This large island off the Chinese mainland hosts a diverse range of tea growing regions which provide a large variety of Formosa teas to the world. From high mountain growing areas to sprawling lowlands, tea can be found over the entirety of the island. Two hundred years ago, tea trees from the Wuyi mountains in Fujian were brought to Taiwan and planted in what is today New Taipei City. The humid, subtropical climate allowed the tea plants to flourish and become the modern Ali Shan, Dong Ding, and other forms of Taiwanese teas.

During the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, the Taiwan Tea Experiment Station was founded and has since interbred various hybrid tea cultivars to produce novel varieties like TTES #2 aka Jin Xuan and TTES #18 Black Jade tea. Today, the determination of Taiwanese tea cultivators can’t be understated as they develop new growing techniques and strive to make tea production more sustainable on the island. Taiwanese high mountain tea flavor profiles can vary greatly by season and many consider the spring harvest to be the pinnacle of tea production in Taiwan. We have found that no matter the season Taiwanese teas offer us a reliable, sustainable tea each and every year.