Taiwan Light-Roasted High Mountain Oolong Tea

This Light-Roasted High Mountain Oolong is made by baking on the basis of the green oolong. It is different from the non-baked oolong which has significant floral fragrance and elegant taste. The roasted one has richer aroma and taste, with slight fruit and floral fragrance, and long-lasting nectar notes. It is very suitable for tea lovers who prefer dark oolongs.

	Cup Method		Chinese Gongfu Method
	Teacup: 12oz / 355ml		Gaiwan: 3.8oz / 110ml
	212℉ / 100℃		212℉ / 100℃
	2 Teaspoons / 5g Tea		7g Tea
	Brewing time: 3 - 5 mins		7 steeps: rinse, 10s, 15s, 25s, 35s, 50s, 70s, 90s
			Rinse time is around 5 seconds

Baoshu Ecologic Tea Garden is in the Mingjian Township of Nan Tou County in Taiwan, an area once subjected to Song dynasty rule, with fertile red soil and foggy weather ensuring excellent conditions for growing high mountain tea. The owner of this tea garden, Mr. Xie, always implements organic planting to grow the sweetest and healthiest teas: pesticides and fertilizers are never used, in order to allow a non-polluted and ecologically balanced environment. Care and joy is taken to grow and manage the trees on this ecologic land, and to bring delicious natural teas to tea lovers all around the world.

Taiwan High Mountain Tea

In Taiwan, tea grown above an altitude of 800 meters is referred to as “high mountain tea”. The main representatives of this type of tea include Ali Shan Oolong Tea, grown at an altitude between 1000 and 1500 meters; Ali Shan LuZhu and Shan Ling Xi, at 1600 meters; Li Zhan, at over 2000 meters; and Da Yun Lin High Mountain Cha Wang Oolong Tea , above elevations of 2500 meters.

Vertical Distribution of High Moutain Tea

The Mingjian Township (名间乡) has a history of being a well-known and productive area for growing tea; in modern times, it has over 250 thousand acres of gardens used for the sole purpose of cultivating tea. Mingjian mainly plants Qingxin oolong, though in the 1980s some new types were introduced: Jinxuan, Cuiyu, Sijchun, and Dingzu, among others. Consistent climate and harvesting processes guarantees the stable qualities from tea grown in this area.

This particular high mountain oolong consists of leaves of Camellia sinensis varietal Si Ji Chun, a cultivar developed in Taiwan that belongs to a small-leafed tea bush with a high concentration of branches, buds, and leaves, which have a spindle shape and are thick and glossy. This varietal’s main producing areas are Alishan, Zhushan, and Nantou, and can be harvested in all four seasons – but are especially good in spring. Because of its strong, sweet aroma, Si Ji Chun has become quickly popular with tea lovers.

Oolong tea was first developed during the early 1700s in the Fujian area of China, unique in that it is a sort of cross between non-fermented green and fully fermented black tea: as a result it has qualities of both, and thus quickly became popular all throughout eastern China and Taiwan. Today the Anxi county of China is the largest producer of oolong tea, specializing in Tie Guan Yin.

One legend states that in 1855, Lin Feng Chi brought oolong tea trees from the Wuyi Mountains in the Fujian province of China to Dong Ding in Lugu, Taiwan and replanted them there, beginning the history of Taiwan’s well-known Dong Ding oolong. In 1858 the Jardine, Matheson & Co. brought semi-finished oolong tea from Taiwan to Britain, which began its spread around the world.