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Eco-Cha’s Roots In Taiwan Tea Country
Essentially, Eco-Cha's roots all come from these two individuals. Both Tony and Lisa Lin, in their own distinct ways, have shared their knowledge, connections, and their family in a way that has allowed this life story to unfold — and for Eco-Cha to become a prominent representative of Taiwan's tea industry and culture on the international platform.
Organic Competition Grade Oolong Tea Tasting Notes | Eco-Cha Tea Club
Batch 69 of the Eco-Cha Tea Club is an Organic Competition Grade Oolong Tea. The source of this tea won Silver Medal Award in last year's competition. We are able to share that tea that they prepared for this year's competition only because event was cancelled due safety regulations during the pandemic.
Organic Competition Grade Oolong Tea | Eco-Cha Tea Club
Batch 69 of the Eco-Cha Tea Club was originally meant to be entered into Taiwan's National Organic Tea Competition. This competition was just established last year, in an effort to support organic tea farmers, and create more of a market presence for organic tea among Taiwanese tea lovers. This year's competition was cancelled due to COVID related restrictions, hence we were able to procure this batch of Organic Competition Grade Oolong Tea! Oh, and last year this husband and wife team received a Silver Medal Award (second place category) in this same competition!
Eco-Farmed High Mountain Oolong | Summer 2021 Harvest
We have become close friends, and this is a unique connection in our 25 years of involvement with tea producers in the local Taiwan tea industry. This farm is a rare resource, given its environment and micro-climate. The owners have faced many challenges and only in the last few years have developed their organic farming to a stable situation. Now, with some support and guidance, we believe they will soon be producing some of the best organic tea in Taiwan!
Competition Grade Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tasting Notes | Eco-Cha Tea Club
Batch 68 of the Eco-Cha Tea Club is represents one of Taiwan's most distinctive tea types. It has a bold, mature character that is not easily mistaken for any other type of Taiwan Oolong Tea. It has a medium/heavy level of oxidation, and a heavy roast level. It is both mellow and complex. It has a rich, smoky, woody character complemented by a tangy, fruity quality.
Competition Grade Tie Guan Yin Oolong| Eco-Cha Tea Club
Batch 68 of the Eco-Cha Tea Club is a Competition Grade Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea that ended up being awarded Third Place Category Prize (top 18%) iby the Muzha Farmers' Association. The above photo symbolizes the distinctive quality of this tea type. Following the initial processing on the day of harvest, where the leaves undergo extensive withering, oxidation, and tumble heating, they are then tightly rolled and dried. During this rolling and drying process, when the leaves are wrapped in cloth into a ball shape, they are gently heated. This, in effect, steams the leaves in their own juices. And this is where Tie Guan Yin derives its distinctly tangy character.
Alishan High Mountain Oolong Summer Harvest (2021)
Spring is classically the best quality stock of any given year. So it is no surprise at all that it is more flavorful than the summer crop. This is as it should be, given that it costs almost twice as much. So in the end, the value of summer tea wins vs. its cost. It is a prime quality High Mountain Tea from a source we have come to rely on almost solely for our Alishan High Mountain Oolong. And the price is hard to beat. So if you are looking for an everyday drinker that is really quite good quality, this batch is for you!
Plum Rains Resolve Taiwan Drought
At long last, the month of June has been replete with rainy weather here in Taiwan. Taiwan's rainy season, poetically referred to as "Plum Rains", has saved us from the drought that had reached crisis conditions!
Roasted High Mountain Black Tea | Eco-Cha Tea Club
Eco-Cha first met Mr. Zhan in 2016, when we smelled tea being roasted beside the historical train station in Shuili — one of our favorite mountain towns in central Taiwan. We learned that he had been transitioning his family tea farm to natural farming methods for several years already. We said that we looked forward to learning more about his work, and hoped to have the chance to procure some tea! Well, some things take time... and 5 years later, here we are — finally able to share a batch of his tea with the Eco-Cha Tea Club!
Alishan High Mountain Jin Xuan Oolong Tea Sourcing (Summer 2021)
This year's second crop of Alishan High Mountain Jin Xuan Oolong began to be harvested last week, before rains that lasted several days. Then resumed earlier this week. We first visited our primary source of Alishan High Mountain Tea to taste their first two days of summer harvest.
Taiwan Tea Harvest Overview: Spring 2021
Here's a quick round-up of how our spring 2021 sourcing turned out. You can check the product pages of any of our teas for details and browse our blog as well! All hail Taiwan Tea!
Spring 2021 Harvest | Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Oolong Tea
We went up to film on the first day of spring harvest by our source of Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Oolong Tea. The early morning was sunny, but the fog rolled in early, and we were socked in by noon, diminishing our aspirations for getting lots of scenic drone footage! But this is representative of the daily weather — particularly in this micro-climate of a ravine that faces northeast.