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May, 31, 2023

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Li Shan High Mountain Oolong Spring Tea 2023

Spring harvest of Li Shan High Mountain Oolong Tea produced better results than perhaps anywhere else on Taiwan this year. This is due to the fact that the Li Shan tea producing region is at the highest elevation, making it the latest harvest in spring and the earliest harvest in winter. Continue reading
May, 12, 2023

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Traditional Dong Ding Oolong Spring 2023

We snapped the photo above as we finally sat down after our work was done, and watched the sun rise over the ridge below Phoenix Mountain in Lugu, Taiwan. The third and final shift of processing the spring crop of Traditional Dong Ding Oolong Tea began at midnight and was completed as the sun rose. Continue reading
May, 3, 2023

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Alishan High Mountain Oolong Spring Tea 2023

Our Alishan High Mountain Oolong Tea is cultivated on a residential farm, run by a husband and wife team, with their own factory, and surrounded by forest. This couple is most closely aligned with Eco-Cha's premise of sustainability in their farming and tea production practice. We are excited to put their Oolong Tea back on our menu this spring!

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April, 28, 2023

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Oolong Tea Roasted Over 3 Weeks vs. 3 Years

What's the difference between an Oolong tea that's been roasted for over three weeks versus one roasted over three years? We did a taste test of two of our roasted Taiwanese teas to find out! Continue reading to find out what we discovered! Continue reading
March, 30, 2023

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Qing Ming Festival Weather Update

Normally, this holiday also marks the beginning of spring harvest in central Taiwan's largest tea producing regions. Due to the lack of rain thus far in 2023, the spring tea growing season has been delayed. The tea growing areas in northern Taiwan seem to be getting enough rain however, and spring harvest is on schedule for Sanxia's Bi Luo Chun, Pinglin's Wenshan Baozhong, and Muzha's Tie Guan Yin Oolong.

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March, 3, 2023

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Eco-Cha Tea Club: Your Specialty Taiwanese Tea Source

The Eco-Cha Tea Club is not just about the rare batches of specialty tea we find and share. It's an ongoing story of Taiwan's tea culture and professional tea industry. The blogs we publish with each batch of tea, along with a tasting video, tell the story of where the tea was grown, the terroir, the tea makers, and more. The Tea Club offers tea lovers around the world an ongoing education and virtual tour of the world of Taiwanese tea. Continue reading
February, 23, 2023

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Tea Friends In Taiwan | Eco-Cha Teas

Yesterday, while drinking tea in the home of our source of Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Oolong Tea in Lugu, we came up with a plan for an outing the following day. We called our friends who produce our Eco-Farmed High Mountain Oolong Tea, to ask if we could visit for tea the following day. They readily welcomed us, suggesting that we have a soak in their family-owned hot spring along the way. We thought that was a splendid idea!

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February, 15, 2023

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Innovative Ways to Use Oolong Tea in Your Cocktails and Kitchen | Eco-Cha Teas

Oolong tea is known for its rich, complex flavors, and aromas, and it is increasingly being used in cocktails and other creative recipes. If you are a fan of Oolong tea and are looking for new and interesting ways to enjoy it, here are some ideas for incorporating it into your culinary experience.

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January, 31, 2023

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Roasted Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Oolong Fall 2022 | Eco-Cha Teas

The above garden is our ongoing source of Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Oolong. In July of last year, we began offering a roasted version of our all-time favorite High Mountain Oolong in our limited edition tea series. Read the blogpost here. We initially shared that batch of tea with the Eco-Cha Tea Club, then offered the remaining amount as a limited edition. Continue reading
January, 20, 2023

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Top 10 Most Popular Taiwanese Teas in 2022 | Eco-Cha Teas

In 2022, our most popular teas represented a diverse selection that showcase the range of flavors and aromas available within the world of Taiwanese Tea. From heavy roast oolongs to a light green tea, there is something for every tea lover in this list. Read on to see what were our top 10 most popular teas for 2022! Continue reading
January, 5, 2023

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Li Shan High Mountain Oolong Winter 2022 | Eco-Cha Teas

The photo above shows all three Li Shan High Mountain Oolong harvests of 2022. Our spring batch is on the left, late summer in the middle, and winter on the right. It was an educational as much as an enjoyable experience to brew each of our Li Shan 2022 batches side by side. Tasting each one brought to mind the growing seasons and harvest conditions of each, and simultaneously brewing them distinguished their differences. Continue reading
December, 17, 2022

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Bi Luo Chun and Baozhong Winter 2022 | Eco-Cha Teas

We procured our winter 2022 batches of Sanxia Bi Luo Chun and Wenshan Baozhong Teas at about the same time. Since these teas are produced in close geographical proximity, and share a deep cultural history, we decided to brew them simultaneously to offer a perspective on how they compare and contrast with each other. Continue reading
September, 26, 2022

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High Mountain Oolong Summer/Fall Harvests 2022 | Eco-Cha Teas

Taiwan High Mountain Oolong Teas are typically harvested 3 or 4 times a year. Between the most popular spring and winter harvests, there are usually summer and/or fall crops. In recent years, we've been dedicated to sourcing these "in between" harvests as much as possible. We do this for two reasons. Continue reading
September, 13, 2022

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Taiwan Oolong Tea vs. Coffee: Which Has Less Caffeine?

