Oriental Beauty Tea: FAQ & Buying Guide

Oriental Beauty Tea (Dongfang Meiren) mainly refers to a "special tea-making process."

Although we primarily use the "Qingxin Damao" variety, the soul of Oriental Beauty lies in the tea leaves being bitten by the "Small Green Leafhopper" during growth, followed by a heavy fermentation process. This transforms the leaf chemistry into a unique honey and fruit aroma. Therefore, it represents the perfect combination of "natural insect effect" and "exquisite craftsmanship."

It is actually the tea tree's "distress signal"! The small green leafhopper sucks the juice from the young buds (a process we call "Zhuoyan"). To defend itself, the tea tree secretes special chemical components. Transformed by our fermentation craftsmanship, these become the charming natural honey and ripe fruit aromas.

Note: Leafhoppers can only survive in environments completely free of pesticides, so this honey aroma is also proof of "pure nature."

No, it is a type of Oolong Tea (Blue Tea).

Although the tea soup is amber-red and tastes smooth like black tea, technically, black tea is "fully fermented," while Oriental Beauty is "heavily fermented" (approx. 60%~70%). It retains the sweet aftertaste of Oolong while possessing the mellowness of black tea, sitting perfectly between the two.

In Taiwanese tea classification, it belongs to the "heavily fermented / ripe taste" category, though it is usually not heavily roasted.

Because of the high fermentation, the tea character is gentle, unlike unfermented Green Tea or lightly fermented High Mountain Tea (Raw) which can be "cold" to the stomach. Therefore, it is suitable for people with sensitive stomachs or for drinking in the evening.

The higher the star rating, the higher the "degree of insect biting", and the richer the honey aroma.

• 4-Star (Entry Choice): Elegant honey aroma, sweet and smooth. Suitable for beginners or daily office drinking.
• 5-Star (Advanced Taste): Higher degree of biting, distinct honey rhyme, delicate fruit notes. High value for gifts or self-use.
• 6-Star (Connoisseur Level): Prominent white tips (buds), deep insect biting. You can feel the rich, bursting honey sweetness immediately. Complex layers.

These are our selected "Top-Tier Limited" teas. The difference lies in delicacy and rarity:

• Crown: Our selected high-end tea, showing the dignity and elegance of Oriental Beauty. Clean aroma, solid honey rhyme. Excellent for high-quality tasting.
• Black Diamond: Extremely rare yield, usually from specific premium plots. Silky smooth texture with unique insect-bitten floral nectar notes.
• Grace (Enci): Symbolizing a "Gift from Heaven." This is a rare top batch combining perfect weather, location, and human skill. It showcases the ultimate honey aroma and layers. Drink one less, have one less.

Known as "Tea Gold," Oriental Beauty is expensive for three main reasons:

1. Extremely Low Yield: The buds do not grow large after being bitten. One catty of Oriental Beauty requires 2-3 times more tea buds than regular tea.
2. Pure Hand-Picking: Only the extremely tender "one bud, two leaves" can be picked. Machines cannot be used.
3. High-Risk Farming: To allow the insects to bite, absolutely no pesticides can be used. Farmers must bear high risks of pest damage and natural disasters.

Oriental Beauty Tea competitions (like the Hsinchu County competition) are very fierce. Grades from low to high are typically:

• Excellent Award (Flowers): Basic award, guaranteed quality.
• Head Award: One in ten thousand. The price usually jumps significantly.
• Special Award (Champion): The Tea King of the year. Prices can reach hundreds of thousands per catty.

Our internal grading system (Crown/Black Diamond, etc.) allows customers to enjoy high-quality tea equivalent to these standards at reasonable prices outside the competition season.

1. Porcelain (Gaiwan): Most recommended! The smooth surface does not absorb flavor, presenting the true high aroma and honey rhyme of Oriental Beauty.
2. Glass Teapot: Suitable for watching the "tea dance" as the leaves unfurl (one bud, two leaves), and it dissipates heat quickly to avoid stewing the tender buds.

Very suitable!

Because Oriental Beauty Tea is heavily fermented, it has excellent aging potential.

• Fresh (1-2 Years): Enjoy its honey and flower/fruit aromas.
• Aged (3+ Years): The aroma transforms into deeper notes of plum, herbs, or wood, and the texture becomes mellower and smoother.

Just keep the package sealed in a cool, dry place, and it will surprise you over time.