TAIWANESE TEA MARKET

Within Taiwan bubble tea is iconic, to the point of serving as a representation of the nation. Bubble tea has become synonymous with Taiwan and is an important symbol of Taiwanese identity both domestically and internationally.

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The relatively high humidity, abundant moisture, and warm climate make the mountains a highly suitable location for tea plants to grow and that is why Taiwan is one of the best tea production areas in the world.

In earlier times, tea plants and tea making technology was brought to Taiwan from Anxi and the Wuyi Mountains in Fujian province. Because of the excellent tea production environment and constantly upgraded tea making technology, Taiwan’s teas began to be sold back to Xiamen and Fujian in small quantities. In 1869, 120 kgs of oolong tea with label of “Formosa Tea” was sold directly to the New York tea market. Its high quality made the tea a big hit and created an opportunity for Taiwanese teas in the international market. Tea became a key industry of Taiwan at that time.

 

After 1980, due to the booming of Taiwan’s export trade, per capita income was rising, as was the standard of living. This caused local demand for tea to outstrip export demand. In addition, the bulk of black and green teas for export began to be replaced by high quality semi-fermented teas. In particular, the light, aromatic, high mountain oolong teas became the favorite of domestic consumers.

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