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oolong

a traditional Chinese tea, partially oxidized between green and black tea

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Where does the word "oolong" come from? It comes from Chinese wu long, and was adopted directly into English (1800s).

Read the full story

Where does the word "oolong" come from? It comes from Chinese wu long, and was adopted directly into English (1800s).

Oolong’s story begins in Chinese: wu long meant “black dragon.” Literally black dragon, the name for the partially oxidized tea. It reached English by 1800s as oolong. Chinese 'black dragon'; grown in Fujian and Taiwan. Today, oolong means a traditional Chinese tea, partially oxidized between green and black tea.

  1. Stage 1 · Chinese · medieval wu long "black dragon", literally black dragon, the name for the partially oxidized tea.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1800s oolong "a partially oxidized Chinese tea", Chinese 'black dragon'; grown in Fujian and Taiwan.

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