Spring Taiwanese oolongs begin to arrive in the market in early April, but the last of the Taiwanese oolongs arrive only in late May/early June. Why do some oolongs arrive relatively early while others arrive at the beginning of summer? Why is the oolong season so long in Taiwan? The answer is elevation.
The photos above show the tea fields at the 100K Tea Garden in DaYuLing a day apart. Frost struck early this week, reducing the number of leaves that can be harvested from an already small number.
The fragrant rolled oolong from DaYuLing is prized for being the highest elevation tea produced in Taiwan. Unfortunately for DaYuLing oolong drinkers, the Taiwanese government has been reclaiming this area over the last few years. Some of these farms were said to be in violation of land use regulations, and in some cases, land leases had expired. Mountain erosion and pollution being concerns, the reclaimed farmland has had its tea trees removed and is being replanted with local vegetation.
We admit to a bias when it comes to tea. Although we sample widely, there are a few varieties we always seek out and that we just enjoy more than others. When it comes to oolong, we just can’t seem to get enough of Taiwanese high mountain tea. It was only a matter of time before we made our selection to bring you some of our favourite Taiwanese tea.*
Spring Taiwanese oolongs begin to arrive in the market in early April, but the last of the Taiwanese oolongs arrive only in late May/early June. Why do some oolongs arrive relatively early while others arrive at the beginning of summer? Why is the oolong season so long in Taiwan? The answer is elevation.
The photos above show the tea fields at the 100K Tea Garden in DaYuLing a day apart. Frost struck early this week, reducing the number of leaves that can be harvested from an already small number.
The fragrant rolled oolong from DaYuLing is prized for being the highest elevation tea produced in Taiwan. Unfortunately for DaYuLing oolong drinkers, the Taiwanese government has been reclaiming this area over the last few years. Some of these farms were said to be in violation of land use regulations, and in some cases, land leases had expired. Mountain erosion and pollution being concerns, the reclaimed farmland has had its tea trees removed and is being replanted with local vegetation.
We admit to a bias when it comes to tea. Although we sample widely, there are a few varieties we always seek out and that we just enjoy more than others. When it comes to oolong, we just can’t seem to get enough of Taiwanese high mountain tea. It was only a matter of time before we made our selection to bring you some of our favourite Taiwanese tea.*
