tea is life

Taiwan is completely immersed in tea. It is grown in all regions and is sold on every street corner. It is served during business negotiations, wedding banquets and funeral services.

Tea is part of the social fabric of Taiwan. “Come in and drink tea” is a standard greeting for guests.

Tea tables are a standard feature of Taiwanese homes and businesses. Serving tea is a way to make guests and clients feel welcome.

Most Taiwanese drink tea every day. Tea is said to give energy and vigor, and provide a feeling of well-being. A tea farmer from Alishan district recounts that a pet monkey ran away but came back three days later because he missed the tea his owner used to make.

tea is culture

Although there is evidence of native wild tea, the beginnings of cultivated tea in Taiwan go back more than 200 years, when tea bushes from Fujian province in mainland China were brought to Taiwan.

Tea culture was also imported from China. Most Taiwanese still use the traditional gong-fu method of brewing tea. It is ideal for oolong tea, the most famous type of tea in Taiwan.

tea is community

In the past, tea was an important export product. Black tea was the first type of tea to be produced commercially, followed by green tea and later Paochung tea and oolong tea. All types of tea were popular exports.

However, as Taiwan’s economy grew, rising labor costs reduced the competitiveness of its tea exports. But even as exports fell, the domestic market for tea grew. The last 30 years or so have seen a growing demand for local tea, so currently tea exports account for just 20% of total production.

Taiwan’s high labor costs contribute to the rarity and cost of its high mountain tea. Despite this high cost, Taiwan oolong is appreciated by tea connoisseurs around the world as one of the best teas in the world.

World tea production amounts to more than 2.5 million tons. Most (90%) is fully oxidized black tea, 8% is unoxidized green tea, and 2% is semi-oxidized oolong tea. Oxidation refers to the natural chemical process that occurs when plant matter is exposed to air, causing it to darken.

The total world production of oolong tea is about 50,000 tons per year. The main growing areas are Taiwan and the mainland Chinese provinces of Fujian and Guangdong, although oolong tea has also been produced in Vietnam and Thailand in recent years. Taiwan has an annual production of more than 20,000 tons, most of which is consumed locally.

The high quality of Taiwanese tea is due to several factors. Perhaps the most important of these is Taiwan’s unique climate. Taiwan is a subtropical country that straddles the Tropic of Cancer, and its mountainous terrain provides ideal conditions for growing tea. The high mountains have cool, moist air that makes the tea grow slowly and this, combined with the fertile soil, produces tea leaves that are among the best in the world.

Taiwan also has a strong tradition of tea processing that originated in China’s Fujian province but has been adapted to local conditions. Tea production involves precise planting, careful selection, gentle rolling, and slow baking. Producing oolong tea is a long process that must be closely monitored at every step.

Tea from Taiwan is pleased to offer a selection of fine oolong teas from Taiwan’s various tea-producing regions.