The Tea Detective
Uncovering and Exploring the Facts About Tea
Uncovering and Exploring the Facts About Tea
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| Taiwan-A Small Country With a Big Devotion To Growing Quality Oolong Teas |
| Lying directly across the Formosa Strait from China's Fujian Province lies the tiny island country, Ilha Formosa or "Beautiful Island," so named in the 15th century by the Portugese, and today called Taiwan. Like Ceylon and Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Formosa remain interchangeable in the world of tea. |
| The Chinese renamed the island Taiwan in the 19th century. Like Sri Lanka, Taiwan is small in size, just 235 miles long and 90 miles wide, but is a powerful producer of quality teas, with their main concentra- tion oolongs, although they also grow small a- mounts of black and green teas. Taiwan's modern tea industry is relatively new, with their first export of Formosa oolong tea occur- ing during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) in 1869. Formosa oolong was created in the mid 19th cen- tury by John Dodd, a British entrepreneur who rea- lized the tea world market was about to undergo massive changes. Up until this point most all tea came from China, but Dodd knew a secret that the Chinese didn't, and it was that the British were about to grow |
| their own Indian tea on a massive scale. He knew the only way to compete against both India and China would be to come up with a completely different tea that could hold its own against the two tea giants. Working in Taiwan, Dodd came up with Formosa oolong, a lighter, fruitier tea than the heavy black teas then on the market. The tea travelled well, and in 1869 Dodd exported the first Taiwan made teas from the island with two fast sailing clipper ships he'd hired to transport them to New York. Formosa oolong became an instant hit in both Europe and the U.S., remain- ing a world favorite well into the 20th century and growing in popularity until Japan's occupation of Taiwan all but ended Formosa's production. Demand for Formosa oolong increased again in Europe and the U.S. after WWII, but after China reopened in the 1970's demand again decreased due to the availability of other superior teas from China and Taiwan itself. Taiwan's tea industry began with a massive influx of Chinese immigrants from the Fujian pro- vince of China in the 1850's. By the end of the 19th century nearly two million Fujianese immi- grants had made their way across the Formosa Strait to the small island of Taiwan. They didn't come empty handed, though, bringing with them not only their skills in tea making, but seeds and tea bush cuttings, as well as teaching the aboriginal inhabitants the Chinese methods of tea cultivation and processing. With the seeds and cuttings brought with them from China, they established tea gardens in various locations throughout the mountainous interior parts of the island. Taiwan's aboriginal inhabitants are considered to be of a Polynesian background belonging to the Austronesian language. Today, eleven of the original aboriginal tribes maintain viable popu- lations in Taiwan, and for these tribes, tea production is their proud heritage. Today nearly 50,000 acres of tea is under cultivation in three main growing areas throughout the island; the north, central, and southern parts, with the heaviest concentration in the central region. During the 1970's and 1980's several Taiwan associations got together for the express purpose of further promoting their tea industry. Members from the Taiwan tea farmers associations, the tea manufacturers associa- tions, and tea scholars joined together with the Taiwan Provincial Government's Department of Agriculture and Forestry to build and develop tea houses throughout the island to further pro- mote the tea culture. Taiwan's climate and geography are near perfect for growing tea, with its subtropical climate and high mountainous terrain. Summer rains come to the southern area of the island while winter rains fall to the north. The higher elevations provide abundant moisture with the same "cloud and mist" phenomena as China's cloud and mist grown teas. With winter temperatures a very moderate 65F (18C) tea can be plucked (and sold) nearly year round. There are five plucking seasons; spring, early summer, late summer, fall and winter. Taiwan oolongs tend to be greener than those from China, with much lower oxidation levels than that of China's Fujian province oolongs, ranging from about ten to forty percent. Taiwan is world renowned for its fragrant, distinctive teas, grown on approximately 50,000 acres by nearly 6,000 small family owned tea farms known for producing the highest quality teas. |
| Along with Formosa oolong that started it all in 1869, there's the famous Tung Ting, Ti Guan Yin, Tianhe and Fulu oolongs, and the least oxidized oolong, BaoZhong (or WenShan Paochong), oxidized just 10 to 15%, with a mouth-coating, creamy, rich flavor, no astringency, and a delicate flowery aroma. Other popular oolongs include Bai Hao or Oriental Beauty (also called White Tip oolong), and the famous High Mountain gao shan oolong, Alishan, including Gold Lily, also called Jin Xuan. Work is continually undergoing to develop new and better varieties of tea that is more hardy and vigorous, can better withstand pests and disease and is tolerant to various climates. The Taiwan Tea Research and Extension station provides farmers with new clonal varieties of tea bushes, many brought from mainland China by immigrants and developed from the Ti Kuan Yin and Shuxian cultivars to test plant and develop for new kinds of tea. Taiwan offers a wider variety of leaf and oxidation levels than their Fujian neighbors, with a greater number of delicious oolongs to explore and sample. One thing is for certain, this is a country that doesn't stand still when it comes to tea making, providing some of the finest teas worldwide. It's an exciting prospect, waiting to see what new teas and ideas they have in store for the world in the years to come. Enjoy. |
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| For a great selection of quality teas, gifts, and accessories, visit: The Tea Detective's Gift of Tea Store |
| For more information or to learn more about tea, visit our other pages: Why is Japan's Karigane twig tea also called "Wild Goose?" Uncover the story behind the poetic name, Wild Goose or Wild Goose Song given to Japan's Karigane twig tea, along with other interesting facts about twig teas. (Try Kukicha Twig Tea a favorite from Silver Leaf Tea - green tea twigs w/a savory flavor, naturally low in caffeine-a nourishing tea w/subltle roasted chestnut notes. Which of Japan's teas are made from stalks and twigs left over from harvesting, then pan fired "China style?" Learn all about Japan's roasted teas, how they're harvested and processed, their flavors, and why they're great sipping teas anytime day or night. What is a yakkan and how is it related to the Japanese tetsubin? Go back to the 18th century Japan and explore the creation and history of the tetsubin and earlier tea kettles its related to and possibly even fashioned after. What are Cachan winds and how do they affect tea's growth? Learn about the Cachan winds that blow through Sri Lanka's high-grown tea areas, and the effect it has on the tea bushes, that may surprise you. (Try Vanilla Tea from Silver Leaf Tea Co. - made w/premium black tea with sweet, delicious vanilla beans added makes for a fragrant, mellow tea that's a perfect afternoon, evening, or after dinner treat. |
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