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Mid-Autumn Festival Gathering: Our Favorite Holiday Custom
Mid-Autumn Festival is the second biggest cultural holiday of the year in Taiwan. This year was a bit of a subdued occasion, as it fell on a Tuesday, and Monday was a work day. So the festivities were much less apparent this year. We missed seeing the ubiquitous family barbecues popping up in front yards everywhere. So we called our dear friends on Monday and asked if they were up for a visit and a barbecue on Tuesday. They said "Of course!".
Different Types of Mid-Autumn Festival Mooncakes in Taiwan
The Mid-Autumn Festival, or Moon Festival, is one of Taiwan’s most celebrated holidays. Held on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, this festival brings families together to appreciate the full moon and share mooncakes. These delicacies come in a variety of flavors and textures, and they are best enjoyed with Taiwanese tea, especially oolong tea, which enhances the experience of savoring these treats.
Sipping Serenity: The Art of Drinking Tea Anywhere
Tea, the timeless beverage, has been a companion for humanity across centuries and cultures. Thankfully, modern innovations allow us to enjoy this ritual wherever we are. Whether you're hiking in the mountains, working in an office, or traveling, brewing and drinking tea on the go is both accessible and delightful.
Spring 2024 High Mountain Oolong Teas
Our spring 2024 high mountain Taiwan Oolong teas are all in, and we brewed them side by side to see how they compare with each other. We brewed them in the "factory cupping style" — 6g of tea leaves in a standard tea judging bowl, filled with boiling temp water, and sipped as they brew. The real results are when the tea has cooled considerably, and the brewed tea has become somewhat concentrated.
Li Shan High Mountain Oolong Spring 2024
We had a wonderful visit to Li Shan for spring 2024 harvest. Li Shan (Pear Mountain) is the highest elevation and most prestigious high mountain tea producing region on the island of Taiwan. Li Shan is located much further north of both the Alishan and Shan Lin Xi regions. This offered the specific benefit of receiving much more rainfall in Li Shan during the spring growing season than the regions to the south.
Spring 2024 Update
Eco-Cha is dedicated to bringing you the finest teas from Taiwan. 2024 has already been particularly eventful, with harvests, tastings, and the age-old craft of tea-making. Here’s a glimpse into what we’ve been up to so far this spring.
Taiwan High Mountain Oolong Tea : Winter 2023
In this post, we discuss the Alishan and Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Tea growing regions in the context of tasting our winter 2023 batches of each. The photo above is an aerial shot of tea farms from our source of Alishan High Mountain Oolong Tea.
Traditional vs. Roasted Dong Ding Oolong Tea
We did a side by side tasting of our Traditional Dong Ding Oolong Tea and our Dong Ding Oolong Tea. We now procure both of these selections from the same source. Currently, our Traditional Dong Ding Oolong Tea is from spring 2023 harvest and our Dong Ding Oolong Tea is from winter 2023 harvest. So they are two different seasonal harvests from the same farm and made in the same way by the same craftsman.
Central Taiwan Lantern Festival 2024
The Lantern Festival, also known as the Yuan Xiao Festival (元宵節), is a highly anticipated and celebrated event in Taiwan. This festival marks the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations and is observed on the 15th day of the first lunar month. This year, the Lantern Festival will be celebrated on February 24 and we wanted to share with you some of the festivities on the ground. Read more to find out!
How To Use A Professional Tea Judging Set
The Professional Tea Judging Set is essential teaware for being able to assess whole leaf tea efficiently and thoroughly. Let's take a look at what's included, and how it can be used to enhance your experience and understanding of tea.
Muzha Tie Guan Yin Oolong
We just recently put our spring 2023 batch of Tie Guan Yin Oolong on the shelf. We purposely allowed it to rest for more than four months before packaging it up to put in the store. This allows the roast to settle and mellow, bringing forth a more complex and refined flavor profile. We are always impressed at how this tea brews a luminescent rich copper-toned brew — portraying the skill and finesse of how it was roasted several times for a total of about 50 hours.
Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Oolong Tea | Fall 2023
Although there was a light, wispy fog up at the tea garden by 10 a.m. on the day of harvest, the leaves were transported down the mountain — from 1500m on the farm to about 700m elevation at the factory. It was a warm and sunny day in the village where the leaves were processed, offering optimal withering conditions. The character of the brewed tea is a classic fall batch — not overly fragrant, but substantial in both its aromatic and flavor profile. A smooth, balanced brew that results from tender leaf material and skillful processing.