Taiwanese OolongsJuly 2015

As a tea lover, I dream of traveling to a lot of differentplaces. The one that seems to call to me the most lately isTaiwan. Their wonderful oolongs were among some of thefirst that I really fell in love with so I've dedicated this issueto exploring them more deeply. One day I hope to be able toshare a Taiwanese journey of my own, until then I'll be livingvicariously through the articles included here.

When I first started putting these journals together, I reallyhad no idea what kind of response I would get. Your emails,tweets and messages have meant more than I could tell you!My very small list has ballooned to more than 500 tea lovers.As always, feel free to share Tea for Me Please Quarterlywith your friends. Just make sure that you tell them tosubscribe too. :)

A VIRTUAL JOURNEY TO TAIWAN

THANK YOU FORREADING!

@TEAFORMEPLEASE

CONNECT

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METHOD

THE ULTIMATE

GUIDETO COLD BREWING

TAIWANESE OOLONG

- A glass vessel, ideally one that is airtight. Mason jarswork perfectly.- Filtered water- Taiwanese oolong of your choice- A refrigerator

Cold brewing is one of my favorite ways to prepare tea.There is less bitterness because you aren't using hot water

Place enough tea to cover the bottom of your brewingvessel with a thin layer. The amount doesn't need to beexact.

1

2 Fill the vessel with filtered water and place in therefigerator for 8 to 10 hours.

3 Strain, pour into glasses and enjoy!

Western

Yixing

Western brewing involves a teapotor some sort of infuser. Avoid usingnovelty infusers or tea balls withoolong because they don't allowenough room for the leaves to openup. Most Taiwanese oolongs aretightly rolled so it's important toremember that those leaves willunfurl quite a bit.

Amount of Leaf: 1 tsp per 8oz cupWater Temperature: 195 to 212°FSteep Time: 3 to 5 minutes

Yixing clay teapots can help enhancethe aroma of your oolong throughrepeated use. They're generally smallin size (100-250ml), so shorter brewsare called for. Greener oolongs mayrequire slightly cooler water whilehigher oxidized/roasted ones canusually take the heat.

Amount of Leaf: 6 to 8g per 100mlWater Temperature: 195 to 212°FSteep Time: 30 seconds to 1 minute

A Comparison ofBrewing Methods

Gaiwan

Bowl

Gaiwans are lidded bowls that are alsoused to produce short, concentratedbrews. Their small size makes themideal for solo sessions. Some teadrinkers prefer to rinse an oolong thatis tightly rolled but this is not entirelynecessary.

Amount of Leaf: 6 to 8g per 100mlWater Temperature: 195 to 212°FSteep Time: 15 to 30 seconds

This is probably the simplest way tobrew tea. Just places a few leaves onthe bottom of a wide bowl and sip asyou go, using your teeth as a strainer.Keep refilling with hot water to preventbitterness. Larger leaves, strip styleoolongs work best for this method.

Amount of Leaf: A small scatteringWater Temperature: 180 to 195 °FSteep Time: Continual

With Love,

From Taiwan

by Elyse Petersen of Tealet

Taiwan is home of the some of the most beautiful teas. Its tea culture is rich and the people behindthe tea are passionate about accentuating this culture and sharing it with the world. One of thesepeople is Alfredo Lin of Goe Tea. Alfredo has been a dear friend of Tealet for years and has sharedsome insights from his perspective on what it is currently like to be a tea grower in Taiwan.

Current State of the Taiwan Tea IndustryAlfredo says that he has noticed that the planted area of tea and yield have been declining this year.This is a common occurrence that other tea growers from other countries have mentioned, mostly inthe more developed tea growing countries. In Japan, for instance, many tea growing families haveopted out of continuing their family’s tea business because the economics have become too difficult.The competitive global tea market has kept the market price of tea low while cost of production hasnaturally continued to rise. Alfredo also mentioned that imports of tea have increased and Taiwan isnow drinking more imported than domestic tea.

