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TEA CULTURE
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Simon surprised me with a trip to the mountains to visit his favorite
tea house. The Taiwanese tea market is really incredible, an art form
that goes back thousands  and thousands of years.
Originally, all of
Taiwan's tea plants were imported from the Tiangsu and Fujian provinces
in southern China during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Those lucky enough to enjoy tea were usually wealthy, powerful, or
scholarly individuals. During the Japanese occupation, many new plants
were imported from Japan, such as the Japanese Uji tea plant, the
Nitton black tea plant, as well as many others. This allowed the
Taiwanese tea market to reach a new consumers, wealthy Japanese.
Exporting to both China and Japan, the Taiwan Tea Exporters Association
began to see the potential that Taiwan had in a larger scale
international trading market and began selling the tea around the
world. Part of the reason Taiwanese tea is so unique and special is
because it is nourished by Taiwan's fresh spring water which is sweet,
clear, crisp, and fresh. The best tea uses this water to nourish the
leaves as well as to make the tea.
One of my friends I met in Taiwan, Anne told me she can't go one day
without a cup of tea, either hot tea or milk tea with boba. While there
are obvious health benefits to tea, there is also a wonderful artistic
quality. From the tea sets used, to the ceremonial serving technique
which takes years to learn. Most of the tea houses in Taiwan are
located in the mountains, which offers its visitors an aesthetic
environment to enjoy their tea.
There is such a fascinating story behind this central part of Taiwanese culture.
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