Teas from Taiwan

For connoisseurs of Wu Long, the island of Taiwan sets the standard when it comes to great teas. Dotted with thousands of tea gardens mostly belonging to the families of small producers, this tea-growing paradise, which the Portuguese nicknamed “Ilha Formosa” (Island of Beauty) when they discovered it, produces some of the finest blue-green teas* in the world.

Sixty percent of the island is mountainous and its oceanic climate with constantly high levels of humidity and great contrasts in temperature from night to day provide the ideal conditions for growing Camellia Sinensis. Successive Chinese immigrants, particularly an influx of Fujian farmers, experts in the production of semi-oxidized teas, have succeeded in making Taiwan the exceptional terroir that it is today. Indeed the island is one of the most skilled producers of Wu Long in the world, with extremely sophisticated cooking methods.

The cultivars developed locally (Four Seasons, Jin Xuan, Qing Xin, etc.) have become particularly noteworthy. The best way to fully appreciate the signature flavours of these great teas is to prepare them in a gong fu cha, the Chinese art of tea tasting which has been elevated to its highest degree of refinement on the island and which makes it possible to highlight all the delicious subtleties of these prestigious teas.

*Glossary: Wu Long, oolong, blue-green, semi-oxidised: all these terms are used to designate Wu Long teas.

Dong Ding and Baozhong, two iconic Wu Longs

Dong Ding

A new addition to our Rare & Precious range, this Dong Ding (meaning icy peak) is one of the finest, as you would expect from one of the most iconic Wu Longs in Taiwan…

Moderately oxidised and carefully roasted in successive stages, it produces a dense, beautifully balanced infusion.

Its floral flavours, subtly accompanied by notes of nuts on a buttered, roasted background are shown off to best effect in a Yixing terracotta teapot.

Baozhong

Baozhong is the perfect complement to Dong Ding if you want to experience two essential types of Taiwanese Wu Long…

If the former wins you over with its intense and roasted flavours, this slightly oxidised Wu Long, which is still very close to a green tea, delivers elegant and subtle floral flavours (with hints of gardenia) and slightly biscuity notes.

Smooth, sweet and delicious, this is a wonderful Wu Long that is easy to prepare and drink.

Its name, which translates as « wrapped in paper”, comes from the fact that its leaves were sold like this in the past. This Wu Long can’t fail to wow you!

How to prepare these two teas from Taiwan

These Wu Longs (and all the others) can be drunk throughout the day and can each be infused several times.
Preparing these teas is quite simple. Use a classic teapot (ideally not too large), with boiling water (95 °C) and 3-4 min for the first infusion, a short moment for the second infusion. The third infusion will take a little longer.

Take it one step further: a traditional tasting

A traditional tasting is well worth it. What are its advantages?

Traditional terracotta teapots from Yixing (China) are small, so allow you to get the best results from the tea leaves and to appreciate their flavours as the tea is brewed.

These teapots with porous walls retain the memory of previous infusions, which over time intensifies the flavours of the infusion. The tasting is done in small cups, the best way to taste great teas.

To find out more about Yixing teapots 

Whether infused in the classic or traditional way, Wu Longs are easy-to-drink teas that deserve more prominence. These two regional teas are excellent examples. Why not give them a try?