Cupping San Hsia Teas (20110720)

There is a small tea district inside New Taipei City...all by itself, unique Cultivar and serves a special tea market in Taiwan. Let us try to learn about the San Hsia Teas!
We've selected four samples for our cupping - These are all the same cultivar, Chinsin HuangGan, which is very special and not found in other tea regions in Taiwan.
#38107 San Hsia Lung-Jing
#38106 San Hsia Pi-Lo-Chun
#20601 San Hsia Formosa Bonita #FB-68
#20472 San Hsia Oriental Beauty

Taiwan has Lung-Jing and Pi-Lo-Chun?
There is a seldom known story. When KMT was forced to move from China to Taiwan after 1949... Chiang and his staff missed the green tea back home... so, for some reason, the green tea Lung-Jing and Pi-Lo-Chun were duplicated and made in San Hsia tea district. However, the farmers might be so used to Pouchong making...the Taiwan version are slightly different in appearances from their China origin. 2010 TOST members were there to see how the farmer manufactures his Lung-Jing with Japanese Sencha rollers instead of big pans with hand pressure. Pi-Lo-Chun also similar to Pouchong only tender leaf is lucked to be rolled.
Since Taiwan Green tea is limited and very different from China...the demand, even not in large scale, yet enough to keep these teas to be continuously produced. The recent trend for "Encouraging the Local Tea Industry" aadopted by one of the World's most famous beverage chain in Taiwan does help the San Hsia tea district moving along. Take a closer shots on these two teas:


This is #38106 Taiwan San Hsia Pi-Lo-Chun
With 180 F, infused for 3 minutes...naturally sweet, very refreshing.

#38107 Taiwan San Hsia Lung-Jing
Not exactly looks like Lung-Jing from West Lake, China...yet the flavor and taste is none the less. Compared with #38106, the leaf is a bit matured. Apply with 185 F, let the tea steep for 3 minutes to serve.
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These two teas - Oriental Beauty and Formosa Bonita, are fairy new to this tea district. Very interesting to see Summer Crop became a Good to have season, which is not the case in old days. With TRES' guidance...the farmers here learn how to do Oriental Beauty, yet with different cultivar, expecting a different surprise if your are traditional Oriental Beauty fan. FB-68 is definitely a must trial, very good Honey touch in the cup and complex in flavor. Take a closer shots for these two teas:

#20472 - San Hsia Oriental Beauty, this sample might not be summer crop...not too much green leaf hopper's trace to be found in leaf... Yet, Chinsin Ganchong's character is giving me a very pleasant finish. Definitely, not the PonFonCha I used to have from Beipu/Omei, Hsinchu tea district. Yet, for the price, this will be a good deal for Oriental Oolong tea lovers. Infused with 195F and 3-1/2 minutes.

#20601 - San Hsia Brandy Oolong #FB-68, my favorite among these 4 samples.
Very soothing and a pleasant honey touch. Good tea to have. (200F for 3-1/2 minutes)

We are very glad to launch a new line grown and produced from this tea district, and these teas will be in our "Sanhsia Breeze" series...