Steepster AMA: Meet Nick and Andy of Eco-Cha
Hi, we’re Nick and Andy of Eco-Cha. We supplied two teas in the January Select box: Red Jade and Shan Lin Xi. Eco-Cha aspires to offer you a unique opportunity to understand and experience the world of tea and tea culture in Taiwan.
How about a quick discount before we start? Visit our store (http://eco-cha.com/) and enter code SELECT during checkout to get 15% off any of our teas.
We’ll swing by at 7pm est on Wed (2/5) to answer all your questions, so ask away!
- Nick & Andy
Red Jade: http://steepster.com/teas/eco-cha-artisan-teas/40646-red-jade-taiwan-tea-number-18
Shan Lin Xi: http://steepster.com/teas/eco-cha-artisan-teas/40648-shan-lin-xi-high-mountain-oolong
Steepster Select: Discover more tea from fine people like Nick and Andy with Steepster Select. A one year subscription gets you 60 teas for just $19.95 a month. http://steepster.com/select.
From what I under stand, #18 is a C. sinensis var. sinensis x C. sinensis var. assamica hybrid. Is it always processed as black tea? I had a red jade #18 from a different company recently, and was rather enchanted with the idea of trying to set up a tasting flight with it – either #18 as green/oolong/black, or else a parent1, parent2, hybrid sampling of all black teas. Would either flight be practical, in terms of tea availability, and if so, what teas would you recommend?
Oh, that black flight would rock! Especially the vertical!! I’ll drop a line through your website to set it up. Thank you!!
Hi Anna – great question.
Yes. #18 is a hybrid of the naturally occurring C. sinensis var. sinensis on the island of Taiwan – also referred to as Taiwan Mountain Tea or Purple Leaf Bud Tea – with C. sinensis var. assamica.
To our knowledge it is always processed as black tea.
We could put together a nice custom Taiwan black tea flight for you. We currently have 3 nice Taiwan black teas in stock: Red Jade Summer, 2012, Red Jade Summer, 2013, and Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Black Tea Winter 2012
See the links here for more about these teas.
http://eco-cha.com/collections/black-tea/products/red-jade-tea
http://eco-cha.com/collections/black-tea/products/shan-lin-xi-high-mountain…
Our Red Jade is made by an award winning tea maker with tea that grows organically. He commented recently that he prefers to age his processed tea leaves for a year before using them. So you may find it fun to explore the subtleties between two consecutive prime (summer) harvests from the same garden and made by the same artisan.
Red Jade was officially registered by the Tea Research Extension Station about 15 years ago. However, the hybrid has existed since at least as early as 1985, but probably much earlier.
The naturally occurring tea plant was being cultivated in the Sun Moon Lake region of Central Taiwan when the Japanese arrived on the island over 100 years ago. This was a decisive factor for the Japanese officials to establish a tea research plantation in this area. Japan brought the assamica varietal to Taiwan to be cultivated here, and this is how the #18 plant came to be.
Let us know if you’d like us to put a Taiwan black tea package together for you!
You said that your Red Jade is made by someone from the Tea Research Extension Station. Can you tell us a bit about what that is and how you came to have a relationship with them?
Tea Research Extension Station is a government subsidized organization that has its roots in the Japanese tea research and development during their occupation of Taiwan pre-WWII.
It mostly conducts research on tea plant cultivation and farming techniques to be a resource for tea farmers. In addition to developing hybrid varietals for optimal cultivation in various environments, they also do research in fertilization, pest control, and other aspects of tea production. They also do standardized chemical inspections of soil and tea leaf samples. They offer classes and seminars on tea cultivation and tea making as well as an extensive course in tea judge certification.
We originally met the Mr. Guo, who is now the director of the Yu Chi branch of TRES at the Lu Gu Farmers’ Association over a decade ago where he was working as a senior tea judge for the Dong Ding Oolong Tea competition. In various tea making seminars and also at formal events put on by the Living Art of Tea Club that are associated with the farmers’ association, Mr. Guo has always been very approachable and willing to share his expertise.
