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A Favorite Among Connoisseurs A favorite among connoisseurs, oolong teas (often pronounced “wu-long”) are semi-oxidized and express characteristics in-between green and black teas. The leaves are usually brownish in color, large in appearance and produce a very aromatic, smooth and complex brew. Widest Array of Flavors The cultivation and manufacture of classic oolong tea is restricted to Southeastern China and the island of Taiwan. Often, different tea estates have their preferred ways of making oolong. It is because of the intricacy of this process that oolong teas can have the widest array of flavors and aromas. High quality oolongs are among the world’s most expensive teas. In-Between Green and Black During production, leaves are tossed in bamboo baskets to lightly bruise their edges, releasing enzymes that react with oxygen. With oolong tea, the outer part of the leaf is allowed to oxidize, but the center is kept green. Some oolongs are more oxidized and closer in character to black teas, with amber-colored infusions and notes of dark chocolate, fruit and roasted sugar. Other oolongs are less oxidized and are closer to green tea, with a lighter body, floral aromatics and golden green infusions. Health Benefits In terms of health benefits, oolong tea is said to reduce plaque in the arteries, lower cholesterol, boost metabolism and aid weight-loss. Research conducted in Japan, China and Taiwan reports that regular consumption of oolong tea is linked to the reduction of cholesterol and the lowering of blood sugar. Its reputation as a safe, daily slimming and dieter's tea in Southeastern Asia has been widespread for hundreds of years.

Harvested by hand only a few days each spring, white tea is made from baby tea leaves and is the rarest and least processed of all tea varietals. Because it undergoes virtually no processing and is made from the tender, nutrient-rich bud from the tip of the plant, white tea is considered the healthiest of all teas. THE HEALTHIEST TEA White teas were rated one of the hottest products on the US tea market and show no signs of slowing down due to the continued media attention highlighting their anti-cancer potential. White tea is considered to be the healthiest of all types of tea because it has the highest levels of antioxidants and theanine, a rare amino acid found only in high-quality tea. Antioxidants are believed to maintain health, combat aging and prevent disease. Theanine promotes mental and physical relaxation, improves mood, reduces anxiety, boosts the immune system and increases concentration. White tea also has the lowest caffeine content of all true teas. Traditional Chinese Teapot for White Tea Due to its unique processing and season of harvest, white tea is reported to have the highest antioxidant content (even higher than green tea!) and lowest caffeine level of all true teas. White tea also contains stress-relieving, mood-lifting properties. SILVER-WHITE APPEARANCE Because white tea undergoes very little processing, the tealeaves retain their natural appearance. For instance, White Peony, one of the most popular styles of authentic white tea and the base for our white tea blends, is multi-colored like autumn leaves and covered with a silver-white down that resembles the skin of a ripened peach. Silver Needle, the highest grade of white tea, consists of only silvery-white sprouts. GENTLE, MELLOW, NECTAR-LIKE FLAVOR White tea brews [...]

Talking about tea's health benefits, it is well-known all over the world. Every sort of tea has its own health benefits. They are healthy because of different reasons. Black tea, the one this article talk about, is beneficial due to its unique making process: fermentation. When speaking of the word fermentation, it specifically refers to black tea's fermentation. Yet other kinds of teas are also fermented in vary degrees during making, such as oolong tea, white tea, dark tea and yellow tea. Fermentation is the key process of making black tea. The chemical change of polyphenols produces the special aroma and color of black tea, as well as its health benefits. Thearubigins - The Benefits of Fermentation Fermentation is aiming to promote the oxidization of polyphenols, which will produce thearubigin and theaflavin. They are the key factors that form the color and flavor of black tea. Thearubigin exists in black tea, is a kind of golden pigment produced in fermentation. Beside of adjusting the color of tea liquid, thearubigin has many health benefits. It can combine with cholesterol in stomach and intestines, and reduce the amount of cholesterol absorbed from food. Thus thearubigin is helpful for protecting your heart from hyperlipidemia and heart disease without any side-effect. “Unraveling the structure of the black tea thearubigins”  See this report from the US Govt NIH: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20430006 Lose Fat and Lower Triglyceride Content In Blood: Thearubigin in black tea can reduce the absorbing of cholesterol in stomach and intestines; in the meantime it helps to restrain the synthesis of cholesterol. This efficacy is because of thearubigin's ability of weakening FAS (fatty acid synthetase). FAS is the primary enzyme of producing fat. That's also the reason why thearubigin can help reducing the amount of triglyceride in blood. Protecting [...]

Green Tea is the most popular tea in Asia. Made from new leaves and buds, like white tea, after picking the leaves are steamed or heated to reduce oxidation. After that it is lightly rolled to give each tea its individual style – curly, balled up or straight – and then dried. If you are new to green tea's, the ones we would recommend are either our Dragon Well – for a great, classic Chinese green tea – or our Xin Yang Mao Jian to get all the health benefits of a green tea, but with a more robust, stronger flavor. Like white tea, green of the naturally occurring chemicals present in the leaves when they grow, which gives green tea its famed health benefits. Anti-aging Health Benefits Many of the effects of aging, particularly on the skin, are caused by a build up of free radicals in the body, which can damage and aging of your body's cells.  Free radicals do occur naturally, but their concentrations are increased due to exposure to pollution, too much sunlight and some types of chemicals.  SOD (superoxide Dismutase) is one of the bodies chemicals that mops up free radicals to help prevent them damaging the bodies cells.  Chemicals called catechins that are present in green tea significantly improve the activity of SOD, and so provide a large boost to the bodies ability to fight the Effect of free radicals. Effects on bacterial and fungal infections (anti-bacterial) A cup of green tea contains anywhere up to 200mg of catechins, that are known to give it's anti oxidant benefits.However other scientific studies from Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston, Okayama University in Japan and the National Institute of Chemistry in Slovenia, have backed [...]