Bio Oolong Karasu

Bio Oolong Karasu

Japanese oolong from the Fujiwara family farm. The tea plants were grown within controlled organic farming on the subtropical island of Yakushima in Kagoshima Prefecture. The leaves from the first spring harvest of the Yutaka Midori cultivar were collected by hand and then carefully processed.
Dark brown, longitudinally rolled, rather unbroken, partially oxidized leaves with a pleasant sweet baked aroma. Golden orange pickle with a delicate fruit and honey taste, traces of dried apricots, cloves, ripe peaches and orange juice. Sweet aftertaste without the slightest astringency.

Preparation od Oolong Karasu

Use 5 grams of tea leaves for 0.5 litre of boiling water cooled to 85-90 °C, steep for 2–3 minutes. Feel free to experiment with steeping time, water temperature, and the amount of tea leaves. You can also read our articles on tea preparation and water quality. These tea leaves are also suitable for Asian-style preparation, which includes multiple infusions: you steep 5 grams of tea leaves per 150 ml of water that has boiled and cooled to 85–90 °C for 30 seconds and in the following three infusions, you steep the leaves for 40, 60, and 90 seconds, respectively.

"What is BENIFUUKI?" It is a Camellia sinensis L. tea variety – cultivar "Benifuuki".
This variety is of strong stature and very resistant to diseases. The leaves smell wonderfully. The production – light fermentation and light milling of the leaves – is somewhat similar to that of Oolong. However, the tea is not just heated, but treated with hot steam. This gives the impression that the tea was pan-fried. Gentle partial fermentation is done in dark places, at low temperatures, and not in light and warm places as is the case of Oolongs. Thus, Benifuuki is virtually not oxidized, preserving its green colour.
Only the final processing, i.e. further drying and milling, is similar to those of Oolongs. Another characteristic is its high content of a special Epigallocatechingallate, EGCG3, attributable to the plant species and intense steam treatment. In Japan, BENIFUUKI is considered a special medicinal tea intended as a therapy for allergies.

Green Tea & Health
As green tea leaves are not fermented, green tea has the highest content of antioxidants (compared to fermented teas). It also contains significant amount of polyphenols such as epicatechin, epicatechin gallate, epigallocatechin and catechin. The content of polyphenols differs for various tea types. Owing to these substances, tea is very beneficial – preventing cancer, cardiovascular diseases, infections, caries and many other difficulties. 
At present, about 400 various substances are known to be in the tea leaf and they are called active substances. The tea leaf contains mainly: caffeine, polyphenols (tannins), flavanols, flavonoids, theophylline and theobromine (related to caffeine), fats, waxes, saponins, essential oils, carotene, vitamins C, B1, B2, B5, B10, B12, E, K, enzymes, iron compounds, K, F, Na, Ca, Cu, Ni, Zn, trace elements and many others.
Tannins are anti-inflammatory, soothe stomach and intestines, and heal the mucous membranes of the respiratory system during colds. Theophylline stimulates blood circulation and relieves muscle spasms. Fluorine prevents dental caries.
Polyphenols (tannins) are present in all teas and are responsible for their slightly bitter astringent taste and characteristic aroma. Once ingested, they are absorbed into various organs. They are excellent antioxidants.