In this same context, we also became friends with the source of our current Red Jade #18 and who also works at the Yu Chi (township) branch of TRES. He has also proved to be a great source of information about Taiwan Tea in general and offered a lot of input to our recent blog post on Taiwan Mountain Tea. Have a read here:
http://eco-cha.com/blogs/tea-culture/10378193-taiwan-mountain-tea-the-indigenous-plant
What are some of the challenges of sourcing teas from Taiwan versus other countries?
We have never attempted to source tea outside of Taiwan so without other countries to compare with, we would say this:
Sourcing tea is a cultural journey, and the deeper you are involved with and understand the culture, the smoother everything will be. From understanding the needs of the farmers and the industry, to providing the world with a window into where the tea is sourced – these all become easier as you understand the culture better.
Since our sourcing experience comes from more than 20 years of avid interest in visiting tea farms and learning about tea, we don’t experience it as challenging. We have had the good fortune of becoming friends with some very reliable people in the industry here which has made our job relatively easy in this regard.
If you had to pack up and start another tea company tomorrow, outside of Taiwan, where would you go and why?
Well, again – this is hard to imagine, since our world of tea exists here in Taiwan. Our company has come into being through living here and being immersed in the culture for over 20 years. We don’t see ourselves packing up and going anywhere to be honest. Our involvement in tea started with being impressed with the ubiquitous tea culture and the amazing tea that was being offered to us in every home and office we happened upon. It soon grew into friendships that have become like family connections. Tea has become the commodity in a culture that we are now rooted in – without this community that gives it life, we really don’t know what our involvement with tea would be like, no less where it would lead us.
Having said this, China would be the only real viable choice, as it is the closest in every way to our world of tea here on Taiwan. The tea types, the language, the culture, etc. are things that are parallel with our life here.
Makes sense! Community is important and it sounds like you all have a great thing happening in Taiwan. I may end up at your door step for a visit one of these days!! I’ll bring tea, don’t worry!
Out of all of the teas that you currently offer, which tea(s) would you say is/are your favorite(s)?
What is your personal definition of artisan when it comes to your company and the teas that you make available to those outside of Taiwan?
Thank you!
Dear Tea Pet –
Our favorite tea – that is so hard to answer conclusively!
I (Andy) will have to get personal here for a second and answer as I have to similar questions over the years. If I could only have one type of tea to drink for the rest of my life, it would definitely be Dong Ding Oolong Tea.
http://eco-cha.com/collections/all-tea/products/dong-ding-oolong-tea
This tea offers a complexity of flavor and aroma along with its hearty, roasted character that makes it endlessly interesting and satisfying.
Thankfully, I don’t have to drink only one type of tea forever! This is why Eco-Cha has presented their line of teas in four simple yet comprehensive categories: Unroasted; Lightly Roasted; Heavily Roasted; and Black Tea. Each of these categories, and the individual tea types within them, offer their own special attributes. If I were to limit my choices to only three teas, I would add the Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Concubine Oolong Tea for its full-bodied, yet delicate complex character.
http://eco-cha.com/collections/all-tea/products/shan-lin-xi-high-mountain-concubine-oolong-tea
And last but definitely not least, our most exemplary unroasted selection -
Da Yu Ling High Mountain Oolong Tea for its rich floral, refreshing character.
http://eco-cha.com/collections/all-tea/products/da-yu-ling-high-mountain-oolong-tea
I’m just getting into loose leaf tea in general, and just had a friend introduce me to your Shan Lin Xi tea. It was fantastic, but what’s the right thing for me to do next? Is it worth exploring other teas that you carry, or should I just stick to the one I know I like?
Hi tailfins – glad to hear you are enjoying the tea!
The Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Oolong is certainly a great introduction to a lightly oxidized, unroasted, quality high elevation tea from Taiwan. It is probably our most popular selection overall. To stop there though would be cutting your experience of good whole leaf tea short.
Even within our unroasted tea category, each selection has its own distinct character and flavor. From there, the roast spectrum selections and the Black Teas will give you a comprehensive sense of what Taiwan whole leaf tea has to offer.
