Honey Jia Long: Born from Bugs and Time

Bug-bitten, GABA processed, and aged Honey Jia Long is a gem of an oolong birthed into existence when farmer Mr. Chen was experimenting making Taiwan Beauty oolong. In southeast rural Taipei is Pinglin 坪林, the home of Honey Jia Long where Mrs. and Mr. Chen grow vegetables alongside the tea plants. At the tea shop, they sell tea and vegetarian dishes made mostly from vegetables they grow. 

Last November, Chih Hui landed in Taipei and immediately made her way, luggage and all, to Pinglin 坪林  to visit Mrs. and Mr. Chen. She sat down with them to taste his teas side-by-side and order his Tea Seed Oil 苦茶油  noodles. She left with an armful of Honey Jia Long King’s Grade from various years.

Grown with Mr. Chen's natural farming practices, the leaves of Honey Jia Long are "bug-bitten" by cicadas. The result is a nip in the astringency of the leaves and an ushering of honey-like flavor. With a nectar, mead-like sweetness, this tea's heady fragrances continues to deepen as it ages. Mr. Chen also uses anaerobic processing to bring out the tea's natural content of GABA, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate our nervous system, making Honey Jia Long unique in a multitude of ways. Highly oxidized and unroasted, this complex tea is one of our most beloved in our collection.

We now have a set that includes all four years of Honey Jia Long King's Grade for you to enjoy! 2020 has been at our shop for the last 4 years, and 2019, 2022, and 2023 are all new as of this month. We used to have the special batch of 2018 Honey Jia Long King’s Grade, but that prized stash is no longer available because, as happens with tea, it's all been drunk! 

Whether you taste them side-by-side or on their own, may you savor these special oolong teas.