The tea family's middle child

Q: I know that some herbal "teas" don't actually contain any tea. Where does oolong fit in? Is it a real tea, and, if so, does it have the same health benefits as other types of tea?

JVW: Oolong tea is part of the "real" tea family that also includes black, green, and white varieties. Oolong is sometimes referred to as semi-fermented and is somewhere in between black tea and green tea in terms of how long it is processed. It is a very popular variety in China in particular. Because it is a true tea, oolong shares many of the same benefits of green tea. However, since it does undergo the fermentation process for slightly longer, it may contain less of some healthful elements than green tea, but more than black tea. Its caffeine content is in the middle of these two varieties as well.

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