Black Tea Versus Oolong Tea

Many are wondering which tea is better oolong or black tea. Some even prefer green tea because of all the media attention it has received from the health and food industry.

All teas contain polyphenols, which are helpful for weight loss, because they attack triglycerides. They also contain Vitamins A, B, C, E and K and additional amino acids which are essential proteins and antioxidants.

Processes such as oxidation of the leaves and roasting, vary in both. All tea leaves are bruised when picked to allow some oxidation and release of the bitter oils and moisture to store the leaves.

Black tea goes through a lot of processing. They are processed so much that minerals are lost almost like cooking vegetables too much compared to eating them raw. More antioxidants are lost in black tea compared to oolong tea.

A main difference between the two are their flavors. Because of the additional processes that black tea goes through, more of the bitter oils are gone, and it leaves with a rosier, yet richer taste. Oolong is a rich tea, but has a slight bitter taste with a sweeter aftertaste.

Oolong tea has a higher caffeine level than black tea but green tea has the highest count. This is also because of the processing time. The longer a tea is processed the more a tea loses its caffeine potency.

Oolong and green teas are becoming quite popular in the health and food industry because of their higher levels of antioxidants and minerals. Black tea is popular in many restaurants served iced or hot because of its stronger flavor.