bug bitten oolong (january '23)

We have an incredibly small batch of this oolong available - we were hoping to see tea jassids in January of 2024, however due to their absence we decided to bring in the last lot from January 2023 for everyone to enjoy. 

Enjoy this one before it’s gone, you’ll love it ;)

🦗 When the tea plants were attacked, they threw up a line of defense by producing a compound to repel the jassids. This compound is precisely what gives the tea it's unique honeyed aroma and flavor!

✌️It's important to note that the leaves are hand harvested-- it's a very slow process as we only collect leaves that have been bitten by the jassids. As you might expect, yield is tremendously lower than a regular harvest and much more labor intensive. We are so thankful we were able to snatch this small batch to enjoy!

🌱 Tea jassids only come to organic gardens, because yuck who wants to eat chemicals!

🕰️ We can't predict when the jassids will arrive, only that so far we've seen them make their way high up into the mountains every 2-3 years.

✨Taiwan is also home to a few other varieties of bug bitten teas that tend to be grown at lower elevations. The most famous of which is the delicious eastern beauty tea (東方美人).