In the lush Luye Valley, young Lin puzzled over his steaming cup. "Master Lao Cha, how does this oolong tea capture such honey-sweet notes?"
With a playful wink, Sifu Lao Cha replied, "Ah, Lin, it's the work of tiny artisans — the leafhoppers. They nibble the leaves, prompting the plant to swirl extra sugars into the wounds, weaving a tapestry of honey and ripe fruit into the brew."
Lin tasted again, savoring the layers. "So, the bugs are tea masters too?"
"Indeed," chuckled Lao Cha, "and with their tiny bites, they gift us a sweetness that no human hands could craft."
Red Oolong is a type of heavily oxidized and moderately roasted oolong tea. Taiwanese farmers initially developed it, and the Wu family farm perfected the techniques of this unique craft rea. Their Bug-Bitten Red Oolong Tea has been winning the highest award at the iTQi Competition in Belgium consecutively since 2017. Just one sip — and you'll know why.
The tea leaves are "bug-bitten" - a technique common in Taiwanese oolong production. When bugs attack the tea leaves, the plant's natural defense mechanism releases enzymes that alter the original taste. Furthermore, the plant sends sugars to the bitten areas for fast recovery, creating a remarkable sweetness in the final product. Consequently, the tea has the pleasant taste of a medium roasted oolong with bright honey and ripe fruit notes. Not to mention, its satisfying sweetness will no doubt have you craving for more.
The Bug-Bitten Red Oolong grows in the Luye Valley of Taitung County, Taiwan. Nestled between two of Taiwan's highest mountain ranges, the valley's pristine nature and fresh air attract many visitors for tea tourism and the annual hot air balloon festival. The Wu family initially chose to relocate to Luye because they knew it had the ideal conditions for growing non-polluted, organic tea. Furthermore, they irrigate the tea farm using water from the mountain streams and employ only eco-farming techniques
We are very excited to introduce tea enthusiasts worldwide to this rare tea without rivals. Indeed, today, Taiwan is the only country that produces authentic red oolong tea. Furthermore, only Taiwanese farmers know the crafting secrets, like the exact roasting temperature and time required to create this artisan tea variety.
While it's most common for tea enthusiasts to prepare oolong Gong Fu style, Luye Red Oolong is exceptionally lovely when you cold-brew it. In fact, the locals of Luye developed the perfect cold-brewing technique since they frequently bring this tea with them to the area's numerous hot springs.
If you wish to try cold-brewed oolong tea, we suggest following this simple recipe:
Use 3-5 grams of loose-leaf oolong tea leaves to make 600ml (20 oz) of cold-brewed tea. Store it at room temperature or refrigerator. It's ready in approximately 3-8 hours.
- Place of Origin: Luye Village, Taitung County, Taiwan
- Harvest Date: October 2024
- Picking Standard: One bud and two leaves
- Roast: Medium
- Aroma: Honey and ripe fruits
- Taste: Sweet and roasted, long-lasting sweet finish
- Cultivar: Ruan Zhi (aka Qing Xin / TRES #17)
Brewing guidelines:
195℉ / 90℃
1g per 50ml 
3-5min
1g per 20ml 10sec + 5sec for each subsequent infusion
certainly an exceptional producer who has been able to make a truly precious red tea unique, this evening I did several comparative tests. is clear as the light of the sun, this the tea gives me that little something extra but here the expert hands of its producer have been able to well balance the roasting and oxidation of a product that is certainly competitive and can be starred every year as one of the best competition products, a medal tea certainly, this year in particular very fragrant, stunning, I have drunk many things in these two years, although I was told that the manufacturer is very reliable and makes this tea very stable, I don't want wait for the second Harvest I prefer to buy this one vintage and possibly carry out comparative tests afterwards, certainly included among the products not to be missed at the end of 2024, seeing is believing!! Thumbs up! I added an image with many teas only for let u see i compared with other few, few red & ruby oolong and certainly Path of cha wins! Is bitten tea obviously … but not all are the same !
Award Winning Bug-Bitten Red Oolong Tea is one of my favorites. I heard someone speak highly about this tea during one of Mischa & Boyka's "Tea Time over Zoom" in 2023 but never bought it. It's been a long time coming and recently purchased the tea! Now this is one of my go to teas and I highly recommend it. I enjoyed the blog describing the history of tea too. Thank you Path of Cha!
sweet orchid floral scent
goddess perfume
reminds faintly
of lily-of-the-valley
freshly encountered
on a warm, moist, May afternoon
down on all fours
amongst leaves and detritus
eagerly hunting
a delicious smell
of delicate white little flowers
such are the things
life is made of
diminutive precious natural things
that keep you coming back
and carrying on
Oh red liquid
Oh roasty sweetness
it’s like we’ve met before
long ago
leaf-strewn path
ancient travelers
reunited
joyfully, right here
in this cup
12-5-24
Bravo!
After getting into Oolong from Puerh I decided to continue researching after buying my first few bags. Mainly I wanted to test out the many offerings and find my favorite. I learned about the bug-bitten varieties and decided I needed to try one. I saw this was award winning and I trust the community so I figured I'd give it a go. I can only say this is very much as described. I love the reddish color compared to my other oolongs. I'm not ready to say this is my favorite oolong yet, but it is quite tasteful. Very nice aroma, and everlasting sweet notes. I'd say if you are ready to give bug-bitten a try this is the one.
taste like heaven. this tea deserves all the accolades. definitely purchasing more