Tea in Taiwan
On a recent visit to Taiwan, I had very little free time. But I did find a few hours to visit a beautiful tea plantation.
Taiwan has a rich and long tea culture. Taiwanese tea includes four main types: oolong tea, black tea, green tea and white tea. The earliest record of tea trees found in Taiwan is from 1717 in Shui Sha Lian, present-day Yuchi and Puli, Nantou County. Some of the teas retain the island country’s former name, Formosa. Oolongs grown in Taiwan account for about 20% of world production.
Tea from Taiwan is exceptionally delicious, and their origin story is fascinating. The tea industry in Taiwan is heavily influenced by China, Japanese investors, and British tea traders’ tastes and preferences. The result of these three influences is a unique tea culture and innovative tea varieties. Taiwanese teas, especially their oolong and black teas, are gaining immense popularity, and their domestic tea culture has developed across the entire island. Despite its rapid growth, Taiwan’s tea industry is still relatively new within the extensive history of Chinese tea.
So I took the opportunity to visit the beautiful Pinglin Tea Plantation, which is not far from the Taiwanese capital of Taipei. Also worth visiting is the Ping Lin Tea Museum which is newly renovated and reopened in Aug 2015.