Oolong Tea
This tea is often called semi-fermented or semi-oxidized tea and is principally produced in the Fujian province of China, and in Taiwan. The time of picking is crucial for the production of quality oolong tea - the leaves should be neither too young nor too mature. The leaves are wilted for four to five hours in direct sunlight or in warm air inside the factory to remove some percent of the water content. The leaves are then rolled and allowed to react with oxygen in the air. The leaves start to give off a smell similar to orchids or peaches. The colour of the leaf gradually changes and the centre of the leaf remains a yellowish green while the edges, where the enzymes have oxidized, become reddish brown. The processed leaf is heated either to pans or ovens to stop oxidation and allowed to retain 3 percent moisture content. Strawberry coloured liquor.