The photo below was taken almost 3 years ago when this husband and wife team won first place in the winter 2015 competition of Nantou County Tea Trade Association's Dong Ding Tsui Yu (Cui Yu) Tea Competition. This month's batch of tea being shared with the Eco-Cha Tea Club was entered into the same competition in spring 2018 , and received the Gold Medal Award. This award ranks within the top 5% of all entries. This competition has been in existence for almost 25 years. It began with the development of Tsui Yu  (Tai Cha #13) tea production in the early 1990's.  

TRADITIONAL OOLONG TEA COMPETITION IN TAIWAN

We are particularly fond of this competition because the standard of the flavor profile by which these tea entries are judged resembles a traditionally made Dong Ding Oolong tea. In order to achieve this character, the leaves undergo medium oxidation (30-40%), and are then roasted repeatedly to produce a hearty, robust character of tea. This level of oxidation and roasting is closer to a pre-modern processing method that involves heavily curing the tea leaves to stabilize their consistency and have a longer shelf life. In fact, this type of tea is often considered to increase in quality with age.

Acknowledging that the labor intensive traditional methods that require knowledge and skill are being promoted by this association is encouraging. In our perception, Dong Ding Oolong tea is the most prominent representative of  a traditional locally produced specialty tea in Taiwan. And this association has preserved and promoted this local culture by integrating this modern hybrid tea plant with traditionally developed tea making skills.

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