Specializing in “high mountain oolongs” (or gao shan cha), the lush, mountainous island nation of Taiwan boasts the ideal terroir for growing tea: high elevations, temperate sub-tropical weather, well-drained soil, and high humidity. Taiwanese oolongs
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Specializing in “high mountain oolongs” (or gao shan cha), the lush, mountainous island nation of Taiwan boasts the ideal terroir for growing tea: high elevations, temperate sub-tropical weather, well-drained soil, and high humidity. Taiwanese oolongs are often a favorite among tea connoisseurs. Discover a world of
Gardens at high elevations are mostly shrouded by foggy mists and cloud cover, receiving only short durations of morning sunlight. In the highest elevation gardens, the sun is so close and intense, it’s almost like the sun of another planet. The tea plants are further stressed by extreme differences in daytime and nighttime temperature. Due to extreme mountainous conditions and thick cloud cover, the hardy tea plant must fight to photosynthesize, and in turn, produce more amino acids, which translates into a richly concentrated flavors, lovely complex aromas, and an often buttery, creamy mouthfeel. Low-light growing conditions also reduce the development of catechins—the polyphenols in tea leaves responsible for astringency, which gives Taiwanese oolongs a smooth, balanced, complex flavor. Taiwan has two main growing seasons, spring and winter, with each season adding unique characteristics to the tea.
In between green and black tea, oolongs possess health benefits and flavor characteristics of both. Green oolong is closer in character to a green tea, with enhanced smoothness and floral or herbaceous notes. Dark oolong is closer to a black tea, with deep roasted flavors such as fruit, chocolate, or molasses.
In Taiwan, teas are classified either by their region-of-origin (two of the most famous regions being Li Shan and Ali Shan) specific plant cultivar (for example, Jin Xuan is from a tea plant cultivated over a long period for its creamy mouthfeel, and Ruby 18 is actually from an Indian Assam tea plant brought over and transplanted in Taiwan), or sometimes style-of-manufacture (for example, Boa Zhong or Pouchong is a green oolong very lightly rolled and closer in oxidation levels to a green tea).
The term Formosa, which means “beautiful island” and was the original Portuguese name for Taiwan, is sometimes still used by the West to describe teas from this region.
The range and complexity of Taiwanese oolongs make this a region unlike any other.
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Specializing in “high mountain oolongs” (or gao shan cha), the lush, mountainous island nation of Taiwan boasts the ideal terroir for growing tea: high elevations, temperate sub-tropical weather, well-drained soil, and high humidity. Taiwanese oolongs are often a favorite among tea connoisseurs. Discover a world of
Gardens at high elevations are mostly shrouded by foggy mists and cloud cover, receiving only short durations of morning sunlight. In the highest elevation gardens, the sun is so close and intense, it’s almost like the sun of another planet. The tea plants are further stressed by extreme differences in daytime and nighttime temperature. Due to extreme mountainous conditions and thick cloud cover, the hardy tea plant must fight to photosynthesize, and in turn, produce more amino acids, which translates into a richly concentrated flavors, lovely complex aromas, and an often buttery, creamy mouthfeel. Low-light growing conditions also reduce the development of catechins—the polyphenols in tea leaves responsible for astringency, which gives Taiwanese oolongs a smooth, balanced, complex flavor. Taiwan has two main growing seasons, spring and winter, with each season adding unique characteristics to the tea.
In between green and black tea, oolongs possess health benefits and flavor characteristics of both. Green oolong is closer in character to a green tea, with enhanced smoothness and floral or herbaceous notes. Dark oolong is closer to a black tea, with deep roasted flavors such as fruit, chocolate, or molasses.
In Taiwan, teas are classified either by their region-of-origin (two of the most famous regions being Li Shan and Ali Shan) specific plant cultivar (for example, Jin Xuan is from a tea plant cultivated over a long period for its creamy mouthfeel, and Ruby 18 is actually from an Indian Assam tea plant brought over and transplanted in Taiwan), or sometimes style-of-manufacture (for example, Boa Zhong or Pouchong is a green oolong very lightly rolled and closer in oxidation levels to a green tea).
The term Formosa, which means “beautiful island” and was the original Portuguese name for Taiwan, is sometimes still used by the West to describe teas from this region.
The range and complexity of Taiwanese oolongs make this a region unlike any other.
Specializing in “high mountain oolongs” (or gao shan cha), the lush, mountainous island nation of Taiwan boasts the ideal terroir for growing tea: high elevations, temperate sub-tropical weather, well-drained soil, and high humidity. Taiwanese oolongs
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