I knowingly begin with the blanket statement that everything about Taiwan is underrated, including its tea. It was a recent tasting of competition-winning pengfeng tea (膨风茶) that reminded me of the highest standard of elegance and sophistication in the realm of young oolong teas and how bank-breaking exceptional tea can be. Known colloquially as 东方美人 (dong1fang1mei3ren2), pengfeng is exclusive to Taiwan, which made its foray into tea but 200 years ago when Fujian province tea makers brought tea seedlings and tea-making techniques across the Strait of Taiwan. Since then, this gem of an island has gained recognition for its oolongs, “oolong” referring to tea that has undergone partial oxidization and often, roasting. Along with Taipei’s Mount Wen (文山包种茶), Nantou’s Lugu Dongding Oolong (鹿谷冻顶乌龙茶), and Alishan’s High Mountain Oolong (阿里山高山乌龙茶), Pengfeng is one of Taiwan’s Four Famous Teas.

Origins of the Name

English Name: Beauty of the Orient

In the 19th century, an English businessman presented pengfeng tea to Queen Victoria, who upon seeing the translucent honey color of the tea and tasting the unique flavor, declared it the beauty of the orient. The name stuck.

Taiwanese/Chinese Name: Pengfeng

During one summer in the 1920s, swarms of tiny 3-4mm long leafhopper insects (茶小绿叶蝉), scientific name empoasca pirisugamatumura, overran the Xinzhu, Beipu, and Emei tea regions at the north part of the island. These leafhoppers caused severe damage eating the tea leaves. At the time, most farmers believed that season’s tea would be unsaleable, that the “damaged” leaves couldn’t be used to make high-quality oolong tea.

Therein emerged a thrifty Hakka tea farmer. He still conducted business as usual, picking the “damaged” leaves and processing them according to the recently adopted practice of increasing the level of oxidization. He discovered that this batch of tea had a distinct flavor, though he could not say if it was good or bad, and brought samples to the Taipei Tea Trading Emporium. The farmer did not anticipate the positive reception from consumers that ended up paying two to three times the price of undamaged leaves. When he returned to his village, he told his incredulous neighbors this story. Everyone thought he was fabricating the story, hence the name pengfeng, meaning to bluff in Taiwanese.

In a different version passed down, the story goes that during the Japanese occupation (1895-1945), the then Governor of Taiwan praised pengfeng tea as a work of art and purchased 100 jin (600g) for a price 20x that of other teas. When word got back to Beipu County, the locals thought it was a lie until newspapers revealed the rumor’s veracity.

Why Pengfeng Tea is so Special

Taiwan’s mountains prove to be an ideal spot for providing an environment suitable for tea growth and inviting to the leafhopper—suitable humidity and rainfall, sunlight, shelter from strong winds, and no pollution. Absolutely no pesticides can be used as pengfeng tea requires the tea green leafhopper to bite its leaves. In the process of sucking water and nutrients from the tea leaf, the bug leaves its saliva on the leaf, initiating a natural chemical reaction that brings about premature oxidation. This is the source of pengfengtea's unique flavor. Never has a bug bite been so welcome.

Tea connoisseurs know to look for the best pengfeng in Xinzhu County(新竹县), twenty minutes northwest of Taipei by high-speed rail. Within Xinzhu, Beipu (北埔) and Emei (峨嵋) stand out. Farther south, between Taipei and Taizhong (台中) lies Miaoli (苗栗), where pengfeng is called Fanzhuang Oolong (番庄乌龙).

There is not only a high standard for the environment in which the tea is grown, but also for the picking of the leaves. The leaves must be handpicked with one bud and two leaves (一心二叶). Picking typically takes place before and after the Dragon Boat Festival (端午节) in early June through July, when the warm climate encourages the leafhopper to feed and breed.

Flavor

Despite being a young tea, high quality pengfeng tea has no bitterness or astringency, even when forgotten about and steeped for several minutes (the one time absentmindedness turned into a semi useful experience). There are light fruity notes and deep honey flavors, with the latter emerging more profoundly in the second round of brewing after the tea has awakened during the first.

On Brewing

For the love of God, don’t add milk and/or sugar *pulls hair out*

The Tea Association of the USA reports that 85 percent of tea drunk in America is cold. At last, you’ll find in pengfeng a quality tea that can also be consumed cold with excellent results. So move aside 72oz McDonald’s iced tea, or should I say iced sugar water with food coloring.

Low temperature: 4-5g of tea, 150cc of water

Method 1: When cooler water is used to brew summer teas, the unique honey-like fragrance and flavor are more pronounced. There is dissent over the specific temperature range ideal for brewing; some insist on 88 to 93 degrees Celsius. I find that a temperature in the mid to high 80s produce good results. Pouring the water slowly and from a high altitude (several inches above the gaiwan) will further reduce the water temperature. Let the water and tea leaves mingle for a minute. Then serve! The leaves tend not to expand dramatically like ball-shaped oolongs so no need to use a large gaiwan or teapot.

Method 2: Add tea leaves to 600cc of water, refrigerate for 4-6 hours. This produces a very refreshing, naturally sweet beverage.