Taiwan Journal舊資料

Black tea makes comeback in central Taiwan's Yuchih

• Publication Date：04/08/2005
• By  Owen Chu

If asked what sort of tea is most closely associated with Taiwan, most will probably answer oolong tea--the type that is partially fermented. The island enjoys no international reputation as a producer of the fully fermented black tea most commonly imbibed around the world. As a matter of fact, however, black tea was a major export of Taiwan only a few decades ago, and it is making a modest comeback.

        "Yuchih Township might be the only place in Taiwan today where black tea is produced," said Huang Cheng-chung of the Council of Agriculture's Tea Research and Extension Station (TRES) in Yuchih, situated in central Taiwan's Nantou County. Huang is the director of the Tea Processing Section of TRES's Yuchih Experimental Substation.

        Although tea has been grown in Taiwan for centuries, according to historical records, it was in the late 1800s that strains of Camellia sinensis--the sole species of plant from which all tea leaves come--suited to making black tea were first brought to the island from Assam in India. And it was during the Japanese colonial period (1895-1945), when more black-tea varieties of the plant were introduced from other regions of India and China, black tea production became an important industry in Taiwan. Formosa black tea was exported to many countries in Europe and the Americas in the early 1900s, with a record 5,810 metric tons exported in 1937.

        Nantou County's rural Yuchih, Puli and Shueili townships were selected by Japanese entrepreneurs as the best areas in Taiwan for growing black tea, Yuchih enjoying the best reputation.

        Yuchih is the locale of Taiwan's Sun Moon Lake. Its hills are 700-1,000 meters above sea level, the average annual temperature is 19 degrees Celsius, and the average annual humidity is around 85 percent--simulating conditions in Assam's tea-growing areas.

        In the 1960s, the amount of land devoted to cultivating the shrubs used to produce black tea was about 1,800 hectares, 95 percent of which were in the aforementioned three townships. As Taiwanese tended to drink semi-fermented oolong and non-fermented green tea, the black tea produced in those days was almost entirely for export.

        It is estimated that during the half century from 1934 to 1984, Taiwan exported up to 5,000 metric tons of black tea each year. After 1985, the industry began to decline sharply since by that time Taiwan's economy had been growing feverishly for over two decades, making labor more expensive and labor-intensive black tea production much less profitable.

        Consequently, many growers chopped down their tea bushes and planted more profitable crops such as betel nut palms and strains of tea best suited for making oolong tea. In 1990, Taiwan produced less than 1,000 metric tons of black tea, while more than 20,000 metric tons of black tea were imported that year.

        Increasing local demand for black tea over the past 15 years has resulted mainly from the booming growth of little shops that specialize in making tea-based mixed beverages known in Mandarin Chinese as paomo nai cha, or "foamy milk tea." As the name indicates, most of the drinks are variations on the tea-and-milk theme, to which may be added different types of syrup and other flavorings and additives along with shaved ice. The drinks can be foamy, or at least a little bubbly, since the ingredients are shaken well before being poured into a half-liter paper cup.

        On Sept. 21, 1999, Nantou County was the epicenter of a strong earthquake that killed more than 2,000 people and devastated businesses, delivering a near deathblow to what was left of Taiwan's black-tea industry.

        On Feb. 26, 2002, about two and a half years after the earthquake, villagers of Dayan Village in Yuchih Township held a meeting to discuss the reconstruction of local businesses and community development. Many of them expressed the opinion that black tea production was something they could not easily give up since it had been the main livelihood for generations.

The prospects for reviving the black tea industry seemed quite poor, however, since even before the Sept. 21 quake, more and more of the land devoted to growing the tea plants used for making black tea was being transformed into betel nut plantations or simply left untended.

        At that point, representatives of the Dayan villagers paid a visit to the TRES experimental substation seeking advice on how they might revive their black tea businesses. They were told that if they wanted to compete with imports they would have to target the high-end market. For one thing, that meant planting a higher-quality variety of tea shrubs. Further discussion among the villagers led them to conclude that, in order to make a name for themselves and get top dollar, they should use only organic fertilizers and handpick only the choicest tea leaves. They also decided to let the harvested leaves wither and ferment naturally.

        In consultation with TRES, they also decided to grow a variety of tea named Taiwan Tea No. 18, a hybrid of Burmese large-leaf tea and Taiwan's indigenous wild mountain tea.

        According to researcher Huang, the hybrid had been under development by TRES since 1951. Previously, it was called No. 4058. Just before the 1999 quake, it was judged that the development project had been successfully completed as the black tea processed from the hybrid had a unique and wonderful aroma, with a hint of mint and cinnamon. To make it more appealing, they gave No. 4058 the sexier name Taiwan Tea No. 18.

        In April 2002, specialists from Huang's unit came to Dayan to consult with tea farmers regarding the management, production and fermentation of black tea. At the meeting, the branding of their new products was discussed and, as the Dayan farms are located on the edge of forests, they decided to name their tea Forest Black Tea.

        According to Huang, Taiwan Tea No. 18 sells in Taiwan for about US$130 per kilogram, in contrast with one-third to half that price for the highest-quality imported Assam tea. Although No. 18 is more expensive, it is purchased by many tea lovers who care more about quality than the cost.

        Drinking black tea has become more fashionable in recent years in Taiwan, especially among the younger generation. Those who are able have even adopted the British tradition of taking an afternoon tea break. The special marketing promotions for upscale black tea sponsored by many importers have also contributed to the growing interest in black tea.

        With a steadily increasing number of black-tea connoisseurs and a large selection of fine teas to choose from, sipping black tea--preferably from an exquisite tea cup to heighten the experience--has become a new symbol of cultural refinement in Taiwan.

        There are even those who make a hobby of learning all the trivia related to their favorite teas, such as the names, locations and elevation of the tea plantations where they were grown and the season in which they were harvested. Until recently, there was a steady exodus of Yuchih's youth to cities in quest of good-paying jobs. These days, however, with good prospects for making a decent living from black tea production, and with job opportunities and job security in big cities declining, quite a few young people have returned to the Yuchih countryside they love to work in the resuscitated black tea industry.

        Other villages in Yuchih besides Dayan likewise grow Taiwan Tea No. 18 and sell their products under their own brand names, such as Sun Moon Lake black tea. Other TRES-developed hybrids such as Taiwan Tea No. 7 and No. 8, both of which are similar to Assam tea in terms of the aroma, color and taste, are also cultivated in the township. Currently, there are six brands of black tea produced in Yuchih.

        Huang noted that, as the scale of production of black tea in Yuchih is still modest, the growers cannot afford commercial advertising. Instead, they depend on word of mouth, selling mainly to tourists who visit their villages and to aficionados who place orders on their cooperative Web sites. Since 2003, the community has annually held a black tea festival to promote appreciation of fine black tea, not only as a beverage but as a condiment, too.