A Tea That Can Be Called the Ultimate Quality of Oriental Beauty
Spring Oriental Beauty is a tea made from tea leaves grown in Alishan.
Unlike Oriental Beauty harvested in summer, this tea is plucked in spring, and only the leaves bitten by leafhoppers more extensively than those used for Oriental Beauty are carefully selected to create the ultimate masterpiece of Oriental Beauty.
This tea is suitable for aging, and the longer it is stored, the more it transforms into a tea with a smoother mouthfeel and a more elegant aroma.
The Ultimate Quality of Oriental Beauty
Speaking of Oriental Beauty, it is synonymous with leafhoppers.
By processing only tea leaves bitten by leafhoppers, it is famous for having a muscat-like aroma (muscatel flavor).
For Spring Oriental Beauty, tea leaves bitten even more extensively by leafhoppers than those used for Oriental Beauty are carefully hand-plucked.
This tea can be said to represent the ultimate quality of Oriental Beauty. It is made using luxurious raw materials.
The tea leaves are yellow, resembling ripened yellow fruits like banana.
Furthermore, the harvest is carried out earlier than for Oriental Beauty. In spring, when leafhoppers usually do not swarm, certain tea gardens experience leafhopper infestations, and the insects fly to the still tender tea leaves.
This unique feature of Spring Oriental Beauty creates a soft floral aroma reminiscent of spring flowers and a soft, sweet taste.
The Secret of the Fragrant Muscatel Flavor
Like Oriental Beauty, Spring Oriental Beauty is made only from tea leaves attacked by 2mm long green insects called leafhoppers.
Leafhoppers selectively fly to pesticide-free tea gardens. When managed pesticide-free, the tea gardens' productivity drops significantly. Additionally, only tea leaves bitten by leafhoppers and turned yellow can be used, making the raw tea leaves rare and difficult to secure in sufficient quantities.
Furthermore, this tea is harvested in spring, unlike Oriental Beauty, which is harvested in summer. In spring, there are fewer leafhoppers compared to summer, making it even harder to secure tea leaves turned yellow by leafhopper bites.
Only the yellowed leaves of one bud and two leaves are plucked. To make Spring Oriental Beauty, only the "more yellowed leaves" compared to the raw materials for Oriental Beauty are used.
Tea leaves attacked by insects turn yellow and simultaneously biosynthesize a substance akin to antibodies in humans (called phytoalexin in plants).
In tea, one of the commonly known phytoalexins is a low-molecular-weight substance called terpenoid.
These substances are also known for having fruity aromas, and these substances form the "mi xiang."
Processing of Spring Oriental Beauty
The processing of Spring Oriental Beauty involves the following steps:
- Sun Withering
- Indoor Withering ~ Fermentation
- Rolling
Below are the explanations for each step.
Sun Withering
After harvesting, the tea leaves are spread on the ground under the sun to wither.
This process is called sun withering. Because the cultivation area is at a high altitude, there are many days of light clouds, and the soft sunlight shines on the tea leaves.
On sunny days with strong sunlight, a black mesh sheet is stretched several meters above the tea leaves to soften the sunlight.
Through sun withering, the moisture in the tea leaves evaporates, and fermentation gradually begins. The tea leaves become softer and start to emit a fresh aroma.
Indoor Withering ~ Fermentation
The fermentation method for oolong tea is significantly different from that for black tea. After completing sun withering, the tea leaves are brought indoors with air conditioning, spread on sheets, cooled, and moisture evaporation is promoted.
The tea leaves for Spring Oriental Beauty use only one bud and two leaves, unlike the usual oolong tea (one bud and three to five leaves), so the moisture content is high, resulting in a longer withering process.
Extended withering promotes hydrolysis of the components, forming a distinctive sweet aftertaste.
Indoors, the tea leaves are spread on bamboo trays. Spreading the leaves on trays promotes fermentation, and the process of lifting the tea leaves, "dropping them on a tilted tray," and "letting them rest to ferment" is repeated.
The fermentation of Spring Oriental Beauty lasts longer than standard oolong tea. However, since the tea leaves are young and tender, the work is done gently overall.
The fermented tea leaves are heated to deactivate the enzymes and stop fermentation. If fermentation is not stopped promptly, the fermentation will continue, resulting in a flavor close to black tea.
The number of times the leaves are stirred and the time they are left to rest are determined based on the moisture content, aroma, and color of the tea leaves. These delicate decisions are made by the artisans, and this "decision" greatly affects the quality of the oolong tea.
The artisans work under the guidance of the master. The quality of the oolong tea is significantly influenced by the master. To consistently achieve superior quality, one must work with an excellent master.
Rolling
Like Oriental Beauty, no "bag rolling" is done, which involves wrapping and rolling in cloth. Since young tea leaves are used, strong rolling would break the leaves and increase bitterness and astringency, so gentle hand-rolling is mainly employed.
During the rolling process, the temperature of the tea leaves gradually decreases, becoming hard and crispy. In this case, heating at 60-80°C is performed to soften the tea leaves and continue rolling. If the rolling is too weak, the tea's flavor is not sufficiently extracted.
Conversely, if it is too strong, it causes off-flavors and can break the tea leaves. It is crucial to adjust the conditions of each operation timely, considering the state of the tea leaves, the weather of the day, and various other factors, which is the expertise of the master.
After rolling is completed, the tea leaves are dried in a dryer to reduce the moisture content to below 5%, completing the process.
Storage of Spring Oriental Beauty
Store at room temperature, no need to refrigerate. This tea ages over time, developing a smoother mouthfeel and a more elegant aroma. Avoid humidity and store in a place away from direct sunlight.
Quality Evaluation of Spring Oriental Beauty
Tea Sediment of Spring Oriental Beauty (left) and Oriental Beauty (right)
The photo above compares the tea sediment of Oriental Beauty and Spring Oriental Beauty.
