The best tea in the world are Tea from Taiwan

View PDF | Print View
by: mikael34523 Total views: 50 Word Count: 522   

A record from 1717 reports that wild Taiwan tea plants grew in Chu Lo county - now called Chia Yi county - but it wasn't until the early 19th century that tea cultivation began in Taiwan, when seedlings from China's Wu Yi region were planted in northern Taiwan. At that time, they were produced only for local consumption or for trade with China.

In 1869, Dodd and Company began exporting Taiwan tea shipments to England and the United States. The well-regarded tea served to increase the prestige of Taiwanese tea, which encouraged many exporters to get into the tea export business and, by the end of the 19th century, it was Taiwan's primary export.

Taiwan Tea Varietals
In 1926, the "Tea Research Institute of Taiwan" was established. Institute scientists, along with local tea farmers, explored different agricultural methods to maximize tea yields and to develop new tea varietals specifically suited to Taiwan's soil and climate. Several of those varietals - a term adopted from the wine industry - remain popular to this day:

Qing Xin Oolong (Green Heart) - at one time Qing Xin was used in 40% of Taiwan tea plantations. It is a small dense tea with pronounced veins on the leaf.

Qing Xing Da You - tea farmers favor Da You because of its greater leaf production and low maintenance. Da You is a short tea bush with oval-shaped leaves that feature a blunt tip and serrated edges.

Jin Xuan - larger than Qing Xin or Da You, it has light-green, oval-shaped leaves, which give the tea a fragrant taste profile.

Cui Yu (Green Jade) - grows as a loosely formed bush which is suitable for hand harvesting. Has a slightly lower growth rate than Jin Xuan, but with a very desirable floral aroma and taste.

Types of Taiwan Tea
Formosa Oolong - a darker Oolong; deep raisin and fruity ripe aroma, with autumn "leafy" notes. Lingering flavor and smooth, refreshingly fruity astringency.

Formosa Bai Hao - also called Fancy Formosa Silver Tip or Oriental Beauty, is one of the world's most prized Oolongs. More heavily oxidized, yielding luxurious floral, peach-pit fragrance. Incredibly sweet and lush, delicate warm spicy undertone.

Dong Ding Oolong - has a distinctive sweet taste and aroma. It brews a dark color tea that has a lingering sweetness, which settles on the back of the tongue. Dong Ding is truly one of the jewels of Taiwan tea and is highly valued by Oolong tea connoisseurs.

Pouchong - is the most lightly oxidized of all Oolong teas, giving it a green tea freshness, but with the floral notes of Oolong. Buttery sweet, uplifting and lingering wildflower fragrance with soft, succulent texture.

Jade Oolong - a highly prized Taiwan tea, it is a beautiful deep green in appearance, with large, tightly rolled leaves. Once infused, these lightly oxidized leaves gradually unfurl to release their essential oils. Known for its fresh green-floral aroma, sweet flavor and clean, delicate mouth feel.

I would be remiss not to mention two websites that I've found to be quite helpful in my research - adagio.com and teafromtaiwan.com - they were a source of great information on this subject, and they sell Taiwan tea!

Additional information:

The online resource about tea, Find the best taiwan tea available and everything related to tea history.

Related "Food":

• Generating The Most Awesome Cup of Tea With a Delonghi Kettle
  Perception quite tired and also thinking about to ...
• Fresh Direct expands into 29 towns in Union, Essex counties
  FreshDirect, the online grocer that aims to revo ...
• Vegan lifestyle: 'If it came from a plant, eat it. If it was made in a plant ...
  Mark Juers, 24, serves a vegan frittata with tofu ...
• Healthy Eating Out: Finding fitness in a fattening world
  But, keeping track of calorie counts has never b ...
• Going Our Way: Virginia Beach, Brandywine Valley or Savage River
  The upscale cabins at the Savage River Lodge have ...

Comments

Add Comment