Mapping the World of Specialty Tea
SPECIALTY TEA OF
TAIWAN
There are many parallels between specialty tea and wine. Both are refined, liquid expressions of place, where tasters can sense terroir and origin. Distinct cultivars, growing conditions, and artisanal craftsmanship give rise to unique aromatic and flavorful profiles. In Taiwanese tea culture, these characteristics are not only shaped during cultivation and crafting, but are also articulated through specialty tea service, where preparation methods are adjusted in response to a tea’s structure, oxidation level or age. Since the 19th century, Formosa Oolong — a range of semi-oxidized teas from the island now known as Taiwan — has been celebrated as “The Champagne of Teas” for its delicate taste.
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In general, teas with lower oxidation levels, such as green teas, tend to taste brighter and fresher, while higher oxidation produces a creamier and sweeter character, as seen in black teas. Oolong teas span the vibrant spectrum between green and black, much like the colors of a rainbow. Like fine wine, a single tea can reveal multiple layers of notes and aromas within one sip. These layers do not emerge simultaneously; rather, they unfold over time through specialty tea service, as water quality and temperature, infusion duration, and sequencing are calibrated to the nature of the tea.
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Over the past four centuries, twelve signature types of Taiwanese specialty tea have evolved through distinct crafting techniques, each intertwined with the island’s cultural and historical development. These include Green Tea, White Tea, Paochung Tea, Light-Oxidized Rolled Oolong, Roasted Rolled Oolong, Iron Goddess, Oriental Beauty, Black Oolong, Black Tea, Scented Tea, Stuffed Tea, and scientifically innovative types such as GABA Oolong.
Understanding the differences among these categories provides the foundation for adapting specialty tea service, allowing each style to be experienced in a way that reflects its intended balance and character.
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Taiwan’s tea artistry is further distinguished by three post-crafting techniques — (re-)roasting, (re-)pressing, and aging — which can be applied to most Taiwanese teas. These processes alter aroma, texture, and depth over time, and their effects are most perceptible when specialty tea service responds to these transformations, revealing complexity that develops gradually rather than immediately.
Taiwan Formosa, a label
for gourmet tea over
the last hundreds of years.
​Taiwan, an island the size of Belgium, possesses a vast diversity of landscapes from mountainous areas to low-lying coasts. It is a tropical island (approximately 70% of its land) in the Pacific Ocean and has the fourth highest peak among all the islands in the world. Taiwan falls in a zone where the tropic is intertwined with the temperate. Although most part of the island is immersed in warm and humid weather year-round, snow sight can still be found on crests. With these environmental characteristics, Taiwan has been a magnificent playground for tea farmers, teamakers, and tea sommeliers to skill about tea since the 1600s.
The elevation is one of the critical terroir factors for tea production. Tea from tea plants/trees cultivated between 1,000 and 2,614 meters above sea level is categorized as “High Mountain Teas 高山茶” in Taiwan (For comparison, Darjeeling grows tea at altitudes ranging from 600 to 2,000 meters). High Mountain Teas are one of the most sought-after types of tea developed on this island since the ’70s. At such a high elevation, the tea is exposed to cooler temperatures and shielded from the sun by mists in the afternoon. Tea trees cultivated in such terroir grow slow, forcing the plant to accumulate more Theanines (compounds that give umami flavor to the tea) and less Polyphenol content including Catechins (compounds that creates bitterness in tea). The Taiwanese High Mountain Teas taste sweeter and creamier and are typified by their long, rich finish lingering in the throat...
