Oolong (Traditional Chinese:; Pinyin: wūlóng), also known as wu-long, is a traditional Chinese tea somewhere between green and black in oxidation. It ranges from 10% to 70% oxidation. In Chinese tea culture, semi-oxidized oolong teas are collectively grouped as qīngchá (Chinese: 青茶; literally "blue-green tea"). Oolong has a taste more akin to green tea than to black tea: it lacks the rosy, sweet aroma of black tea but it does not have the stridently grassy vegetal notes that typify green tea. The best Oolong has a nuanced flavor profile. It is commonly brewed to be strong, with the bitterness leaving a sweet and pleasant aftertaste. Oolongs produced in the Wuyi Mountains of Fujian Province and in the Central Mountains of Taiwan, are world famous. Oolong tea leaves are often processed and rolled into long curly leaves or into ball-like form similar to gunpowder tea. It is commonly served in Chinese restaurants, to accompany dim sum and other Chinese food.   Etymology The word oolong means "black dragon" in Chinese; various legends describe the origin of this curious name. In one legend, the owner of a tea plantation was scared away from his drying tea leaves by the appearance of a black serpent; when he cautiously returned several days later, the leaves had been oxidized by the sun and gave a delightful brew. Another tale tells of a man named Wu Liang (later corrupted to Wu Long, or Oolong) who discovered oolong tea by accident when he was distracted by a deer after a hard day's tea-picking, and by the time he remembered about the tea it had already started to oxidize. Others say that the tea is called "oolong" because the leaves look like little black dragons that wake when hot water is poured on them. Processing of Oolong Oolong tea undergoes a few delicate processes in order to produce the unique aroma and taste. Typical Oolong tea is processed according to the following steps: Wilting (pinyin: wěidiāo): Sun dry or air dry to remove some moisture. Yaoqing (pinyin: yáoqīng): To bruise the edge of the tea leaf to create more contacting surface for oxidation. Rouqing (pinyin: róuqīng): The tea leaves are tumbled or rubbed for the next stage. Shaqing (pinyin: shāqīng): Process to stop further oxidation. Depending on the quality of the leaves, they will be dried in a large pan over heat and stirred by hand (for premium tea) or by machinery. Cooling: Drying: To remove excessive moisture. Grading Packaging Classification and grade Tea connoisseurs classify the tea by its aroma (often fragrant or flowery), taste and aftertaste (often melony). Oolongs comes in either roasted or light. While most oolongs can be consumed immediately postproduction, like pu-erh tea, many oolong can benefit from long aging with regular light roasting with a low charcoal fire (烘培, pinyin:hōngpeì, literally: bake cultivation or 焙火, pinyin:peìhǔo, dry roasting by fire). Before roasting, Oolong tea leaves are necessitated through cracking the cells in the leaves and left to a ratio between 1% and 99% "oxidized". The process of roasting removes unwanted odours from the tea and reduces any sour or astringent tastes; in addition, the process is believed to make the oolong tea more gentle on the stomach.