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I showed up at the tea factory for the first batch of winter tea harvest being supervised by some of the most skilled professionals I know. Both the manager of the farm and the manager of the processing are tea judges in the world's largest Oolong Tea competition, and they are both friends of mine. I haven't tasted the finished product, but I did take home a handful of semi-dried leaves from the factory that night and brewed it the next day, about 24 hours after the leaves were picked. It was really floral, balanced and fresh tasting. I'll see what I can do to get at least a small amount of this batch, as I personally already find it special.

Even within the local industry of Central Taiwan, we find enough variety to keep us intrigued for decades-on-end. And now that we are officially establishing a subscription program, we are compelled to go beyond our local stomping grounds in search of unique teas to share. We will be choosing small and otherwise unavailable batches of tea that will be divvied up into 75g shares and distributed to our club members on a monthly basis.

 Read the article about Eco-Cha in Immigration Bi-Monthly. 

Eco-Cha was born not only out of having a great love of tea, but out of a life-long friendship. It began in 1993, when Eco-Cha co-founder Andy Kincart returned to Taiwan after having lived here for a couple years. He returned to Taiwan determined to source tea directly from farms that he knew were only a short distance from his residence in Taichung County.

We are excited to present our designer gift sets that offer a selection of quality unroasted and roasted Oolongs, as well as Alishan High Mountain Black Tea. 

We live in Taiwan, minutes from the source of our teas. We've been here for over 20 years, and that's a good thing for anyone drinking Eco-Cha Tea. We believe there is no substitute for being here on the ground in terms of immersion in and representation of contemporary Taiwanese Tea Culture.

From crispy tea tofu to oolong donuts, here are few more ideas of how you can incorporate your favorite tea into a dish!

Last Sunday was the annual gathering of tea lovers from all over Taiwan to partake in the largest tea party on the island, and perhaps in the world. Roughly 5000 people of all ages sat down on a field to simply enjoy tea together.

The theme of this year's Nantou Global Tea Expo is rooted in the ancient Chinese custom of sharing refreshments and co-creating poetry and song while sitting beside a stream. This tradition dates back to the Jin Dynasty in the 4th Century.

Upon meeting Mr. Ye, the farmer, I knew my neighbor had a reliable supplier. His humble manner and simple, direct communication was recognized as what I value the most in the industry here. An independent farmer with decades of experience producing small batches of Oolong Tea in a secluded mountainous environment.

My friend ended up sharing a small amount of the remainder of this award winning tea that proved to be quite delicious as it transformed in quality over several brews. I proudly took it across the globe to share with a friend in Los Angeles who has appreciated the Dong Ding Oolong that we have shared with him for over a decade.

Sourcing director Andy Kincart visited Google in San Francisco last week for an informal tea tasting with the staff in their Conscious Café. Eco-Cha teas have been served to the Google team in San Francisco since last year.