If we were to suggest a next selection for you to explore, it would be the lightly roasted Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Concubine Oolong Tea. This is only a variation of your first experience, yet with enough distinctly different character to impress you with how much they vary.
Thanks for writing, stay in touch, and enjoy your tea journey!
As a sophomore in college, what are some of the first steps I should be taking to get more involved in the tea community? (i.e. My dream job would either be opening my own tea shop/company or joining an already-established honest and true company).
It looks like you are taking some great steps already!
To borrow a Joseph Campbell motto – “Follow you bliss”.
Find what interests you most about tea and really delve into that aspect of the tea world. Be open to what opportunities manifest naturally in your exploration. Be humble and stay tuned to the trends and developments in the industry. Last but not least, be creative and ask yourself how you can augment the world of tea that you have been exposed to.
We’ve got some internships open right now, have a look and if anything there interests you get in touch! http://eco-cha.com/pages/join-the-team
Will you consider adding tea ware from local artisans? I am more interested in purchasing tea ware from an individual who can provide input as to the process than buying a piece from an anonymous maker.
Yes! Thank you for bringing this up, this is a part of our plan. There is a lot happening in the pottery world that coincides with tea culture, and we very much wish to share this creative, artistic element to the appreciation of the world of tea. Not only is it aesthetically fulfilling, but often offers practical convenience to our enjoyment of tea!
There are some amazing tea ware artisans in Taiwan and we look forward to sharing their work with the tea community. These will most likely all be one of a kind pieces and we’ll provide the same level of transparent and detailed information that we do with tea. There will be photos of the artisans shop and surrounding areas, and stories from our trips to visit and search out tea ware. We’ll chat with the artisan about their process and share that information as well.
I am not very familiar with Taiwanese tea, outside of a sampling of oolongs. As a black tea drinker, I would be interested to see what Taiwanese black teas are like, and what makes them special. How do you feel they compare to other teas on the market? IE, Indian teas are often considered strong and astringent, while Chinese teas tend to be sweeter and with cocoa or caramel notes. What does Taiwan have to offer that differs from what’s on the market?
As a follow up, what is the tea culture like in Taiwan? Are there specialized ceremonies? Are tea shops and public tea gatherings common or is it something that is typically enjoyed at home with family or alone?
Ooh! Also, I am not sure what it is like historically, but do you think Taiwanese tea is starting to take more of the tea market? It would be great to see more varieties and also hopefully a bit lower prices. Increased sustainable production would go a long way toward both, though of course that would take years.
Best of luck in your business!
Thanks Uniquity!
There is a relatively (compared with India and China) small, yet distinctly varied spectrum of black teas that are renowned in Taiwan. They fall into both of the categories you mentioned from India and China. Given that Assam tea has been cultivated here for the last 100 years or so, we have an interesting combination of Chinese and Indian style black teas to choose from.
Recently, the most popular types of black tea from Taiwan are Red Jade #18, Taiwan Mountain Tea, and Oolong varietals that are being processed as black tea.
Red Jade and Mountain tea are more akin to the astringent, Indian types. Red brews a rich, full-bodied tea with subtle hints of clove, cinnamon and mint in its complex composition. The character of Red Jade is unique among black teas, while still possessing a classic black tea quality.
The Oolongs that are made into black tea are especially smooth and tend to be sweeter on the palate. In addition to these, there are also some unique types that verge on being Oolongs, such as Shui Xian Tea, and Red Oolong.
It would take a while to fully describe tea culture in Taiwan here, but to answer briefly – it is everywhere! Tea completely permeates culture here in Taiwan, from the traditional tea farmer to the 9-5 office worker. There are tea shops on every corner where you can chose from about 50 types of hot and cold teas. They deliver on scooters and motorbikes and offices will order tea throughout the day. In the hot summer months there are lines for cold teas. Some are better than others and use different qualities of leaves. Walking down the street and peeking into shops you will often see gong fu brewing setups on the table. The shop owner will be brewing tea throughout the day. I could go on here, but to summarise the answer to your question is…yes! Tea here is enjoyed at shops, at home with family, in traditional gong fu style, and in every way and place imaginable by everyone from young to old. Tea is everywhere in Taiwan.
