest food, refresh yourself and sober up. It is also helpful in prolonging your lifespan. To sum up, it is a world-famous natural health drink.

AnXi Wu Long Tea is lightly oxidized Wu Long Tea from Anxi district, Fukien (Fujian) province , China. It is modest, head tail sharp, quality light, stem head short and small, stem skin bright color and luster brown, relatively bright and moist tea. The colour appearance of soup is yellow, light yellow or the orange is yellow, leaf one is thin at the leaf the end, the vein is appeared in one's mind; The sawtooth is relatively thick and blunt. Flavor is pure and slightly thin, take the caramel fragrantly.

Benshan Wu Long Tea comes from Fukien Province. Benshan WuLong Tea is from its own varietal, one of the 12

grown in the tea-rich region. The branch are strong and heavy, the peduncle are bright and thin it look like the tail of "the node of the bamboo" but have a little tine, the color is bright and look like the skin of the banana, the soup's color is orange. The bottom of the leaf's color is yellow-green the tail of the leaf is tine and thine, the shape is ellipse, the surface of the leaf is ridgy, the main pulse are clear, it taste like Tie kuan yin but have a little lite.

Big red robe is one of the most famous tea of all Chinese tea, The best "Big red robe" is produced in the small 70 sq. km "Wu Yi Yan Cha" area from tea plants cloned from the original "Big Red Robe" garden. The long, dark twisted leaves present a full, robust aroma. The infusion is a richly fragrant reddish gold and is fascinating to drink. Due to its high firing, the tea tastes smokey at first but quickly rounds out to a smooth richness with a very long, mellow finish.

Buddha's Palm Wu Long Tea/Oolong tea is a lightly oxidized WuLong Tea. The cup is yellow, with light citric astringency and hints of flowers and honey in the aftertaste. The leaves of Buddha's Palm Wu Long Tea are large, curled and blackish green. This is a classic Wu Long Tea, with That perfect balance of flavor, color, and aroma.

Hairy Crab is a direct translation of the Chinese name "Mao Xie" given most likely due to the fine downy hair that covers its leaves. The chinese tea is entirely hand-made in the Anxi District of the Fujian Province - from its own tea plant varietal. It is produced in a similar manner as the Ti Kuan Yins. The soup's color is light green or golden. The leaf's shape is small rounded, the middle is loose-bodied, the head and tail is tine, the sawtooth is deep, dense, sharpen, the leaf has a the main pulse is clear. It tast like jasmine with a little thick smell.

Phoenix Wu Long Tea is one of famous Chinese Wu Long Teas. Phoenix Wu Long Tea is grown in the Phoenix Mountains of the Guangdong province of China. Phoenix Wu Long Tea was once a tribute tea to be presented to the emperor each year. Phoenix Wu Long Teas are still grown in the traditional manner on tea plants that have matured into small trees. Richly oxidized and dark-roasted during production, Phoenix Wu Long Tea's elegantly long, twisted leaves infuse to a fragrant liquor renowned for its versatility as an accompaniment to fine dining or alone as a connoisseur's delight.

Shui Hsien WuLong Tea is often translated as "Water Sprite". The leaves are exceptionally long and fragrant and the taste is unique. At first it seems rather light, but the flavor creeps up on you - gradually fillig your whole mouth with rich, dark Wu Long Tea flavor, followed by a long, smooth finish touched with a gentle hint of smokiness. A version of Shui Hsien is served in many upscale Chinese restaurants and is often what people think of when they think of Wu Long Tea.
Ti Kuan Yins, which translated as "Iron Goddess of Mercy", is taken as the most famous Wu-Long Tea. t Far Superior Ti Guan Yin from Anxi County is a terrific value. Ti Kuan Yin is directly curly forming, not heavy blue and green the base of a fruit belly dragonfly hair form. The color and luster is fresh and moist, the mung bean of sand, point out red, the watchband of leaf has white frosts. Soup color is golden yellow, rich and gaudy and limpid, the leaf is plump and bright at the end, have gloss silk fabric . Steep and drink millet paste go back sweet to bring honeyed flavor is fragrance strong fragrance lasting, there is reputation of" steeping lingering fragrance seven times" by mellow sweet fresh entry.

Wu yi Cliff Wu Long Tea originated in the Wuyi Mountain region of Fujian. Wu yi Cliff Wu-Long Tea has long, curly leaves resembling iron shards. The leaves are hand-rolled into the traditional twisted Yan Cha form and pan-fired at their aromatic peak to arrest oxidation. Afterwards they are charcoal-fired in small batches to produce the deep green color and rich flavor that have made this tea one of China's "Ten Most Famous". The aroma of the dry leaf is deliciously sweet while the dark amber infusion is soft, smooth and malty.

Its major types are "Big Red Gown", "White Cockscomb", "Narcissus", "Black Dragon", "Cinnamon" and so on.

Yellow gold WuLongTea has been one of the best kept tea secrets in China. it's soup's color is golden and the smell like the sweet-scented osmanthus. This is the name of the tea which had been made). The liquor is smooth and aromatic, the complex flavor has subtle honey nectar notes. It is applauded among connoisseurs for its wonderfully rich fragrance and clarity of flavor.
Grown in Fujian's Anxi mountains under organic conditions, Yellow Gold Wu Long Tea is only about 25% oxidized. The shape is "thin, equality, yellow", the pulse is long and equality, the color is yellow-green and bright, the endoplasm is "fragrant, strange, tender".

Wu Long Tea : for weight loss

Wu long Tea represents a variety half way between the green and the black teas, being made after partial fermentation. It is a specialty from the provinces on China's southeast coast: Fujian, Guangdong and Taiwan.The Chinese have known about the wonderful benefits of wulong tea for thousands of years ranging from a number of health issues from headaches to depression. Nowadays it is used for many other applications such as the treatment of certain cancers and even heart disease. But one relatively unknown fact is that wu long tea can help you burn fat(2 1/2 times more than green tea) and helps keep the extra pounds off and tone your physique.

The secret in wulong tea lies in its active ingredient called epigallocatechin gallate. Epigallacatechin gallate is a very powerful anti-oxidant which helps fight the free radicals in the body. This chinese serves as an inexpensive glucose regulator which can slow the rise of blood sugar in the body which generally occurs after eating a meal with a high amount of simple carbohydrates (cakes, candy, etc). By keeping your glucose levels in check, you will reduce the amount of body fat that is stored. Wulong tea also contains a natural form of caffeine. This will help increase your metabolism which in turn will help burn off the extra calories faster

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Saturday, April 25, 2009

Wu Long Tea

Did you hear of wu long tea before?

wulong tea was orignated from China and it has been brought to the whole world now. This tea sometime will be classified as a type of traditional Chinese tea which it normally serves as one of the main beverage in Chinese restaurant.

Wu long tea good for blood circulation and digestion. Some people using it for weight loss purposes. There were many places in China produced this tea but main area was originated from Yun Nam, a place that cool fresh ideal biological growing environment for this tea plant.

The tea leaves for wu long tea has been fried after they have picked it from the tea plant. Traditionally they fried it with hand but now all work has been taken by machine. Mass production has been practiced to cater for the demand from world wide.

Wulong tea can be consume in its original tea beverage itelf or has been transform in many other products like wu long tea biscuit, cake, snacks. Many restaurants using wu long tea to create some delicious dishes. The universal taste of this chinese tea can be accepted worldwide.