History of tea: Bubble tea of Taiwan, barley tea of Korea, and other experimental teas of Asia

The first Europeans to visit Taiwan were Portuguese sailors in the 16th century. They were so impressed by its beauty that they called it Isla Formosa, meaning “Beautiful Island”, and it was called Formosa until the Chinese renamed the island Taiwan. The island has ideal conditions for growing tea due to its geographical position, the mountainous terrain and a temperature that never drops below 12˚c (55˚F).

The first tea seedlings were brought by immigrants from China’s Fujian province who came across the Taiwan Straits in the mid-1850s and settled in Taiwan. They not only brought with them tea seedlings and tea-growing and processing skills but their tea culture as well. However, large-scale tea production did not start until about 1866, when English investors imported tea seedlings from China. Taiwan produces green and black teas but is best known for its oolong teas.

One of the most famous and rarest oolong teas from Taiwan is “Oriental Beauty”, (the name, it is said, was bestowed upon it by Queen Elizabeth II when she was presented a sample by a British tea merchant). The tea is also sometimes known as Champagne Formosa and it is highly appreciated by connoisseurs for its deep reddish gold liquor and fruity,...

Read more