Taiwanese and tea is already something that you cannot separate. Tea ceremonies have already developed into one of the social aspects in Taiwan in these 400 years.The traditional tea ceremony was first highly influenced by Chinese tea culture, then added and developed by Japanese and western influences that made it into a cultural habit as well as an act for socialization that are still applied until now. These ceremonies involve a number of preparations, specific utensils and a focus on appreciating the aroma, flavor, and the aesthetic quality of the tea itself. And now, while honoring the past traditions, Taiwanese tera ceremonies have also adapted to the modern times. Nowadays there are a lot of modern tea shops and cafes that offer various innovative tea blends, creative brewing methods and unique tea-infused products. There are also a lot of varieties of tea that are being used too.

Oolong tea is the most famous tea among Taiwanese for a good reason. The tea is partially oxidized which results in a wider range of flavors and aromas depending on specific type and processing method used. Oolong tea itself has a variety of types, from the Dongding Oolong that is known for its light, floral aroma and slightly sweet taste, Baozhong Tea which have that grassy aroma and a slightly sweet and refreshing taste, Alishan High Mountain Oolong which famous for its complex flavor profile consist of fruit, honey and flowers, and last but not least is the Oriental Beauty Oolong which have a distinctive flavor due to the involvement of leafhoppers.

Not as common as the Oolong Tea, but Taiwan also produces some exceptional black teas. Black tea is a fully oxidized tea which results in a more strong and malty flavor. In Taiwan itself, they produce a few types of black tea which is the Sun Moon Lake Black Tea which is known for its smooth, mellow taste with a hint of honey and malt, and Black Jade Taiwan tea that is known for its smooth, malty flavor and sweet aroma.

Green tea is the least oxidized type of tea and as a result, it maintains the most delicate flavors rather than the other type of tea leaves. As for Taiwan itself, it produces a green tea leaves type named Biluochun Green Tea which is known for its flat, needle-shaped leaves and its sweet, grassy aroma.

There are a few utensils that are needed in order to do the tea ceremonies such as Chahai that is also known as fairness pitcher which is a unique utensils that only used in Taiwanese tea that is used to collect the brewed tea from the teapot to ensure everyone received the same consistent strength of tea, the clay pot which is made from Yixing clay which is known for its heat resistance, Gaiwan which is a bowl with a lid used for steeping the tea leaves and pouring the tea into fairness pitcher and individual cups, the teacups that often made from porcelain that is used for you to drink and last but not least is the strainer to strain the tea leaves from the brewed tea.

There are 3 steps you need to do before savoring that delicious and delicate tea made from the traditional tea ceremonies.

1. Preparation

The first step of the preparation would be warming the pot and heating the cups which is done by pouring a boiling water inside the teapot, then you pour it again into the Shahai. Then put the cups on the table and heat it up with hot water which will be discarded again soon after the cup is warmed enough. In some of the Taiwanese tea ceremonies, people would use wooden tweezers to pour out the water in order to keep the cups stay on the table.

The second step is selecting and measuring tea leaves where the hosts would carefully select the tea leaves based on the occasion and desired experience. Then they will measure the amount using a small spoon or scoop.

The third step would be placing the tea leaves in Gaiwan.

2. Brewing

The first step of brewing is done by doing the first infusion where a hot water -just below boiling- is poured into the leaves in gaiwan and the tea steeps for a short amount of time for about 15 to 30 seconds depending on the type of the tea.

The second step is straining and pouring which is done by putting the strainer over gaiwan, and the tea is poured into the fairness pitcher. By doing this it will helps on ensuring an even distribution of the tea’s strength among the cups

The third and the last step is by doing multiple infusions. But it is actually done depending on what type of tea you make and the decided strength you want. The process of pouring hot water, steeping, straining, and pouring into the fairness pitcher can be repeated several times using the same tea leaves.

3. Enjoying the Tea

First thing you need to do before savoring the tea is to appreciate the aroma of the tea by smelling it from the sniffer cups before drinking. Then the host will use the fairness pitcher to pour into each of the guest’s cups. After that the guest may take a small sips of the tea while appreciating its visual appearance, aroma, and taste.

That’s all a little bit brief about Taiwanese Tea Culture. From how and where Taiwan got the influence of their tea ceremonies, the various types of tea that Taiwan produces and uses even now, to how they usually do the traditional tea ceremonies. For those of you who are interested in experiencing these tea ceremonies directly and plan to visit Taiwan soon, Traveloka would gladly help you in booking flights, hotels and even other tourist attractions located in the town. Besides having the best price to offer, Traveloka often gives out a combo, promotion or even discounts! So what are you waiting for? Hurry and Grab yours fast before you miss it, only in Traveloka!