Qing Xin Da Mao
Ripe honey, muscat and stonefruit when leafhopper-bitten. The classic Oriental Beauty cultivar.
Qing Xin Da Mao (青心大冇) is a small-leaf Taiwanese oolong cultivar predating the Tai-cha numbered series, and the cultivar most associated with Oriental Beauty (Dongfang Meiren / Bai Hao oolong). It is distinct from the more famous Qing Xin Oolong despite the shared name.
Its magic depends on an insect: when the tea green leafhopper (Jacobiasca formosana) bites the young leaves, the plant releases defensive compounds that, after heavy oxidation, become the ripe honey, muscat-grape and stonefruit bouquet that defines Oriental Beauty. Because the leafhoppers only thrive in unsprayed summer gardens, genuine bug-bitten Qing Xin Da Mao is low-yielding and prized.
Teas produced
Flavor signature
Growing regions
- Taiwan (Hsinchu, Miaoli)
Brands likely carrying Qing Xin Da Mao
Direct-sourcing operations with focus areas that align with this cultivar's typical growing regions.