We’ve got lots more on Taiwan tea culture on our blog here, come by and have a read: http://eco-cha.com/pages/blog
There is an annual event in Nantou Taiwan “1000 People Brew Tea”, where people gather in a park to…brew tea. Check out the video from the 2013 event for a window into Taiwan tea culture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj2A2GqZGoE
We’re going to head down the page and answer a few more questions, but we’ll come back to answering about Taiwan tea in the current market.
Here’s a blog post on recent trends in the Taiwan tea industry: http://eco-cha.com/blogs/tea-culture/8959697-a-brief-background-of-recent-trends-in-the-taiwan-tea-industry
I’ve always been curious: how do the Taiwanese oolongs differ from the mainland Chinese oolongs? For instance, the Taiwanese high mountain green oolongs vs. a green Tieguanyin. Are they different varietals, or are the differences in environment and processing enough to cause the taste differences?
How do you build a relationships with individual farmers in Taiwan? How do you decide who’s tea you will offer? How often do you visit Taiwan?
Dinosara-
This is a very interesting question that has become much more complex and relevant just within the last decade or so.
Historically, Taiwanese Oolongs are a direct offshoot of mainland Chinese Oolongs. However, more modern trends in tea production and popular tea types have created more of a two-way interface between the two tea producing regions.
Regarding your question about Taiwan High Mountain Oolong vs. Green Tie Guan Yin: Yes, they are two different tea plant varietals, and there are also significantly influential factors involving environment and processing.
As we have been told by other professionals in the tea industry here in Taiwan, Green Tie Guan Yin is a recent innovation that was initiated and made popular as a result of the popularity of Taiwan High Mountain Oolong Tea. The largest operating tea corporation (Ten Ren Teas) with sister companies in China and Taiwan began producing Green Tie Guan Yin in the fashion of Taiwan High Mountain Oolong using their tea farms on the mainland as well as in Taiwan. This was in response to the major success and demand that Taiwan High Mountain Tea achieved in the 1980’s and 1990’s.
These greener style, more modern (vs. traditional) style oolongs are more suitable for large scale production and require less labor and attention in their processing. Basically, green oolongs are produced without the steps involving relatively complex oxidation and roasting methods. As a result, their quality is more directly determined by farm cultivation than processing, since the production methods involving hands-on labor and skill have been minimized.
Regarding your second question: “How do we build relationships with farmers?”
We visit their farms on a regular ongoing basis. We have lived in Taiwan and have been visiting tea farmers for more than 20 years. This is the society and culture we have lived in and been a part of since the early 1990’s – it is our home. Virtually all of our Taiwanese friendships have been made in the context of tea. Just as in any facet of life we form these relationships through time, communication, and shared interest. We spend a lot of time with the farmers on their farms and in their homes, talking, eating, and of course drinking tea.
We live in central Taiwan and tea country is about an hour from our homes. We usually spend a few days every week in tea country and during harvest season we’re there for weeks at a time. We are in constant contact with the farmers we work with.
We decide who’s tea we will offer based on two things: responsible production methods and quality. Our tea must meet these two conditions.
As we wrote above, all of our teas come from farmers whom we know personally and visit regularly in their homes and on their farms. We have known most of our sources for many years. We work with farmers whose farms, methodologies, principles, and quantities of yield remain within the capacity and capability of artisan tea making.
Recent blog posts website that tell a lot more of this story, I think you’ll find these good reading:
What is Artisan about Artisan Tea? http://eco-cha.com/blogs/tea-culture/10378137-what-is-artisan-about-artisan-tea
A Recent Background of Trends in the Taiwan Tea Industry: http://eco-cha.com/blogs/tea-culture/8959697-a-brief-background-of-recent-trends-in-the-taiwan-tea-industry
We’ve got lots more information on our sourcing on our website here: http://eco-cha.com/pages/our-sources
Thanks for all this information! I am fascinated to learn about Taiwanese oolongs and the history of green Tieguanyin.
Our pleasure Dinosara, thanks for the great question! Get in touch anytime you’ve got any more questions.
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