Bug Bitten 2020 No.548

Bug bitten, locally known as Gui Fei oolong tea. The insects that appear in the tea garden in Summer bring an exciting taste to the leaves.

Gui Fei (貴妃) in Chinese refers to the emperor’s senior concubine, and as such is sometimes called “Concubine Oolong”. The name came from the fact that growers wanted to name this new tea after the well known Oriental beauty, which is similar in taste style.
Yang Gui Fei was the beloved consort of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang during his later years. Her name became the symbol of woman’s beauty.

One summer in the 1990s, an earthquake shook Taiwan, and tea growers fled their lands. When they returned days later, they noticed that the tea trees had been attacked by small green cicadas and pinched the leaves. Although the leaves were damaged, they still decided to harvesting and processing. The result was a much sweeter, more complex tea than usual. It is also called Mi xiang, meaning honey scent / flavor.

With the honey-sweet aroma, the tea brings the spiciness of mulled wines. The flowering and long aftertaste of the Qing xin varietal also appear in its taste. Excellent tea for autumn-winter days, pleasantly warms and energizes.

Preparing Instructions:

Quantity: 5-6 gram per 150ml gaiwan.
Water temperature: 85-90ºC. From fresh spring water or filtered water.
Brewing time: 15-20…seconds
Infusions: 5-6