Tasting Dong Fang Mei Ren

Dong Fang Mei Ren, its Mandarin Chinese name, is often referred to as “Oriental Beauty”. It is one of the few Taiwanese Oolongs to undergo significant oxidation: around 70%. This iconic tea has wonderful complex aromas and evokes the green plantations of Hsinchu County.

By Oxana Genel

Every tasting, each encounter with a tea, starts a conversation. Every tea has stories to tell.

An Oolong of many colours

Today, I’m looking forward to meeting an old friend. This extraordinary tea comes from far away and has an extraordinary identity. I can’t wait to rediscover it. To begin with, I admire its beautiful dry leaves studded with white buds and its many brown glints, [1] which give it the name “Oolong of many colours”.

A story in three stages

After a quick rinse, the first brew is short. [2] The tea is still shy. It reveals just a few delicate floral, fruity notes, but is already promising. It is both smooth and slightly sweet. It transports me to the beautiful hilly landscapes of its native region, near Beipu and Emei in Hsinchu County in the north-west of Taiwan. The leaves are harvested in the middle of summer when they are mature, with plenty of tannins, and have well-developed buds. The second infusion, only slightly longer, reveals more body, more presence in the mouth and a slight tang. The floral note is more assured: geranium, a beautiful and very fragrant flower, appears, accompanied by a hint of vanilla.

The tea continues to tell me its story. At the end of the 19th century, a farmer in Beipu stood by helplessly as small green insects attacked his tea plants. He didn’t lose hope and, despite his neighbours’ mockery, decided to go ahead and harvest the damaged leaves and produce the tea. The result was remarkable and attracted the attention of a tea merchant who bought the entire batch.

For the third infusion, I let the tea brew longer. I want to encourage it to reveal its full character. I am not disappointed. The geranium note blossoms, enriched with hints of rose, accompanied by honeyed, slightly woody notes with spicy nuances, leaning towards nutmeg. The texture becomes smoother with powdery touches, [3] giving the tea a wonderful finish in the mouth. The tea reaches a beautiful balance between flavours, fragrances and texture. But where does this explosion of aromas come from? Has the tea not yet revealed all of its past?

Taking time

As I sip, I recall the rest of the story. To defend themselves from insects (Jacobiasca formosana, or more commonly, paoli), the tea bushes developed specific organic compounds, terpenes, which have notes of spices, flowers and ripe grapes. In addition, the insects’ bites trigger the oxidation of the leaves long before the harvest.

So what should have caused the loss of this tea made it unique in the world and, I think, all the more precious.

I continue the conversation with my Oolong over further infusions, some shorter to highlight a particular note, some longer to bring out the texture. To enjoy wonderful encounters with teas, you can’t hurry them. You need to take time to listen to tea and to yourself. As Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, said: “When I drink tea, it’s just me and the tea. Drink your tea slowly, with reverence, without rushing towards the future.” •

Dong Fang Mei Ren

CULTIVAR Qing Xin Da Pan

ORIgIn Hsinchu (Taiwan)

HARVESTED 15 April 2021

PREPARATION

→ With the GonG Fu Cha method (teapot or gaiwan)

FOOD PAIRIng

A Saint-Nectaire cheese

→ Ref. 2786 – € 48 per 100g