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Where does the Oriental Beauty's name come from? what is the good effect of drinking Oriental Beauty Tea?

Published: 2025-12-22 Author: World Gafei

Last Updated: 2025/12/22, Oriental Beauty, Baihao Oolong Tea and Pengfeng Tea are a kind of unique famous tea. Traditionally, it grew up in Hsinchu County in northern Taiwan. With undulating mountains and mild climate, it is an ideal place to grow tea. Residents transferred from Chinese mainland in the Ming Dynasty probably began to plant tea trees here at that time, and these earliest tea trees may include varieties that later became oriental beauties.

Oriental Beauty, Baihao Oolong Tea and Pengfeng Tea are a kind of unique famous tea. Traditionally, it grew up in Hsinchu County in northern Taiwan. With undulating mountains and mild climate, it is an ideal place to grow tea. Residents transferred from Chinese mainland in the Ming Dynasty probably began to plant tea trees here at that time, and these earliest tea trees may include varieties that later became "oriental beauties".

It was not until 1933 that Oriental Beauty won a prize in a tea competition that it was introduced into the commercial market. At that time, the Taiwan government was trying to improve the quality of tea exports, and tea competitions were an excellent way to reward farmers who produced high-quality tea. The first buyers of "Oriental Beauty" included the governor's office, and the price of tea was so high that the boast of proud farmers inspired the name "Prague Tea".

A smell worth showing off.

The secret of this charming tea does not lie in its variety or origin, although they do contribute. On the contrary, it was the bite of the green leafhopper that turned this summer's harvest into an award-winning wine. Although this must have been unexpected at the time, modern science has revealed the chemical effects of these attacks. This naturally occurring sweetness is a direct by-product of plant natural defense because it produces a unique enzyme to attract aggressive leafhopper predators. Today, other tea farmers have also taken advantage of this effect to produce all kinds of tea bitten by insects.

Moth-eaten tea is often called "honey fragrance". Well-made honey-scented tea has a unique honey aroma and a unique sweetness, which is caused by defensive enzymes released by plants. In the tea tasting competition in 1933, the taste of the tea must have been completely unique and unexpected, because the obviously damaged tea would be discarded by most other growers. In addition, Oriental Beauty is seriously oxidized, which brings undeniable fruit attention to this and other Mi-scented teas.

Today, oriental beauties have many grades, just like any kind of tea. The best thing to do is to use the tender leaves harvested in summer. The leaves of this crop are strong enough to withstand rolling and oxidation, but also young enough, with relatively high carbohydrate content and low bitterness. The result is a smooth brew with a rich taste.

Reputation and reality

It may not be surprising to learn that this kind of tea, which is famous for its high price, is often expensive. In fact, this is perfectly reasonable: the yield of crops bitten by insects may be reduced by more than half because of the damage to leaves. Leaves that have been bitten too much will be bitter, and the smell of incense will be completely offset by a rain before harvest. This is a kind of tea with small natural supply and enjoys a high reputation at home and abroad.

Unfortunately, this has led to a surge in imitation, and we have seen other famous varieties. Low-level "Oriental Beauty" may be made from broken leaves, or larger, more mature leaves, and leaves bitten by bugs have less impact. As Taiwan's leafhoppers have recently been found to be the same as Chinese leafhoppers, "Oriental Beauty" is now produced in the mainland, where differences in provenances and varieties can produce real taste differences. Some imitations of Oriental Beauty tea may not even be bitten by insects at all, so they have more floral and botanical flavors.

Finally, even the high-quality traditional "Oriental Beauty" often lacks the aftertaste and depth of other teas in Taiwan, such as those grown at high elevations. This is only the role of provenance and harvest season, because traditional summer leaves grow rapidly and do not have much time to form complex flavor compounds. In a word, we seldom come across a kind of tea whose name is worth the asking price.

However, our recent shopping trip brought us an unexpected exception: in the high-altitude area of Alishan, this traditional style is interpreted in a modern way under the modern name "the Beauty of the East". It is not the leafhopper that is bitten by aphids, but the crop, but the enzyme reaction in the plant is basically the same, producing the unique sweetness and strong fruit aroma famous for the beauty of the East. The traditional oolong tea variety that grows near the top of the mountain, the bright honey top notes highlight the long-lasting aftertaste, surprisingly rich, no astringency. We were so impressed by this tea that we made it part of our exclusive series of red labels.