Taiwan continues to have one of the most cultivated quality tea segments in the world withinternationally recognized quality competitions and famous tea masters, but the increasing demandfor convenience and low price has made this segment significantly small among the tea industry as awhole. Commercial tea production constitutes most of Taiwan’s industry which has developed a hugedependency on chemical pesticide and fertilizer. Currently there are issues of accountability as somecommercial teas have been found to have pesticide residues that exceed international allowablelimits. Alfredo has mentioned that government regulations on pesticide residue have becomestronger. He foresees that this government pressure is going to influence the agriculture sector tobecome more accountable.

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Current Challenges for AlfredoAlfredo says that lower than average rainfall has affected the time of growth and processing of histeas. The steps of processing tea are dependent on many things and if there are shifts in the scheduleit can incur a loss of time and resources. Unusual weather patterns can cause great hardship to agrower that must wait for the leaf to be ready for harvest. Finally, Alfredo sited an increase intemperature at his tea gardens that has consequently reduced his yields an additional 20-30 percent.

Alfredo’s OpportunitiesWhen asked about new and unique opportunities that have presented themselves to Alfredo as a teagrower he says he has not seen any this year. Although there is not a significant rise in the demandof quality Taiwan tea this year that has benefited Alfredo he is still optimistic that if he continues totell his story and reach out to the world of tea lovers he can find opportunities that will help him andfellow tea growers.

Taiwan’s Competitive Tea EnvironmentMany tea growing communities are very collaborative as independent tea growers share knowledgeand resources between each other. In Taiwan it is a much different story. People are much moreindependent and there is a high level of competition among the growers. There are literallycompetitions all over the country where hundreds of growers submit their best teas for review. Thisis great for quality as each grower must try their hardest to take the first place prize. On the otherhand, it makes the life of a tea grower and producer a more solitary one.

Alfredo is a very friendly and community oriented man. Many of his tea projects are not hisindependently but are partnerships with friends and other colleagues. When I ask him if other teagrowers are the same he says that the environment for tea growers is very competitive and this typeof situation is not very usual. Independent growers are constantly in a state of independentinnovation in cultivation, withering, rolling, and drying as they are motivated to improve theirquality.

Organic and Natural Agriculture in TaiwanNatural agriculture is a topic that has brought Alfredo to tears as he looks at the damage that has beendone to the land, resources, and communities around tea. He has been working over the years toadvocate for the sustainability of natural agriculture practices to his tea growing family and friendsand has started to see some changes. When asked about it now Alfredo says that natural and organictea is becoming popular in Taiwan but the market has yet to show this change. His theory is thatpeople do not really know the difference between conventional and organic tea and are not willing topay more for one or the other. As demand from the market for organic increases tea producers will bemore likely to investigate the benefits of natural agriculture.

Meet AlfredoIf you are interested in learning more about Alfredo’s passion, work, and tea you can see his Tealetprofile here. He is an animated character that loves what he does and wants to share this love to theworld. If you have any questions about what was spoke upon in this article please don’t hesitate tocontact me directly at elyse@tealet.com.

Click on the picture below to watch a video about Alfredo!

Tealet is an online farmers market for tea. Growers post their stories and teas while tea loversbrowse, review, and purchase teas. This social e-commerce platform is innovating the way in whichgrowers and tea lovers share the tea experience.

You can find out more at http:///www.tealet.com.

We’ve been drinking tea for as long as we can remember. Tea is a part of the daily culture in Asia –especially Taiwan, where people grow up sipping on locally grown Taiwanese oolongs. Restaurantsserve tea upon greeting and seating guests, and neighbors and relatives invite you into their home tohave tea and spend the afternoon together. Friends meet up at chic, trendy tea shops for delectablesnacks and baked goods – and tea is always a must.

We like all kinds of tea: puer, black, oolong, green, yellow, white, matcha, you name it. But we’re(did you guess it?) most fond of oolong, because it’s the most popular tea in Taiwan, and for goodreason: oolong possesses a delightful range of taste, varying dramatically depending on how it’sprocessed. Roasting levels, oxidation levels, and growing conditions ranging from subtropical to cool,fog-covered mountains all play a role in the final taste of thetea. 

