Doodlebug (潮虫, Cháo Chóng, "Doodle Bug") is one of two bug-bitten Taiwanese oolongs that we've recently acquired through a friend of the teahouse who lives in Taiwan. "Bug-bitten" refers to tea from plants that have been preyed upon by the Tea Leafhopper , the most classical and famous of which is a twisted-leaf oolong called Eastern Beauty from Hsinchu in Taiwan. The bug itself is in fact a true bug known in Chinese as Chá Xiǎo Lǜyè Chán (茶小綠葉蟬, Jacobiasca formosana). It has piercing mouthparts that it uses to suck juices out of the leaf. This predation stimulates a physiological response in the plant, giving it a sweet aroma.
Doodlebug hails from Zhushan in Nantou County, Taiwan. Unlike the more famous Eastern Beauty, Doodlebug is rolled into little pellets that resemble a curled pillbug. It has rich cocoa notes with hints of cinnamon. This 2019 oolong has a mature flavor that will deepen as it ages.
