"MarshalN" > writes:

> [...leaf appearance...]
> 5) AFAIK having bug bites on the leaf is an Oriental Beauty
> trademark... the bitten spots promote fermentation.

Yes, the bug bites are the key to OB, but I don't think greater
fermentation is what makes the difference. I once saw a scientific
presentation that established experimentally (!) that the bug bites
encourage the living leaf to produce greater amounts of some aromatic
compounds. Presumably, from an evolutionary standpoint, these
compounds are "intended" as a bug repellent. In any case, this
happens in the living leaf, before any fermentation happens during
manufacture.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html
recent addition: tai di cha