We especially came to appreciate the complexity of oolong tea as we got a little bit older and movedabroad. From lightly oxidized oolong like Wenshan Baochung to the heavily oxidized Tie Kwan Yinor Oriental Beauty, oolong teas possess flavors that are distinct and one of a kind. Each variety ofoolong comes from a specific region of Taiwan, its characteristics representing its origin. At Tea Ave,we thought long and hard before we decided to move forward with the idea of founding acompany that aimed to provide the tea community with pure Taiwanese oolongs – the rich,sumptuous, highest-quality teas that are hand-selected from the tea farms of Taiwan. In the end, wedecided to go for it. How come? We figured that there are lots of tea shops that provide a range oftea varieties, but very few who are able to truly provide premium loose leaf oolong tea to tea loversin North America. We saw a niche in the market, and we seized upon it. Plus, we love the aromasand flavor notes of oolong tea – we drink it every day, after all.

Taiwanese oolongs have flavors varying from green and fresh with a floral aroma to woody andthick with a roasted aroma to sweet and fruity with a honeyed aroma. There are six major types ofTaiwanese oolongs worth looking deeper into; we’ll do just that below.

An Oolong FocusedJourney

By Heidi Chen of Tea Ave

Wenshan Baochung Oolong is a greener oolongwith long twisted dry leaves and a bright blackish-green color. An unroasted oolong with floralaromas, it’s one of the most fragrant oolong teas inthe world. Wenshan Baochung Oolong grows inthe Wenshan region of Northern Taiwan with ayear-round mild climate and fog-filled air that givethe tea its distinct, refined quality. It turns a cleargolden honey-green when infused, and has adelightful floral flavor with a sweet finish. 

Oriental Beauty is an oolong that is processed entirely by hand, with long twisted dry leaves inmulticolored green, white, yellow, red and brown – most of the colors in the natural spectrum. It’sa highly oxidized tea, with a strong but mellow flavor with a fruity taste and subtle honeyed notes.Oriental Beauty is grown only in Taiwan, and the luxurious, highly prized oolong is produced onlyonce a year, in summer, in the Ping Ling area of Northern Taiwan. Oriental Beauty is grownwithout pesticides; instead, a tea-green leafhopper bites the stems, leaves and buds to give it itsunique flavor. It turns amber-red when infused. There’s no other oolong tea quite like OrientalBeauty.

Tie Kwan Yin from the Muzha district in Taiwan is grown on trees that are allowed to flourish,leading to a unique, distinctive-tasting tea. It has a rich, deep flavor and subtle bitterness. Theleaves and reddish-brown and curled tightly into ball shapes. It’s balanced pleasantly by mellow,fruity notes with a touch of sweetness. Muzha Tie Kwan Yin is moderately roasted andmoderately oxidized and has a heavier body, with a woody, thick flavor and roasted aroma.

Dong Ding Oolong has a strong, clean flavor withan aroma of ripe fruit. The dry leavesare rolled tightly into curled balls, and it’s partiallyoxidized and lightly roasted. It grows on the DongDing Mountain in Nantou County in centralTaiwan. Dong Ding turns an amber color wheninfused and has a sweet, fruity flavor and aroma.Longer infusion times will give the tea a fuller,thicker boy and an aroma with a smooth, cleanaftertaste. 

Alishan Jin Xuan, also known as Milk Oolong, is a dreamy, creamy oolong – an elegant teawith a refined, subtle taste. It’s rather green, with some light fruity, floral aromas tocomplement its smooth, milky mouthfeel. Only oolong teas from this particular region, grownon the foggy Alishan mountainside, produce the naturally creamy, milky qualities found inAlishan Jin Xian. The leaves are curled into bright green balls, and it turns a light goldencolor and gives off a fresh, inviting aroma when infused. 

Lishan Oolong is one of Taiwan’s highest mountain teas, hailing from the LishanMountains in the central mountain region of Taiwan. It’s also one of the very best highmountain teas in the world. Lishan Oolong is clean and vegetal, with a floral taste andaroma that occurs naturally in the tea leaves themselves. The fruity notes are complementedby the tea’s smooth, buttery mouthfeel. Because it is unroasted, and lightly oxidized, Lishanis both full-bodied and delicate with a clear green-yellow color. 