Many people start their day with a cup of coffee or tea. Most folks do this for the instant jolt of energy that caffeine brings. Caffeine is a great for a quick pick up, but too much can be bad for you. Looking for the drink with a little less caffeine? In this article, we compare Taiwan Oolong teas with coffee to see which has less caffeine. Continue reading
September, 8, 2022

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Limited Edition Tea Series | Eco-Cha Teas

We proudly announce our Limited Edition series of Eco-Cha Teas! This exclusive selection is comprised of teas that are both top quality and limited in supply. Some are teas that we've offered previously and some are new additions to our in-store menu. All of them represent Taiwan's tea culture and world class professionalism.

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August, 23, 2022

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5 Benefits of Loose Leaf Tea Over Tea Bags

Tea is one of the most popular beverages in the world and there are many different ways to enjoy it. If you're looking for a more traditional tea-drinking experience, loose leaf tea is the way to go. Keep reading to learn about five benefits that loose leaf tea has over tea bags! Continue reading
August, 18, 2022

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Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Oolong Summer 2022 | Eco-Cha Teas

We had ideal weather conditions for the summer harvest of Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Oolong, following a growing season that was conducive to uniform new leaf growth on the tea bushes. The previous spring growing season was unusual in that it remained cool through May! So the spring crop was slow growing and somewhat similar to a typical winter growing season, although we had sufficient rainfall. Continue reading
August, 11, 2022

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Alishan High Mountain Jin Xuan Oolong Summer 2022 | Eco-Cha Teas

Our summer 2022 batch of Alishan High Mountain Jin Xuan Oolong is an exemplary representative of this category of Taiwan Tea! It is lightly oxidized, offering pronounced milky/buttery notes which the Jin Xuan cultivar is famous for. Given the weather patterns through the early spring growing season compared with the late spring growing season — the second flush offers a more classic Alishan Jin Xuan flavor profile.

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August, 4, 2022

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Red Jade Black Tea 2022 | Eco-Cha Teas

Red Jade, a.k.a. Taiwan Tea #18, is a hybrid large leaf cultivar that is unique to Taiwan. The indigenous wild tea tree that grows naturally in the mountain forests of Taiwan was cross-bred with the Assam strain from India. This initially occurred naturally when the Japanese introduced the Assam strain to the Sun Moon Lake area of Taiwan in the early 20th century. Chinese immigrants to this area had already been cultivating the indigenous tea strain, which eventually cross-pollinated with the new Assam strain. Continue reading
July, 21, 2022

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Roasted Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Oolong | Eco-Cha Teas

It's the above award that inspired us to have the second half of our winter 2021 stock of Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Oolong roasted by our close friend who cultivated it. He entered his own roasted version from this same crop into the Lugu Farmers" Association Dong Ding Oolong Tea competition and received Top Category Award (within the top 2% of all entries). When we heard the news, we promptly requested his services to roast the remainder of our procured share in the same fashion as this top award winning tea! Continue reading
July, 14, 2022

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Taiwan Tie Guan Yin Oolong Spring 2022 | Eco-Cha Teas

Taiwan's Tie Guan Yin Oolong, as it is made in the Muzha tradition, is the most heavily oxidized and heavily roasted of all Taiwan's renowned Oolong (partially oxidized) tea types. The photo above shows the leaves when they are approaching the desired degree of oxidation, before the tumble heating/kill green step of Oolong Tea making. Continue reading
July, 7, 2022

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Taiwan Eco-Farmed High Mountain Oolong Tea Spring 2022 | Eco-Cha Teas

Eco-Cha's source of Eco-Farmed High Mountain Oolong is the most remote and natural setting of a tea farm that we have seen in Taiwan. Located on aboriginal land, adjacent to Yushan National Forest Park, it's got a lot going for it — thanks to the husband and wife team who manage it. Our spring batch of tea is a 50/50 blend of two days harvest from their two plots of tea. These two days of harvest were entered separately in the this year's national organic tea competition, and both received awards. Continue reading
June, 30, 2022

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The Ultimate Iced Tea Guide

Summer is here and it's hot out! There's no better way to beat the heat than with an icy cold refreshing glass of home-brewed iced tea! Here we show you what we think is the ultimate way to make a thirst-quenching glass of loose-leaf iced tea! Continue reading
June, 23, 2022

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Taiwan High Mountain Oolong Tea Spring 2022 | Eco-Cha Teas

Spring Tea is the most popular among Taiwan's High Mountain Tea fans. Generally speaking, spring harvest offers the most aromatic and fresh flavor profile. In the end, however, each batch of tea has its own unique character. So we are going to take this opportunity to taste all 3 of our spring High Mountain Oolong Teas simultaneously, and while doing so, offer some background information about each growing region and how they differ from each other. Continue reading
June, 7, 2022

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Wenshan Baozhong Spring 2022 Sourcing Trip | Eco-Cha Teas

Above we can see the Pinglin District to the southeast of Taipei, but still within New Taipei City limits. Pinglin is not far at all from Taiwan's largest metropolis, but it feels more remote and rural than most developed regions on the island of Taiwan. It really feels like a relic of the past, in stark contrast to the modern city nearby. This rural community that produces a world-renowned tea is a historical landmark in its own right. We are privileged to represent this specialty tea in the international tea community. Continue reading