Simple! Because wu yi tea is oolong tea. Confusing? It is not, really, but first you should know a few things about the various types of tea.
All real tea comes from a plant called Camellia sinensis. Afterwards, the processing dictates the final tea variety.
Black tea is the most popular. At least 75% of all tea produced is black tea. The tea leaves are left out to wither after harvesting. They are then rolled using one of two methods: orthodox or CTC (cut, tear, curl). Both methods release more moisture, but CTC crushes the leaves more because a machine is used.
Afterwards, the tea leaves are spread out. They are left to oxidize in a damp place and the leaves turn from green to brown. Drying takes place using hot air. Then the tea is divided up in various categories according to the size of the leaf. These will be sold as different “grades” of tea.
In processing green tea, the process is similar expect that there is no oxidation. Instead, the green tea leaves are steamed immediately after being dried to stop any oxidation process. The nutrients are also left more in tact. However, the tea has a sort of grassy taste without the oxidation process.
White tea comes from the “baby” leaves on the Camellia sinensis plant. It can only be harvested a few days in a year when the buds of the plant have yet to fully open. It is then processed similarly to green tea, but because the leaves are so young, the tea has a smoother, more delicate flavor. White tea has only been available for worldwide distribution as it was once reserved only for the Chinese nobility. True white tea remains rather expensive.
Oolong tea is between green tea and black tea. Its flavor is similar to black tea; however, it still retains most of its nutritional value. This is because it is not oxidized as much as black tea. It is really a great alternative to the grassy taste of green tea and the lack of nutrients in black tea.
So, what of the naming business? Not all oolong tea is wu yi tea because wu yi tea has to be grown in the Wuyi mountain chain to be called by that name. It is simply oolong tea produced in a particular area that is well suited for growing oolong tea.
Think Florida and oranges, Idaho and potatoes, New Zealand and kiwis. Though oranges, potatoes and kiwis are grown in other areas, the final product may not match those grown in areas that have the perfect climate and soil for the very best end product.
Once only considered for nobility, just like white tea, wu yi has grown in popularity with the world due to its great flavor, nutritional value and weight loss capabilities.
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