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Top 10 Most Popular Taiwanese Teas in 2022
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 readingLi 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 readingBi 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 readingHigh 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 readingTaiwan 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 readingLimited 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.
Continue reading5 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 readingShan 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 readingAlishan 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.
Continue readingRed 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 readingRoasted 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 readingTaiwan 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 readingTaiwan 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 readingThe 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 readingTaiwan 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 readingWenshan 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 readingLi Shan High Mountain Oolong Spring 2022 | Eco-Cha Teas
Our spring 2022 batch of Li Shan High Mountain Oolong Tea is now on the shelf! Li Shan is a place name that means Pear Mountain. Li Shan High Mountain Tea is the most prestigious name of Taiwan Tea overall. It is home to the highest elevation tea farms on the island of Taiwan, and the climate is ideal for producing the best quality leaf — in the world, arguably! Continue readingTaiwan Celebrates International Tea Day | Eco-Cha Teas
On the occasion of International Tea Day, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted a video on their Youtube channel about Taiwanese tea culture in which we participated. Eco-Cha was asked to share a day in the life of our world of tea. So the first introduction was to our tea family and mentors Tony and Lisa Lin. We just sat in the backyard and had tea, like we usually do, and talked with the film makers about the local industry and culture. Continue readingTaiwan Tea Hybrid Cultivars Spring 2022 | Eco-Cha Teas
Our spring 2022 batches of our Taiwan tea hybrid cultivars are now in store! All three of these teas are "Made in Taiwan", and have become popular tea types since they were introduced about 40 years ago. Jin Xuan Oolong is the most well known and most popular among tea lovers around the world. Continue readingTaiwan Dong Ding Oolong Spring 2022 | Eco-Cha Teas
With the arrival of our spring batch of Taiwan Dong Ding Oolong Tea, we were inspired to brew it alongside our Traditional Dong Ding Oolong as well as our current edition of the Eco-Cha Tea Club — which also happens to be a Traditional Dong Ding Oolong. All three teas were harvested this spring from the same community in Lugu, Taiwan.
Continue readingShan Lin Xi Taiwan High Mountain Oolong Tea Spring 2022 | Eco-Cha Teas
Spring 2022 Taiwan high mountain tea harvest is slowly but steadily working its way up the mountain! Lower and mid-elevations were harvested by mid-April. Alishan High Mountain Oolong was mostly harvested by the last week in April, as Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Tea picking began. Continue readingTraditional Dong Ding Oolong Spring 2022
The traditional recipe for Taiwan Dong Ding Oolong Tea did not involve post production roasting at all. This is an evolution that began with tea merchants roasting past seasonal batches of Dong Ding Oolong, and offering a roasted version along with their newest seasonal batches of unroasted tea. Continue readingTaiwan Jin Xuan Oolong: Naturally Buttery Tea
Our freshly picked spring 2022 crop of Jin Xuan Oolong tea has the classic buttery notes with underlying sweet vegetal and woody qualities. The flavor is buttery, nutty, and savory - balanced by the smooth astringent "original Oolong" qualities that offer a clean, fragrant finish.
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