Description

MiaoLi Oriental Beauty Oolong Tea (Competition Grade)

History, Legend & Naming

Oriental Beauty Oolong, known in Chinese as “Dong Fang Mei Ren,” is considered one of Taiwan’s finest and most traditional teas. It is part of a national Taiwanese tea culture that dates back much further than the country’s modern state tea research programs. Legend has it that the tea was named after Queen Victoria of England in the 19th century.

According to that same legend, the tea was originally the accidental product of a farmer whose tea harvest had suffered damage by a cicada infestation in his fields. Happy to have found a buyer, the farmer sold the tea to an English merchant at the Taipei market, who was impressed by the distinctive flavor of the tea leaves bitten by the insects. Back in England, the merchant presented the tea to his queen, who named it Oriental Beauty after tasting it. After the tea farmer’s return to his village, he never tired of boasting to the villagers about his successful sale. For this reason, the tea in Taiwan initially was referred to as “bragging tea.”

So much for the legend… Fact is: Only when the young, still-growing tea leaves are nibbled by the tiny green cicada (Jacobiasca formosana) does the resulting tea develop the sweet, aromatic fragrances and flavors (terpenes) that are responsible for the characteristic honey-sweet, fruity, and floral aroma of Oriental Beauty Oolong.

Origin & Terroir

Our Oriental Beauty Oolong tea comes from the renowned MiaoLi tea region in northwest Taiwan. At approximately 400 meters above sea level, the tea plants thrive on sunny, moist slopes—precisely where cicadas thrive. Accordingly, only in this specific microclimate can an Oriental Beauty of such depth and expressiveness be created.

Cultivar

The variety providing for this tea is the traditional Chin Shin Dah Pan. It came to Taiwan from the Chinese mainland province of Fujian long ago. There, the cultivar, traditionally the inspiration for Bhaozhong and Oriental Beauty Oolong teas, soon became one of the cornerstones of early Taiwanese tea culture – thus shaping the taste of Taiwanese tea art for generations..

Picking

As with any high-quality representative of its species, the picking of our MiaoLi Oriental Beauty Oolong takes place at the peak of the cicada species responsible for the tea’s special aroma – Jacobiasca formosana. The picking standard is a silvery, hairy bud with the two youngest leaves attached. At this, the precise hand-picking of this standard is just as essential as the absence of any pesticides in the tea garden.

Processing

A defining element of the processing of each oolong tea is its characteristic degree of oxidation. For our MiaoLi Oriental Beauty, this is around 75% – significantly higher than for most Taiwanese oolong teas. Rolling the tea leaves serves to break down the cell walls, allowing for an even distribution of the juices within the leaf. Once reaching the desired degree of oxidation, the final drying takes place at moderate heat. The result: dark brown, reddish leaves with glossy, white, curled tips – an aesthetic masterpiece.

What Means “Competiton Grade”?

Only teas with absolute perfection in picking and processing are entitled to the title “Competition Grade.” For tea competitions, which continue to be of great social and economic importance both on the mainland and in Taiwan, tiny batches are hand-picked and processed with the utmost care. The result is a tea that is virtually flawless and perfectly harmonious, both visually and in taste.

Taste & Visual Appearance

The infusion unfolds a delicate interplay of honey sweetness, dried fruit, floral notes, and a hint of exoticism. The texture is velvety soft, round, and deep, without any hint of bitterness or astringency. The leaves are a noble dark red with silver tips. The clear cup color ranges—depending on the infusion temperature and brewing time—from amber through a broad spectrum of orange tones to bright red. A golden shimmer permeates and refines each of these color nuances.

Preparation

Whether Western style or Gong Fu, this tea is a poem in every form and preparation method. Since it never becomes any bitter or astringent, it invites free experimentation. That is, temperature, brewing time, dosing – anything goes, nothing is imposed.

Recommended starting parameters for your exploration of this tea: First, pour 4g of tea leaves per 100ml of water at a temperature of approximately 85°C. Then let it steep for up to 2 minutes for an intensely full-bodied first infusion. Follow this with 2-3 more infusions, each time increasing the temperature and steeping time slightly. This way, each infusion offers new flavor facets that you’ll never tire of exploring.

For more oolong and other types of tea from Taiwan see here:

Tea from Taiwan@ Siam Tea Shop