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Did you know? Tea Facts

Tea is the most widely consumed drink in the world, along with water. In America, nearly 80% of households have tea at home. This is the only drink that can be served both hot and cold, anytime, anywhere and for any reason. More than 159 million Americans drink tea daily.

History of Tea in Taiwan

Two wild, indigenous tea subspecies, Taiwan Mountain Tea and Red Sprout Mountain Tea, were discovered in Taiwan as early as the 17th century. However, they had little economic value and were not widely used due to their bitter taste and thin, brittle leaves.

More than 200 years ago, some tea trees from Fujian Province in continental China were delivered to Taiwan. It was the beginning of the tea culture in Taiwan.

Tea Competitions in Taiwan

One of the main events in the life of Taiwan tea is tea competitions. Ongoing competitions were revived in Taiwan in 1976 after a long break. The aim was to determine the best tea (local oolongs), investment raising, teaching of the correct use of tea. A very important aspect was preservation of high level of Taiwan tea because take part in the competition could only the best suppliers.

History of Taiwan

We start to discover main events and important milestones in the history of Taiwan. We would like to give to Taiwan tea lovers overview of the history of this wonderful country.

Taiwan tea regions

Taiwan has a many regions, where tea is growing. There is the list of them.

Cingjing Farm (Qingjing Farm)

The Cingjing Veterans Farm (Qingjing Veterans Farm / 清境農場) is located near Renai Township of Nantou County. It has been opened to public since February, 1961. Farm is located at level 1750 meters above the sea.

Dayuling (Da Yu Ling)

Dayuling (Da Yu Ling) is a mountain area in the middle of Taiwan’s Central Mountain Range. This is the highest place in the country, altitude is more than 2700 meters. The highest tea plantation in the world is located in Dayuling, and you can buy Da Yu Ling oolong tea which grows at the altitude more than 2600 meters in our shop.

Dayuling and kilometres

Sometimes after name of oolong Dayuling you can see two or tree digit numbers and letter «K»: 100K, 95K etc. What does it mean?

Hehuan Mountain (Joy Mountain)

Hehuan Mountain (Héhuān Shān, Joy Mountain) is a mountain 3,416 m high in Central Taiwan. The mountain is part of central mountain range of the island. The peak lies on the borders of the Nantou and Hualien areas and is located in the Taroko National Park.

Mingjian Township

Mingjian Township (Chinese: 名間鄉) is a rural township in west central of Nantou County. Mingjian Township is home of the Spring Light Bake Oolong from Mingjian Township (南投民間鄉半熟烏龍茶), which can be brewed in cold water.

Shiding district (Shídìng Qū / 石碇區)

Shiding district (Shídìng Qū / 石碇區) is located in New Taipei, Taiwan. This is a small mountain town, which is divided by the river into the eastern and western part. To connect these sides was built a very high bridge across the river.

Taitung County (臺東縣)

Taitung county (臺東縣) is the third largest county in Taiwan, located on the island's southeastern coast with the Pacific on its eastern border and the Central Mountain Range on the western. It has an area of 3515 kilometers, one tenth of Taiwan's area, and has a population of around 240000. Taitung county is a home of the “low attitude champion” Fulu Oolong Tea.

Yuchi (Yuchih)

Yuchi (Yuchis) is one of the thirteen administrative districts in Nantou County, which is located in the seventh foot of the Central Mountain Range. This is a place between the uplands and the western plains.

Tea Harvesting Timeline (seasonality in tea)

Tea quality and taste depends not only on tea region, right brewing method, but also on season of growing and harvesting.

Different seasons give different tea taste and also depends on weather conditions during certain season certain year (temperature, rains frequency), tea taste could also vary.

Tael (兩) - what is it?

A lot of people wonder, why oolong packages, especially expensive, have so unusual weight - 37,5g or 56,25g. At first sight it seems, that such kind of weight doesn't have any sense and more easy offer standard European packages, divisible by 30 or 50 g, or use ounces (28,35g), which are used in USA. But in fact, 37,5g is neither more nor less than 1 tael - Chinese measure of weight, which is used very widely up to now in traditional Chinese medicine and tea trading.

Why the Taiwanese Oolong is so expensive?

We get a lot of questions, where people ask: What is the difference between oolongs from Taiwan and China? Why Taiwan tea is more expensive compare with tea from China?

