Green Oolong: The Green Tea Lover's Secret

Looking for a green tea that isn't bitter?

Almost every week, someone walks into our teahouse and asks for a green tea. Then they add the part that really matters: they want one that isn't bitter. One that isn't grassy.

I always have good news for them. The tea they're looking for is green oolong.

What is green oolong?

Green oolong is a lightly oxidized oolong. The leaves are rolled into tight pearls that slowly open as they steep, and they brew a pale golden-green cup. It looks a lot like green tea, and it keeps some of green tea's bright, fresh character.

But it drinks very differently. There's no sharp bite and no cut-grass flavor. Just a smooth, fragrant cup that keeps getting better with each steep.

There's plenty of good green tea out there. But I'll be honest: I much prefer green oolong. So do our customers. It's our best-selling category of tea, year after year.

The health benefits you came for

Many people reach for green tea because they've heard it's good for them. Green oolong shares much of that reputation. Because the leaves are only lightly oxidized, they keep a high level of catechins, the antioxidants green tea is known for. That includes EGCG, the most studied of the group.

So if health is what got you interested in green tea, you don't have to give that up to drink something you truly enjoy.

The real reason: flavor

Health benefits are a nice bonus. But the real reason to try green oolong is that you're going to love the way it tastes. A good cup unfolds in three parts.

1. Aroma. Lift the lid and you're greeted by a bright, floral fragrance. It's often the first thing that wins people over.
2. Taste. Smooth and rounded, with a natural sweetness and none of the bitterness that turns people off green tea.
3. Finish. This is where green oolong really shines. A creamy, lingering finish full of umami, that savory depth that makes you reach for the next sip.

It's a cup that's comforting to the soul. Warm, gentle, and rewarding every time.

How to brew it

Green oolong is forgiving and easy to brew at home. Here's a simple starting point:

• Water: right off the boil. Yes, boiling. Green oolong can take it.
• Leaf: a level teaspoon of tightly rolled oolong is about 3g; a heaping teaspoon is about 5g. I like 5g in a 12 oz mug.
• Time: about 3 minutes for the first steep
• Resteep: the same leaves will give you a second cup, and sometimes a third

Watch the pearls unfurl as they steep. Each cup will show you a slightly different side of the tea.

Find your green oolong

If green tea has ever tasted bitter or grassy to you, give green oolong a try. You keep the benefits you were looking for and gain a cup you'll actually look forward to.

All of our green oolongs come directly from family farms in Taiwan that we've worked with for over 20 years. Stop by the teahouse on Friendly Street, or browse our green oolongs online.