Bug-bitten oolong? The secret behind Taiwan’s rare honey-flavored tea — and where to enjoy it
CNNEditor’s Note: This CNN Travel series is, or was, CNN — As the leaves rustle atop the hills in Nantou, Taiwan’s largest tea-producing area, the farm suddenly comes alive, millions of tiny green bugs hopping into the air. This “green insect fog,” as locals call it, is a sign they’ll have a good harvest of Gui Fei Oolong, a special tea that’s prized for offering a hint of honey flavor. Saicho Food scientists Natalie Chiu and Charlie Winkworth-Smith are the founders of Saicho — a British-Hong Kong sparkling tea brand — and huge fans of Taiwan’s mixiang teas. For generations, tea master Lee’s family primarily produced regular Dong Ding Oolong tea — one of Taiwan’s most famous teas, which requires high oxidation and roasting skills — on the high mountains of Lugu, Nantou. It’s a beauty just like its name,” says Arial Chiang, a young tea maker who has been learning to produce Oriental Beauty tea in Hsinchu, in northern Taiwan, since 2020.
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Pick a flavoured Chinese oolong
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