First of all look on the map of that part of the world and compare China Mainland and Taiwan.

How to brew oolong tea

Tea experts know, that tea taste depends on different factors, including tea ware, temperature of brewing water and brewing time. How to brew tea properly in order to fully enjoy tea taste?

How to store tea

Tea is organic product without any preservatives, colorants and flavors. That’s why tea, as any other food, tea has it’s own storage recommendations. How keep freshness and taste of the tea?

Tea filter bags

Tea lovers have long known that tea is not something to rush into. But often the modern rhythm of life doesn't make it possible, especially at work, to make yourself a tea cup according to all the rules. Where to find high quality tea in filter bags?

The Best Brewing Methods to Make Tea at Home

Coffee and tea are two of the most popular beverages in the world. If you enjoy a delicious cup of either, it’s always good to know how to brew them in the best way possible to get the most out of every cup.

Why do we need to wash tea?

Why are first tea leaves merge from tea? In the dictionary, merge of the first tea leaves is called washing tea. In Chinese, there is the phrase "si cha", which explains as washing, which removes impurities from tea, to fully open the flavor. So why we need to wash tea?

All about tea fermentation

Tea production is a series of various steps, which starts with freshly-plucked leaf and ends with dry tea leaves which are ready to brew. Some steps are common for all kinds of tea and (plucking, sorting etc) and other are unique for different kinds of tea. Fermentation is one of them and tea is often described as either not-fermented, semi-fermented or fermented.

Blooming tea

Flowering tea or blooming tea is a special kind of tea. In the dry form, it looks like a tight ball. This ball is hand-made from dried tea leaves twisted around one or several dried flowers.

Gaiwan - traditional teaware

Gaiwan (蓋碗/盖碗) is a special cup with a cover and a saucer for a tea brewing. Volume could be different - usually it is 80-200 ml. Usually gaiwan is made from porcelain, but also could be from glass or clay.

How does tea affect?

How does different kind of tea (strong, over-brewed, etc) affect to the body.

How is Milk Oolong made

Milk oolong Jin Xuan is a wonderful tea drink with a very mild and a delicate milky flavor. How is milk oolong made?

How many calories are there in a cup of tea

Tea without adding anything, has slight, but not zero calories. Cup of brewed black tea has about 2 calories. The calories come mostly from trace amounts of carbohydrates in the tea leaf. The same is true for most herbal teas.

How to get rid a hangover with tea

Everybody knows that alcohol abuse leads to hangover next day. Typical symptoms are body aches, headache, sickness. All this is due to the influence of acetaldehyde (product of the decomposition of ethanol).

Interesting facts about Dong Ding oolong tea

Dong Ding Oolong is one of the most famous teas of Formosa Oolong. The original cultivation area of Dong Ding is very small, but the annual amount produced by Dong Ding is high. This tea was classified according to flavor, taste and aftertaste.

Interesting facts about GABA tea

The GABA is a shortening for Gamma-aminobutyric acid. Due to the special production technology, the content of this acid in GABA tea is the very high.

Than this acid is so important?

Oriental Beauty Tea

Tea Oriental beauty is one of the most famous of produced in Formosa. Tea got its name in the 20th century, when it was tried by Queen Elizabeth. She was so impressed by unusual color and aroma of tea, so she said: "Yes this is the Oriental Beauty!".

Osmanthus flowers

Osmanthus is the name of a plant that is a popular street tree in China and Taiwan. It is also called "aromatic olive". It is an evergreen flowering shrub with fragrant flowers that are often used in herbal medicine, confectionery, and tea flavorings.

Stems in tea

Tea lovers give preference to tea leaves, considering the presence of stems to be something second-rate. But in vain.

Tannins in tea

Many people cannot start the day without a cup of coffee, but there is a claim that tea invigorates the body more than coffee. And tannins - plant-based chemicals belonging to the group of phenolic compounds - help in this.

Types of teapots

No real tea party is complete without a teapot. What are they like?

Tea houses

Teahouses have become a distinctive part of Taiwan's culture. People go for the ambience and to have a good cup of tea.

You can find teahouses all over the island. Spending a few hours in pleasant surroundings over a pot of best oolong tea is as easy and every bit as fashionable as finding a cup of coffee in one of the popular coffee shops. Some people go to teahouses for tea, others go just for the ambience.