Some tea drinkers may wonder why one variety of oolong tea costs so much more fromone seller than it does from another. Here are the factors that come into play: origin, season,cultivar, quality, and other special factors (such as craftsmanship). At Tea Ave, we insist onbringing the freshest, most flavorful loose leaf Taiwanese oolongs to share with the teacommunity in North America. In order to do that, we work closely with local tea farmers toensure quality sourcing. It’s our hope that tea lovers out there can all have the chance toexplore and enjoy premium Taiwanese oolongs just as we do here at Tea Ave. We wantyou to discover oolong and taste adventure.

Created by brother-sister team Jeff and Heidi Chen, Tea Ave is an online tea storespecializing in oolong tea. Born and raised in Taiwan, where tea is an important part of theculture, Jeff and Heidi think tea is more than a drink—it’s an adventure. Tea Ave reflectstheir shared values and passions: clear, authentic advice, a top-notch e-commerce experience,and, of course, delicious oolong tea.

You can find out more at http://www.teaave.com.

Taiwan's FamousTea Regions

A Brief Exploration of Their Traditions,

Terroirs & Tastes

The story of good tea has it all: biodiversity, cultural diversity, health, livelihoods,

agriculture, trade, taste. It’s an ancient botanical that has created, shaped and

connected cultures; it’s an embodiment of man’s intimate interplay with nature.

When you flick through the history books it doesn’t take long to see that origin really

does matter and when it comes to providing the whole experience of appreciating tea,

the shorter the distance, the greater the magic. As we explore the famous tea-making

regions of Taiwan, we’ll weave in and out of its location, history & culture, and

signature taste & terroir (which interestingly, when appropriated by the English

language refers to soil and climate but in its original language, French, refers to

tradition too).

THE NORTHERN BROW

It’s all said to have began in the early 19th century when some Wuyi seedlings were

planted in the northern Ruifang district. But Taiwan’s tea trade really began to pick up

steam when demand from the mainland was on the rise for its scented Baozhong tea

from Nangang, the southeastern district of today’s capital, Taipei. Soon after the island

was taken over by the Japanese, advanced processing methods were developed to

satisfy demand from their nation for a more pure, subtle and naturally floral taste. This

sent the Baozhong trade in search of greener pastures and it found a more permanent

home in Pinglin where the Emerald green Beishi river meanders through the verdant

valleys, nourished by fresh spring water and well-kept soil due to the district being

preserved to ensure that its main reservoir which supplies the city of Taipei with its

water is not contaminated.

By Simon Thomas of Dachi Tea Company

These baozhong leave were hand picked, withered indoor and out, strip-rolled, flame dried andfinally lightly roasted. Photo credit: Ta Yang Hsu, Dachi Tea Co.

Allow the western prevailing winds to nudge you west for a moment and you’ll arrive at

Muzha, where in the 1920s the Baozhong tea artisans, the Zhang brothers, returned from

Anxi with some Tie guan yin tea buds. The Zhangs not only successfully cultivated

plantations but they also developed their own style to match the low-elevation, high-

temperature terroir of the north east: medium oxidation and low repeated roasting,

resulting in flavours you wouldn’t usually associate with oolong such as tobacco,

chestnut, and even summer fruits. Attend a tasting competition of the finest Muzha Tie

guan yins and your taste buds will be dancing for weeks underneath a smoky-yet-fruity

coated roof.

Panoramic view of Pinglin’s landscape. Photo credit: Ta Yang Hsu, Dachi Tea Co.

And finally, to complete the traversing of Taiwan’s northern tea-making brow, we must

visit Shiding - the home of Taiwan’s most exclusive tea, Oriental Beauty. Since the young,

bug-bitten and organic-by-nature leaves are only harvested once per year during summer,

Oriental Beauty is arguably Taiwan’s most exclusive tea and the most elusive when it

comes to sourcing an authentic one at a reasonable price. It’s still produced in Hsinchu

but isn’t as prevalent today as this district was gentrified during the industrial economic

miracle that kicked off in the 50s. Oriental Beauty is also grown in the foothills of Miaoli -

home to the famous Hakka tribe and their lei cha: a grounded mixture of tea leaves, nuts,

seeds and grains that was originally served to esteemed guests upon arrival.

