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.
1 Review
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Doodlebug
I was sent a 10 gram sample of this when I ordered some tea ware off the site. Maybe the freeness of the tea contributed, but I loved this tea. I thought I didnt like oolongs until I had bugbitten oolong. I personally noticed flavors that reminded me of cinnamon toast crunch milk with a slight floral sweetness. That experience was such a great surprise for me thanks!
