Oolong teas come, like all other varieties of teas, from the leaf of the Camellia sinensis. Oolong (which can also be written "wulong") means "black dragon." Making oolong tea is one of the most difficult and delicate. To produce oolong, the leaves are plucked and withered. A few hours later, they are tossed to activate the fermentation (oxidization.)
The degree of fermentation (ranging between 10% and 70%) will determine the aroma and flavor. That explains why people often refer to oolong tea as a semi-fermented tea. The fermentation is stopped by heating the leaves with direct heat.
