Oriental Beauty Pouchong Tea

Oriental Beauty Tea, also known as Pouchong Tea, is said to have been presented over a hundred years ago by a renowned tea merchant to the Queen of England. As she sipped the tea, she noticed the leaves swirling in the crystal glass, gracefully resembling a beautiful dancer. She asked, "What kind of tea is this?" They replied, "This tea comes from the eastern Formosa." Thus, she praised it as "Oriental Beauty Tea."

The tea leaves are harvested from buds bitten by small green leafhoppers (jassids). After withering, they are manually stirred to control fermentation, producing a unique honey-like or ripe fruit aroma. Due to the prominent white down on the young shoots, it is also called Baihao Oolong Tea, making it the only locally developed specialty tea in Taiwan.

Oriental Beauty Tea is abundantly produced around the summer Mangzhong period when small green leafhoppers are most active. Due to climate change, it is now also commonly produced in winter.

Oriental Beauty Tea features a striking blend of white, green, yellow, red, and brown hues, with a bright and vibrant appearance. The leaves are naturally curly, resembling blossoms. The tea liquor is clear, bright orange-red. The aroma is rich with a strong honey fragrance, while the taste offers a mellow, rounded flavor of ripe fruits that lingers long after each sip, with excellent endurance for multiple infusions.

Oriental Beauty Tea is a uniquely Taiwanese specialty tea. It requires strict tea garden management and hand-picking. Its naturally smooth and delicious honey, fruit, and floral notes are only achieved after tea leafhoppers pierce the tea leaves, followed by the masterful craftsmanship of tea makers, resulting in the delicate taste preferred by tea drinkers.

Origin: The main production areas of Oriental Beauty Tea are in northern Taiwan, especially in Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, and New Taipei.

Rarity: The production season for Oriental Beauty Tea is limited to summer and winter. Compared to Taiwan’s high mountain oolong teas, its yield is much lower, which makes Oriental Beauty Tea

relatively more expensive. Factors such as recent rainfall, insect damage, ample sunlight, along with the uniqueness of the tea variety and the skill of the tea masters, all contribute to its rarity.

Source: Tea Website