It comes as quite a surprise to us that oolong tea and green tea are rolled before the drying process. In the past this was done by tying the tea in a bag and rolling it with the feet. These days, of course, there is a machine to do the job. Now we can see why a small amount of Chinese tea in a pot unrolls and fills the pot when hot water is added. How surprised we are to learn that good tea is quite expensive! We are served a delicious oolong that is sold for about $45 a pound [600 g].

For the extremely popular oolong tea, fermentation is permitted to occur naturally after the tea is picked and placed in large, almost-flat baskets. When the desired degree of fermentation has been reached, the leaves are stirred in pans at approximately 250 degrees Fahrenheit [120°C]. This stops the fermentation process. The resulting delicious tea is taken without sugar, milk, or lemon.

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Oolong tea