Sanxia Superior Chin Xin Gan Zhi Oriental Beauty 2024

Also nicknamed Formosa Oolong, Dong Fang Mei Ren or Bai Hao Oolong.

A very interesting tea that features a large amount of tips and, by its character, rich aroma and taste, ranks among the premium versions of Oriental Beauty. It is a hand-picked harvest of leaves from the Chin Xin Gan Zhi cultivar from a tea garden located at 500 m altitude, processed with a medium oxidation of 70-80%. The aroma and taste are attractive, with notes of exotic fruit, citrus, honey and a hint of spiced fruit. The uniqueness of Oriental Beauty lies in a natural intervention by tiny leafhoppers, Jacobiasca formosana, which during the summer “bite” the tea leaves, activating the plant’s production of defensive compounds and specific terpenes. It is precisely these compounds that are responsible for the characteristic notes of grape, honey, fruit and sometimes even caramel or flowers. This process also increases the antioxidants. The history of this tea dates back to the end of the 19th century, when it was brought to the West under the name “Formosa Oolong” and quickly won popularity among European nobility. It reportedly received its current poetic name after its taste and striking aroma enchanted the British queen herself, who named it “Oriental Beauty”. Among local farmers it is also known as “Pengfeng Cha” - the braggart’s tea. This name refers to an interesting story from history. It all began when a local grower in the Hsinchu area was struck by a seemingly unfortunate phenomenon - tiny leafhoppers began to attack his tea bushes. He processed the damaged leaves anyway and sold them at the market, where their taste and aroma so surprised one merchant that he paid the farmer double the usual price. When the grower returned home and enthusiastically boasted of his success and the high price, the villagers thought he was exaggerating and called his tea “the braggart’s” (in Taiwanese “Peng Feng Cha”).