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Oolong RP: /uːlɒŋ/, GA: /ulɑŋ/ () is a traditional Chinese tea (''Camellia sinensis)'' produced through a unique process including withering the plant under the strong sun and oxidation before curling and twisting.〔Zhongguo Chajing pp222-234, pp419-412, & pp271-282, chief editor: Chen Zhongmao, publisher: Shanghai Wenhua Chubanshe (Shanghai Cultural Publishers) 1991.〕 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%,〔施海根，中國名茶圖譜、烏龍茶黑茶及壓製茶花茶特種茶卷 p2，上海文化出版社 2007 ISBN 7-80740-130-3〕 depending on the variety and production style. Oolong is especially popular with tea connoisseurs of south China and Chinese expatriates in Southeast Asia,〔Joseph Needham, Science and Civilization in China vol 6 part V 40f Tea Processing and Utilization, pp535-550 Origin and processing of oolong tea〕 as is the Fujian preparation process known as the Gongfu tea ceremony. In Chinese tea culture, semi-oxidised oolong teas are collectively grouped as ''qīngchá'' (). The taste of oolong varies widely among different subvarieties. It 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 subvarieties of oolong, 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 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 (), meaning "black dragon tea." The manufacture of oolong is intricate because some of the basic steps involved in its making are repeated many times before the desired amount of bruising and browning of the leaves is achieved. Withering, roling, shaping, and firing are similar to black tea, but much more attention to timing and temperature is necessary. One last step, baking or roasting, is exclusive to oolong and is referred to as the real art in making this tea ==Possible origins== There are three widely accepted explanations of the origin of the Chinese name. According to the "tribute tea" theory, oolong tea came directly from Dragon-Phoenix Tea Cake tribute tea. The term oolong tea replaced the old term when loose tea came into fashion. Since it was dark, long, and curly, it was called Black Dragon tea. According to the "Wuyi" theory, oolong tea first existed in the Wuyi Mountains region. This is evidenced by Qing dynasty poems such as Wuyi Tea Song (Wuyi Chage) and Tea Tale (Chashuo). It was said that oolong tea was named after the part of the Wuyi Mountain where it was originally produced. According to the "Anxi" theory, oolong tea had its origin in the Anxi oolong tea plant, which was discovered by a man named Sulong, Wulong, or Wuliang. 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 to return to the tea it had already started to oxidize.〔Fergus Ray-Murray, , oolong.co.uk〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「oolong」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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