SWEEPING SOUTH TO TAIWAN’S GARDEN

Proceed south and next up is the central district of Yuchi and Sun Moon lake. Here you

will find the epicentre of Taiwan’s black tea production, the Taiwan Research & Extension

Station - founded by the Japanese in the 1920s to diversify Taiwan’s tea trade. Its legacy

thus far is the Red Jade #18 black tea, a cross between the indigenous Taiwanese tea tree

and a Burmese assamica bush. But to be clear, this black tea could not stand toe-to-toe

with its foreign counterparts without the processing and soil management innovations

spawned from this establishment - traits that experts say allow the Taiwanese to excel on

the global scene. The scarcity of this tea paired with the name recognition of Sun Moon

lake and its bountiful tourism means that the demand by far outstrips supply, and this tea

can be costly and prone to counterfeit. But, I must say, the best Red Jade #18 we’ve come

across so far (competition-grade teas excluded) is from Pinglin and given that it was

detached from the pre-marketed label of Sun Moon lake, we got a lot more bang for our

buck.

Home to the aboriginal Thao tribe, Sun Moon lake is also one of Taiwan’s greatest touristattractions. Photo credit: Justin Huang, Wikimedia Commons

The lake sits on the border of Taichung and Nantou, and at this crossing you will find the

Lishan and Da Yu Ling high elevation tea farms. Now, thanks to some veteran farmers in

the 1950s establishing plantations as part of a government sponsored initiative to use the

trade to develop local livelihoods, we are standing atop Taiwan’s tea industry - both in

terms of elevation and prestige - and have entered the southern section of ‘Taiwan’s

garden’.

Tea pickers busy at work at a tea farm in Lishan, 2,200m above sea level. Photo credit: Ta YangHsu, Dachi Tea Co.

Breathtakingly beautiful, this central mountain range sits upon the tropic of cancer and

its hillsides are bathed in mist and wreathed in sunshine before sun down where

temperatures cool dramatically. These are the climatic conditions that are accredited for

the prized high mountain oolongs’ delicate and nuanced flavour profile, lasting

sweetness and amazing patience. But if that’s not enough, it even has the Pacific Ocean

on its side. An esteemed biochemistry professor and organic fertilizer producer once told

us of how concentrated quantities of compression-purified minerals gather at the deep

ocean bedrock of the east coast. These minerals feed directly into the meteorological

cycles and travel with the prevailing western winds into the clouds that crash into the

mountains nourishing the terrain.

View of the pacific ocean from the Suhua highway on the east coast of Taiwan. Photo credit: FredHsu, Wikimedia Commons

Aside from the occasional scandal with authentication - an obvious hazard in an industry

where land is limited and it’s extremely difficult to empirically validate a particular terroir -

the taiwanese tea industry also received a scolding from the viral movie ‘Beautiful

Taiwan’ for the land it has claimed in pursuit of these perfect plots. That being said,

efforts have been made by governmental agencies to preserve the ecology and Nantou’s

Shan Lin Shi, in particular, can hold its head up high. Its tea fields have been scattered

around the forest, creating a neat microclimate for growing tea that can be bright and

punchy.

Although high mountain oolongs signify Taiwan’s excellence, continue south along the

volcanic central mountain core and jump to the early 19th century and you’ll find a

returning intellect from the mainland planting some qingxin oolong bushes at Dong Ding

(frozen peak) mountain in Lugu. Grown at medium elevations of 700-1200m, the semi-

oxidized medium-roasted Dong Ding oolong is deemed to be quintessentially Taiwanese

and was even once considered a high mountain oolong. Significant heating of the island

over the 20th century as well as the aforementioned demand for increased production

sent the industry in search for for more land and cooler temperatures. Mr and Mrs Liu, a

tea maker and grower duo who own a tea plantation at 1200m in Ali Shan, appreciated

the irony of us applying the ‘Dong Ding’ style of making to their high mountain tea leaves

since to them it was a gentle nod to the old days.

