In 1925 the Japanese tea research center (on Taiwan) imported tea seeds from Assam, India, with the intent of cultivating tea bushes in Yuchi Township for the purpose of producing black tea for export. The tea industry in Taiwan was (and continues to be to this day) focused on its stellar tradition of manufacturing fine oolong; although for approximately 70 years now there has been significant interest among tea enthusiasts in both Taiwan and Japan for the varietal-specific black teas and their cultivars that grow so successfully in and around Sun Moon Lake in central Taiwan.

In the region surrounding this alpine lake, the largest on Taiwan, black tea was developed for export by Japanese tea growers during their occupation of Taiwan in the years preceding and during WWII.

The Japanese growers succeeded in establishing many gardens of specialty tea bushes, and later, after the departure of the Japanese from Taiwan, the Taiwan Tea Research Institute continued research into determining the most suitable tea bush cultivars for the production of black tea on Taiwan.

A split developed between the growers of the ultra high-end Ruby Red #18 cultivar, which was grown almost exclusively for export to Japan, the historical Assam leaf that had also been planted in the environs of Sun Moon Lake, and the more ‘generic’  leaf that is used for Taiwan’s Lapsang Souchong production and other misc black tea.

Black tea production in Taiwan went into decline for a period at the end of the last century, but a resurgence in interest has come about in recent years. While Taiwan does not produce large quantities of black tea, we discovered during a visit to this tiny but beautiful region that these teas are very tasty and special, and somewhat unknown even in other parts of Taiwan.

It is our pleasure to be able to provide several of these very special teas to our discriminating clientele and trust that you will find them fascinating, delicious, and equally as special as any other unique tea from the cutting edge tea gardens of the world.

Black tea steeping instructions

New Tea, Rested Tea, and Aged Tea