Bug Bitten Oolong: Dong Fang Mei Ren (東方美人茶) vs. Honey Scent Oolong（蜜香烏龍）

Introduction to Bug Bitten Oolong

For our family, no tea is as close to our hearts as bug bitten oolong. Out of all the wonderful oolongs produced here in Taiwan, Dong Fang Mei Ren (東方美人茶) and Honey Scent Oolong（蜜香烏龍）, also known as Gui Fei Oolong（貴妃烏龍), are among the most precious. Both are celebrated examples of bug bitten oolong, yet each has its own unique character. But what exactly are Dong Fang Mei Ren—often called Dong Mei Oolong—and Honey Scent Oolong, and what makes them different?

Dry tea leaves: Left hand side is Dong Fang Mei Ren. The appearance is straight, with five colors: red, white, yellow, brown, and green. Right hand side is Honey Scent Oolong; this tea is ball rolled like most Taiwanese oolong. You can see that white tips are present in Honey Scent Oolong.

Both Dong Mei and Honey Scent oolongs are produced from tea leaves that have been bitten by the green leafhopper (小綠葉蟬 - Jacobiasca Formosana).

A green leafhopper perched on one of our tea trees.

How Bug Bitten Oolong Gets Its Honey Aroma

According to research conducted by the Council of Agriculture (農業委員會), when growing tea leaves are bitten by green leafhoppers, the tea trees try to protect themselves by producing a chemical that attracts the green leafhoppers natural enemy, the white spotted spider (白斑蜡蛛 - Evarcha Albania).

The Role of Leafhopper Bites

Once these bug bitten tea leaves go through the oxidation step of processing, the presence of this chemical gives the tea the unique and charming honey fragrance that Dong Mei and Honey Scent oolongs are famous for. However, the downside of bug bitten tea is in the undue stress put open the tea trees. Bug bitten leaves will continue to grow, but they will turn yellow from the damaging bites of the green leafhopper.

Wet tea leaves: The Honey Scent Oolong has unfurled fully and shows a range of colors from almost black, to forest green. The Dong Fang Mei Ren is now almost entirely tan in color, and still retains a slight twist to its shape. You can also see how bud heavy Dong Fang Mei Ren is when compared to Honey Scent Oolong.

Cultivar Differences Between Dong Fang Mei Ren and Honey Scent Oolong

The most important distinguishing factor between Dong Mei Oolong and Honey Scent Oolong is in the cultivars used for their production.

Dong Fang Mei Ren’s Signature Cultivar

To be true Dong Fang Mei Ren Oolong, the Qing Xin Da Pan (青心大冇) cultivar must be used. The most famous place for producing Dong Fang Mei Ren oolong is Beipu Township, Hsinchu County(北埔鄉，新竹縣).

On the other hand, Honey Scent Oolong can be made using any cultivar that is not Qing Xin Da Pan. The most common cultivars used to make Honey Scent Oolong are Qing Xin Oolong (青心烏龍) and Jin Xuan Oolong (金萱烏龍).

Tea Soup: The cup on the left shows Honey Scent Oolong, while the cup on the right shows Dong Fang Mei Ren. Typically, Honey Scent Oolong is roasted, which results in a deeper, richer tea soup color than the light-gold tea soup Dong Fang Mei Ren tea typically has.

The Story Behind Gui Fei Oolong

You may ask, why is Honey Scent Oolong sometimes called Gui Fei Oolong?

Origins After the 921 Earthquake

The story goes that after the destructive 921 Earthquake struck Taiwan in 1999, tea farmers didn’t have any time to tend to their tea gardens. We had to focus on rebuilding our homes. Because we didn’t have time to visit our gardens, many insects took the opportunity to attack our tea trees – this included the green leafhopper. Once we were able to return to our gardens, many tea farmers felt it was a waste to discard these bug bitten oolong tea leaves.

Why Not Call It Dong Fang Mei Ren?

Since most gardens in Nantou County did not use the Qing Xin Da Pan cultivar, we could not call the tea Dong Fang Mei Ren. Instead, the name Gui Fei Oolong, meaning “Imperial Concubine,” gained popularity for this new style of bug bitten oolong, chosen to evoke the same refined beauty as Dong Fang Mei Ren.

In addition, the production process is also different. Traditional Dong Fang Mei Ren processing includes an extra step called post-pan resting (炒後悶) — where the leaves are gently rested after pan-firing to deepen their reddish hue and enhance the honey aroma.

This step is not a strict requirement in standard oolong production, including most Honey Scent Oolong. I will be writing a separate, detailed article about the full Dong Fang Mei Ren processing method for those interested in learning more — stay tuned for that post.

Cultivars for Honey Scent Oolong

Honey Scent Oolong can be made from any cultivar other than Qing Xin Da Pan. The most common cultivars used include Qing Xin Oolong (青心烏龍) and Jin Xuan Oolong (金萱烏龍), each bringing subtle differences to the flavor profile while still retaining the hallmark honey aroma of bug bitten oolong.

Conclusion: Two Faces of Bug Bitten Oolong

Whether you’re drawn to the elegance of Dong Fang Mei Ren or the sweet richness of Honey Scent Oolong, both represent the very best of Taiwan’s bug bitten oolong tradition.

Explore our full selection here.