One of our Artisan Reserve oolong teas, a line of small batch handmade teas from a craft handed down over generations. Hand selected for having all the hallmark qualities of the highest grades with noteable personality accents.
Oriental Beauty Oolong Tea is an oolong tea also known as Bai Hao Oolong or Champagne Formosa. The name Bai Hao means white tip and refers to the small tender white buds that are picked along with the top two leaves.
We have managed to procure a batch of the finest Eastern Beauty we have ever tasted. It has all the hallmarks of a legendary Oriental Beauty, the floral sweetness and lingering notes of berry, but also has a deep earthy richness that is often not found in a Bai Hao.
This batch has a depth and richness we have never come across when cupping this type of tea. It certainly has all the woodsy and earthy and complex fruit notes that you would expect with a quality bai hao oolong. However, this batch, from our friend's small farm in Huang Shan, China, is out of this world. Deep, deep flaovr and accompanying mouthfeel. Brothy without being heavy. Imminently satisfying with a nourishing quality.
60-70% fermentation.
We love this tea for its depth of personality and ability to handle long steep times. A little history, the origin of this name dates back to the early 20th century when a British tea merchant presented a sample of this tea to Queen Elizabeth II. From there, the Queen named this tea as Oriental Beauty. Organically grown, IMO certified.
IMO Organic Certified
AKA Eastern Beauty, Bai Hao Oolong
Water: 200°F | Leaves: 1.5 -2 teaspoons per 6 ounce cup | Infusion Time: 3-4 minutes
Basic Steeping Tips
- Use filtered or spring water, whenever possible
- Don’t overboil water
- Remove leaves after recommended time (adjust to taste)
- If you want stronger tea, use more leaves instead of steeping for a longer time
Leaves can be resteeped 2-3 times resulting in various flavor differences. Don’t throw out those leaves until they have given it all up!
Polyphenol in oolong tea is effective in controlling weight. It activates the enzyme that is responsible for dissolving triglycerides. Studies have confirmed that a 2-3 cup per day intake of oolong tea contributes to enhancing the function of fat metabolism and controlling obesity.
The history of tea in China is long and complex. The Chinese have enjoyed tea for millennia. Scholars hailed the brew as a cure for a variety of ailments; the nobility considered the consumption of good tea as a mark of their status, and the common people simply enjoyed its flavor.
Tea was first discovered by the Chinese Emperor Shennong in 2737 BC. It is said that the emperor liked his drinking water boiled before he drank it so it would be clean, so that is what his servants did. One day, on a trip to a distant region, he and his army stopped to rest. A servant began boiling water for him to drink, and a dead leaf from the wild tea bush fell into the water. It turned a brownish color, but it was unnoticed and presented to the emperor anyway. The emperor drank it and found it very refreshing, and cha (tea) was born.
