tea
reserve
Oriental Beauty (Dong Fang Mei Ren) Oolong
Central Taiwan Highlands, Taiwan
About this product
Oriental Beauty (東方美人, Dong Fang Mei Ren) is one of Taiwan's most distinctive and celebrated oolongs — unlike any other tea in the world because its defining character comes from insect damage rather than human intervention. The tea leafhopper (Jacobiasca formosana) bites the young leaves and buds during summer; the plant responds by producing defence compounds that, when the leaf is then hand-picked and processed, create an extraordinary natural muscatel, honey, and ripe fruit character. Queen Elizabeth II named it "Oriental Beauty" when she tasted it in 1970. At 60–80% oxidation, it is the most heavily oxidised of Taiwan's green oolongs and drinks more like a delicate red wine than a conventional tea.
The deductive profile Library
styleheavily oxidised oolong (unique insect bite process)
originHsinchu and Miaoli counties, Taiwan (Wang Family source from Hsinchu)
charactermuscatel, honey, dried fruit — unlike all other Taiwan oolongs; closest to a light red wine in tea form
insect biteTrue
oxidation pct70
historical notenamed Oriental Beauty by Queen Elizabeth II, 1970
Service
notesamber/red liquor colour distinguishes authentic Oriental Beauty; 60 second first steep — needs time to open
vesselglass or porcelain (colour appreciation)
infusions4-6
brew temp c90°C
steep time first60 seconds
leaf to water ratio5-6g per 150ml
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Pairings
complement
pastry
Oriental Beauty's muscatel-apricot character and apricot tart share the same stone-fruit aromatic compound; a direct resonance
classic
dessert
complement
food
Oriental Beauty's exceptional honey dew character (from the leafhopper) pairs with grilled peach; both share honey warmth
classic
dessert
complement
dessert
Oriental Beauty's exceptional honeydew character (caused by leafhopper biting) directly mirrors the melon dessert
classic
pre_dessert
complement
casual
Oriental Beauty's honeyed fruit complexity bridges the black sesame tang yuan; both carry a deep sweet aromatic warmth
established
dessert
complement
cheese
Oriental Beauty's honey-muscatel beside manchego and quince: the stone-fruit character of quince bridges to the wine-grape note in the oolong
established
cheese
complement
chocolate
Wild honey character in Oriental Beauty and honey in the chocolate; beeswax bridges the two
established
dessert
bridge
wine
Oriental Beauty is the tea most commonly compared to wine; side-by-side with a German Auslese Riesling reveals the muscatel compound they share
adventurous
any
complement
pastry
Oriental Beauty's dried fruit complexity is amplified by fruit-bread's own dried fruit content; a holiday pairing of warmth and richness
adventurous
dessert