One of Alishan’s ‘5 enchanting moments’ - the ‘sea of clouds’

As we come to the Southern quarter of ‘Taiwan’s garden,’ we’ve made it to the mountain

range that is becoming synonymous for high mountain oolong right now, Alishan.

Revered by tourists for its nostalgic steam engine train, beaming sunrise, enchanting

woods where the spirits of ancient ancestors loom tall and tea fields are nestled into the

sea of clouds at sunset - Alishan is the collective name of an 18-peak central mountain

range. Distinctively sweet and mild in character yet not without its complexity, Alishan

high mountain oolong is great for the beginner yet also sits proudly amongst the

collections of the most discerning of connoisseurs.

Taiwan’s tea trade is an interesting tale that starts with the coming together of cultures:

know-how from the mainland, entrepreneurship from the visiting Brits, continued

ingenuity from the Japanese, and culture sustained by impassioned Taiwanese.

Government-funded research as well as local organisations and support networks assist

and collaborate with its 6,000 family-owned small-scale tea farms to develop trade, and

its tasting competitions help define standards of quality and excellence. Further to this,

its culture bureaus work extensively with community enthusiasts to host celebratory tea

heritage festivals and its museums and recreational tea farms educate and entertain in

equal measure to deliver an authentic experience to domestic and international tourists.

All of these increase trading opportunities and creates a domestic demand that spurs the

industry in times of prosperity and buoys the industry in times of struggle.

Upon visiting the US and the UK, we can say that it certainly feels like the long anticipated

‘third-wave’ of tea has arrived in the West. Although it’s easy to look at its

connoisseurship counterparts - coffee and wine - and question if it can really get there,

it’s worth noting that coffee and wine have their not-so-secret weapons such as the

caffeine content to start a stuttering engine and enough alcohol in one glass to put rose

in the cheeks. Tea might not have one of these silver bullets, but what it does have is a

story and a heritage that has been espoused by the Chinese literati of past dynasties and

Japan’s prominent religious scholars. Further to this, it has that connection to the natural;

to the divinely balanced; to the calm and serene.

As Eastern culture, mindful practices and our 7-soon-to-be-9 billion population of

increasingly urbanised dwellers look to rekindle their relationship with nature - I cannot

help but feel that if only the industry pulled back the curtains and allowed us to truly

experience the coming together of each tea’s tradition and terroir, we could weaponise

the wonder and make each tea taste that little bit sweeter.

Dachi Tea Co. is a new lifestyle brand that uses tea culture as an entry point to explore

the wholeness of humanity. Our mission is to help people get centered through the ritual

of drinking tea, with crafted loose-leaf tea being the perfect embodiment of the intimate

interplay between man and nature.

You can find out more at http://www.dachitea.co.

Concubine is a relatively new name of Oolong tea that was coined in Taiwan followingthe 9/21/99 earthquake. This unique character of oolong tea is indebted primarily to theGreen Leaf Hopper that feeds on the sap of young tea leaves. The result is that theleaf is slightly "injured" by the insect, and the natural immune system response in theplant evidently causes subtle changes in the leaf's chemistry, along with the slightoxidation of the leaf caused by the minuscule insect bites while the leaf is growing.After the earthquake, landslides prevented many tea gardens from being maintained,which resulted in a lot of bug-bitten tea leaves in that growing season. This promptedan unprecedented production of what had previously simply been called “bug-bittentea” in the local dialect. The name Concubine is a derivative of Oriental Beauty, whichis also made with bug-bitten tea leaves.

The bug-bitten effect is an enhanced substance and distinct flavor that these leavesbrew when they are properly cured. Concubine tea can typically undergo many moreinfusions than a conventional Oolong. The most pronounced quality is a honey-likefragrance and flavor that is unlike anything else in the world of Oolong Tea. It is a tell-tale quality that is unique effect of the Green Leaf Hopper. Incidentally, this alsoindicates the absence of pesticides that would otherwise deter this bug from feeding onthe leaves.

