Sustainable and traditional organic tea ceremony in Taiwan

Are you looking for a tea where green is not only taste but also motto? Then join me at the quaint organic tea shop 萬全茶行 - Yung Chuen Chinese Tea Shop from Lucia Kuan to Taipei.

During a tea ceremony, Lucia will tell you all about her organic cultivation and what you should look for in the quality. She should know. After all, her family owns the tea plantation and the store already in the fourth generation;

Let's celebrate a traditional tea time together with Lucia Kuan and make a positive IMPACT sip by sip.

Almost overlooked: Secret organic store in Taipei

As we stand in the small side street in front of the store, my friend Flo and I peek through the windows. The store is packed with tea and bursting at the seams. No one is there. Only a cat roams around. Is the store open at all?

We got the insider tip for the store from a Taiwanese friend. As we enter the store, the store owner comes out from the back and asks us to take a seat at a small tea counter.

The tea of the island - the oolong tea

Since Flo speaks Mandarin, it was easy to strike up a conversation with the elderly owner right away and try some tea. Sometimes private interpreters are already handy.

"I recommend you to try our own oolong tea, which has the properties of green as well as black tea

with each other," Lucia recommends. No sooner said than done. Oolong tea is THE tea of the island, which we get cheaply on every street corner either traditionally warm in a cup or as a bubble tea. Of course, they can not compete with Lucia's tea;

Beautiful people tea

Lucia's tea is called Dong mei ren cha - literally translated: the tea of the northern beautiful people. The villagers are considered particularly beautiful in the country and it is said that the magical drink plays its part. This is how the tea got its name;

Store and plantation in the fourth generation

While she fetches the tea and arranges the matching cups and pots, we learn more about the traditional company. For four generations, her family has owned a picturesque plantation in Bei Pu, located a bit southwest of Taipei in the idyllic hills.

Accordingly, the tea knowledge in this charming family business is also passed on from the elders to the younger ones. "My daughter even studied to be a tea tester," Lucia tells us proudly, showing us her daughter's framed certificate hanging in the entrance.

Sustainable tea ceremony: nothing is poured away here

"Now taste it," Lucia prompts us and pours. "You don't pour away the first infusion?" asks Flo, irritated. Because in other places, such as Yunnan, China, where tea culture is writ large, the first infusion is often generously poured away as a cleansing run.

"Washing tea is absolute nonsense," Lucia tells us emphatically, "Here in Taiwan, everything is naturally so clean and Taiwanese tea doesn't need that. You can drink and enjoy every single infusion. We don't use any pesticides on our plantation, so we only harvest once a year."

Why Taiwanese tea has more tradition

"Taiwanese tea is better quality than in China," Lucia further asserts, "and it also has a greater tradition." In comparison, the tea from Vietnam is relatively new, and the one from the mainland does not have such a long tradition either.

It's the flowers that matter

"How can we tell the quality of a tea?" asks Flo on my behalf. "By the leaves," the tea expert answers. "This cheap powdered tea is not good for several infusions, because then it becomes bitter and tasteless," explains Lucia, referring to the typical tea bags that end up in the compost after one infusion.

"The tea must not be "destroyed" or broken open. We need the whole flower with strand to enjoy several infusions." That's why the first infusion is not the high quality one, because they have to soak up first. It is only through the infusions that the leaves open up and look a bit like a heart!

With each infusion, the color and aromas also change depending on the concentration. "You can also make wonderful iced tea from the last infusions. Just put it in the fridge. Ready," Lucia recommends us and emphasizes once again, "Here nothing is poured away."

From infusions and professional teapots

As we enjoy the drink and chat, I feel like I'm at a bar counter. There is even an extra grille built into the table over a small basin so that the water can drain away and is easy to clean up.

As soon as my glass is empty, Lucia refills it. "One more to go," I say to Flo with a laugh as my little cup fills up again from infusion to infusion. To do this, Lucia uses a special teapot where the liquid comes out the bottom when she places the pot on the cup. This is the real professional tea equipment for elegant pouring.

A price that reflects the quality

"So that we can guarantee this quality, we also sell our tea only in cans, so that even during transport no flower is damaged," affirms Lucia.

By the way, a small portion of 150 grams costs 60€. A proud price, which the work and the quality are worth in any case. So a perfect gift for real connoisseurs:inside and lovers:inside.

With shot, please.

"Then can I even drink sugar and milk with it?" asks Flo for me. "Absolutely not."

Surprisingly for us, however, she adds. "But alcohol is allowed in. Liquor, too, if you like. Anything but beer," she says, laughing at our astonished looks, "coffee is actually okay, too;

How to find an authentictea store: Lucia's Tip

At the end, Lucia gave me a tip for you on how to find an authentic tea store: "Never go to stores that look fancy. That's just a distraction. It's to focus their attention not on the taste or quality of the tea, but on the décor. You might as well drink hot water."

Plan your sustainable organic tea ceremony

If you want to taste an organic tea in a class of its own, then be sure to come to Lucia in Taipei and experience an IMPACTful tea tasting. The latter is free of charge and part of the service.

My tip: Get a sympathetic interpreter from the Language Exchange with. So you experience anecdotes and an authentic tea ceremony in quaint stores like this one.

Still looking for ideas for your Taiwan tour by public transportation? Then feel free to get inspired by my calligraphy adventure.

Kind regards,

Franzi