Oriental Beauty
It is Canadian Thanksgiving and so I woke up and decided to make a cup of luxury tea - sometimes known as the Champagne of Tea. Today’s tea tasting is Taiwan’s Oriental Beauty, purchased from Tea Trader in Calgary.🍵
History
This tea originated in Taiwan. The flavour is enhanced by encouraging a type of cicada, a green leafhopper, (Jacobiasca formosana) to bite the leaves which triggers oxidation. Later on, Taiwanese tea makers invested in plantations in Yunnan (China), but most left about 30 years ago. Small oolong tea plantations are still scattered across the province however. The leaf cultivar is the Taiwanese Ruan Zhi (also known as qingxin). Ruan zhi originated from Anxi county in Fujian province (China) and was brought to Taiwan. Later, the cultivar was brought back to China. This tea prefers high altitude and can withstand a colder climate than the local assamica varietals; as a result, you can find them at very high altitude, or in the lesser known tea areas of Yunnan, such as Baoshan. It has been available commercially only since 1933. [1]
It is also sometimes referred to as 5-Colour Tea, due to variety of colours of the oxidized leaves (brown, green, yellow, red, white). Obviously, to encourage the biting by the cicadas, no pesticides are used when growing this tea. In Taiwan, the tea is traditionally called Peng Feng Cha (膨風茶), which translates to "braggart's tea" or "bluffing tea".
“A trade journal from 1933 records a Taiwanese farmer receiving a national award for this specific tea style, achieving an unprecedented price that validated the “bragger’s” claims.”
Photo by: Agnes Trekker (2024) near Wetland Park Rd, Tin Shui Wai, New Territories, Hong Kong
Oriental Beauty is a highly oxidized Oolong.
Dry Leaves: It is slightly rolled, and lightly roasted. Usually composed of the bud and one-or two leaves.
Liquor: orange/red colour with honey and fruity notes
Flavour: soft, not at all bitter with slight umami flavours and an overall honey sweetness
I really enjoy this Oolong, it is perhaps one of my top 3 favourite teas. It is sweet and full bodied, with a lovely mouth feel. I tend to enjoy this when there is a special day, or I need to feel a bit pampered. It is expensive because it is a premium tea, that is labour intensive to handpick the leaves. It currently (2026) sells at Tea Trader for $89 (CAD) for 250g. This is the most-expensive Oolong sold there.
If you wish to enjoy a little luxury and taste a wonderful cup of Oolong, I highly recommend Oriental Beauty.
[1] Ilja Aviarjanau (2026) Braggers, E-Noses and Luxury: A Comprehensive Analysis of Oriental Beauty Tea. Xian Cha. Posted online January 18, 2026.
