Bug-Bitten Beauty: Oriental Beauty Wu-Long (Oolong) Tea

Oriental Beauty Wu-Long (or Oolong) is a famous Taiwanese-style tea.  Known by multiple names, in Taiwanese Mandarin it is referred to as Bai Hao, or White-Tipped, due to the white or lighter-colored tips of the tea buds.  Our Oriental Beauty Wu-Long was harvested in June of 2022 in the southern Fujian Mountains, and is comprised of leaves from the Jin Xuan and Qing Xin tea plants, which are over 30 years old and grow at an elevation of over 2100 feet.  These tea plants grow in the same region where our Special Reserve Green Tea and Aged Yellow Tea come from.

The leaves that make up the Oriental Beauty Wu-Long tea are usually harvested in May or June, for a very specific, unusual, and necessary reason--to allow bugs to chew on the leaves.  Tea farmers wait for a certain type of bug, commonly known as green leaf hoppers, to chew on the leaves, which usually doesn't happen until May or June.  When the bugs chew on the leaves, the plants release compounds called terpenes, which cause the leaves to eventually take on a more potent and pleasant natural fragrance and flavor.  

The terpenes that the Jin Xuan and Qing Xin produce cause the Oriental Beauty Wu-Long to have more of a natural floral and fruity aroma, with a smooth honey-like flavor and an inherent floral undertone.  The outstanding Oriental Beauty Wu-Long is available in the shop and on this website.