Taiwanese Tea: A Guide to Taiwan's Oolongs, Red (Black) Teas and Tea Regions

Taiwan is a small island with an outsized place in the tea world. It's best known for oolong: floral, creamy high mountain teas grown above about 1,000 m (Alishan, Shan Lin Xi, Lishan, Da Yu Ling); roasted classics like Dong Ding; the honeyed, insect-bitten Oriental Beauty; naturally creamy Jin Xuan (milk oolong); and lightly oxidized Baozhong. It also makes red tea (what the West calls black tea) around Sun Moon Lake and gave the world bubble tea, which is more than most islands can say. Taiwanese teas are usually carefully made, clearly labelled by mountain and season, and among the easiest high-quality teas to love.

The main Taiwanese teas#

The full overview of oolong styles is in my Taiwanese oolong guide.

A short history#

Tea came to Taiwan the short way, with settlers from Fujian across the strait. One well-known story traces the Dong Ding tradition to tea plants brought from Wuyi in the 19th century. Over the 20th century, Taiwan built its own identity: rolled oolongs, the high mountain gardens planted in the central mountains, bred cultivars like Jin Xuan, and a culture of tea competitions that pushed quality up and gave farmers something to brag about. Taiwan was also where much of modern gongfu tea practice, with its pitchers and aroma cups, took shape in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Where it grows#

Mountain by mountain, with elevations and the teas each area is known for: Taiwan tea regions.

How Taiwanese oolong is labelled#

A good Taiwanese tea label tells you:

• Mountain or area: Alishan, Lishan, Lugu…
• Cultivar: Qing Xin (the classic), Jin Xuan, Si Ji Chun and others.
• Season: spring and winter harvests are the most prized.
• Oxidation and roast: light, medium or heavy.

The more of this a seller tells you, the better; a label that just says "oolong" is keeping secrets. Be careful with famous mountain names: Lishan and Da Yu Ling have a habit of turning up on tea from lower or neighbouring areas.

How to brew Taiwanese tea#

Taiwanese oolongs are also among the best teas for cold brew (it's a Taiwanese summer habit for good reason): about 2 teaspoons per litre, 8–12 hours in the fridge. See cold brew tea.

Storage#

Light Taiwanese oolongs are fragile: airtight, dark and cool, ideally in the original vacuum pack, and drink them within about a year. Roasted Dong Ding keeps much longer and can improve with rest.

Bubble tea: Taiwan's other tea export#

Bubble tea was born in Taiwan in the 1980s and has since taken over most high streets. Behind the tapioca pearls there's usually a red (black), green or oolong tea base. See what tea is in bubble tea.

My honest take#

If you're new to tea, Taiwan is one of the kindest places to start: floral, creamy, sweet oolongs that are hard to make bitter, sold by people who tell you exactly where and when they were picked. Start with an Alishan and a Dong Ding side by side.

The bottom line#

Taiwanese tea means oolong above all: floral high mountain teas, roasted Dong Ding, honeyed Oriental Beauty and creamy Jin Xuan, plus Sun Moon Lake red tea and bubble tea. Read the label for mountain, cultivar, season and roast, keep light oolongs fresh, and start with my Taiwanese oolong guide.