Concubine Goes Proby Andy Kincart of Eco-Cha

Concubine is medium oxidized and the leaves are tightly rolled in the manner of DongDing Oolong or High Mountain Tea. This is a relatively modern innovation that wasadopted in Taiwan in the 1980's. Tightly rolling the leaves prevents crumbling andpreserves freshness. Concubine is also roasted after curing the leaves, similar to DongDing Oolong, although usually Concubine is only lightly roasted.

In recent years, we have observed the research done by artisan friends on bothprocessing and post-process roasting "bug-bitten tea leaves" in order to makeConcubine Oolong. It proves to be a particularly unpredictable type of tea to produce,and the leaves will change in character over time when stored without being vacuum-sealed. This factor lends to the traditional artisan quality of producing this type of tea.Not only do the leaves need to be affected just the right amount by the Green LeafHopper at the right time in their growth cycle, but they also need to be masterfullyprocessed roasted to produce the desired effect. The volume of a bug-bitten crop ofleaves is also significantly less than normal, as the leaves are stunted in their growthas a result of this insect. In a word, making this tea is a gamble on many levels, whichhas deterred many farmers from producing it intentionally.

Having said that, the increased consumer demand for naturally cultivated tea hasinspired a significant amount of more adventurous tea farmers to allow at least oneseason’s crop to grow with no pesticides, intentionally inviting the Green Leaf Hopperto work it’s magic. This innovative approach is more sustainable in a few significantways: It differentiates the tea type from conventionally made standard teas; nopesticide use is environmentally and economically advantageous; and has theconsumer appeal of being naturally produced. So by producing a chemical-free tea witha distinct character, value is added. And so far, it is a regional specialty, producedalmost exclusively in central Taiwan (mostly in Lugu Township).

Only in the last couple years have we become aware of a new level of professionaldedication to the increasingly popular Concubine Tea. A friend in Lugu, professional teajudge and Dong Ding Oolong artisan is a prime example. He has begun to specialize inConcubine. He was inspired to do so as a result of cultivating his own isolated highelevation tea farm with zero use of chemical products for many years. So he has gainedexperience in working with bug-bitten tea leaves from his own farm. Last year, hediscovered that a friend’s spring crop of high elevation tea had been affected by theGreen Leaf Hopper. This was a quandary for his friend, who had a stable customerbase for his conventionally produced High Mountain Tea.

So our friend, Mr. Lee decided to procure the entire crop. This was his most significantnew development of specializing in Concubine. Consequently, this spring hecooperated with another high elevation farm by promising to buy the whole crop if nopesticides were administered during the growing season. Mr. Lee’s gamble provedsuccessful. This batch of leaves that he bought before they had grown turned out to bethe best Concubine Tea that we’ve tasted this year, and Mr. Lee is marketing it at asignificantly added value due to its high quality and rarity. He has also become knownin the extended tea farmer community as the guy to call if your crop has been “bug-bitten”. He has farmers coming to him with their batches of potentially good Concubinestock.

Mr. Lee and his wife showing off their aged award-winning competition teas that theyinherited from Mr. Lee’s father.

As we mentioned, this is still a gamble for Mr. Lee. Because, even if the leaves havebeen processed and brew a distinctly honey-essence flavor of tea, the unpredictabilityof roasting to produce the desired effect is risky. But he has taken on the challenge,along with other artisans who are increasingly willing to take risks to produce a tea withunique character. Each batch of Concubine has its own personality. And variations inroasting the same batch of leaves can result in very noticeable differences as well.

Due to the natural cultivation methods and expertise required in the processing, we feelthat Concubine Oolong is the most prominent “new age” representative of a traditionallymade Oolong in the 21st Century.

Eco-Cha was born out of a passion for tea in which life-long friendships, careers, and

cross-cultural exchanges have grown and flourished. We share this deeply rooted

connection to Taiwanese Tea by offering you a window into this complex and colorful

world.

You can find out more at http://www.eco-cha.com.

Click here to check out myvideo on using aroma cups.

They're awesome fordrinking Taiwanese oolongs!