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Honey Concubine VS Oriental Beauty
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from the charming land of Taiwan
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Although Taiwan is only less than 10% the land mass of Japan, and not even 0.4% that of China, yet it has an unique history in tea production that makes it a most important tea origins of the world, contributing to a vast array of tea varieties that are uniquely Taiwanese, beautifully and tastefully.
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Details of an ancient painting depicting tea preparation by servants for a party. Collection at the National Palace Museum in Taipei
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There is the mysterious bug-bitten oolong Oriental Beauty that is so deeply oxidised that some maybe mistaking it as a black tea. Legend has it that the name was given by UK’s Queen Elizabeth when she first tasted the tea.
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Not to mention the quintessential Taiwan classic, Wenshan Paochong, the light and refreshing strip shape green style oolong. Or if you prefer your green style oolong in the bead form, there are a few in our collection too. Eternal Spring that I myself have developed to crystallise the intricate delicacy of Taiwan oolongs is worth a try.
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If you prefer something stronger, there is Red Jade black tea, offering a complexly brisk taste profile that you may not find elsewhere. It is produced from a tea plant that is uniquely Taiwanese — Camellia formosensis. If the black tea is a little overwhelming, try a deep oxidation and matured white tea of it: Hong Yu Deep White.
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Of course there are the two other unique Tea Hong offers that I mentioned a few weeks ago: GABA Bouquet that to me is a Chardonnay of tea now since I have refrained completely from alcohol; and there is North Peak, when you want the warmth of a deep baked oolong but like it supple and soft.
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The bamboo sieves in the background will hold the leaves that are being sunned on the ground to go through the next steps in oolong oxidation (aka fermentation).
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Amongst the others in our Taiwan collection, there is our popular GABA Orange Extra. As some customers who have reviewed this tea might have known, this GABA oolong that we offer is quite unlike those of similar names in the market. We really put a lot of efforts into its quality control for your enjoyable experience. We are still in the process of making a new batch to fill the stock.
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The same goes for Alishan Guanyin, which is nearing stock depletion as I write this.
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We are actively extending this collection to offer you a great diversity for taste profiles and authenticity. While the land itself maybe small, the beautifully tasteful varieties Taiwan offers to this world are unique and preciously irreplaceable.
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In one of our tea farmers' home where he hangs all the tea competition award certificates on the wall. This is about one-sixth of these framed documents. He has two much larger walls of these and another small one. I picked this photo because I think all the other artefacts reflect more about the daily life of this old man.
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