Our Story

Mission

Eco-Cha was created to represent the artisan tea industry in Taiwan and to offer tea lovers worldwide the best teas in Taiwan. We recognize that people have developed a level of appreciation for fine tea that warrants a responsible resource to learn more about this hand-crafted product that is rooted in an age-old tradition.

Our Connection to the Industry

Eco-Cha is a cooperative effort comprised of a small group of individuals with diverse backgrounds that have converged here on the ground in Taiwan. The team is founded on long-term friendships and connections that all began here and have evolved into the establishment of our combined commitment to share Taiwan tea culture with the world.

Co-founder Andy Kincart has lived mostly in Taiwan since 1989. In 1993, his appreciation for the locally-grown tea that he had already developed led him to the home of Tony and Lisa Lin in the Dong Ding Mountain tea growing region. Since then, it has been an ongoing exploration of the world of tea which has provided a fulfillment that is unique to this island. Tony and Lisa Lin are among Taiwan's primary proponents of tea culture, and Andy has watched their efforts flourish over the last 20 years as a close friend and supporter.

Since 1997, Andy has been sharing this passion for tea as a private exporter of quality Oolong Tea. Now, after decades of an ever-deepening appreciation for this cultural treasure – he is endeavoring to be more progressive through his involvement with Eco-Cha.

Taiwanese Tea

While all of the three main types of tea - Green, Oolong and Black Tea are produced in Taiwan, it is most famous for its Oolong Tea. Perhaps because Oolong entails the most intricate processing methods, this tea type has been developed to new levels of refinement and quality in Taiwan that are unprecedented worldwide.

Eco-Cha primarily sources Oolong Tea, but also procures the highest quality Black Tea and Green Tea Taiwan has to offer.

Eco-Cha Sources

Our teas come from farmers whom we know personally and have visited in their homes and on their farms. We have known most of our sources for many years. We visit these artisans of tea regularly in our commitment to fully understand all aspects of tea production. We have spent dozens of nights over decades in high mountain tea factories, observing and assisting in the processing of the leaves picked that morning.

For details on where each tea comes from, please visit each tea selection individually.