Even today tea has become popular around the world,

as it fulfils modern demands for healthy refreshment.

Tea is thirst quenching and leaves a refreshing taste in your mouth.

Also it boasts many health functions, it is a diuretic,

a stimulant and it helps digestion, add to this the tea leaves enchanting

fragrance and taste and it's no wonder tea is an essential part of everyday life.

In Taiwan more than sixty percent of the population drinks tea regularly,

in restaurants and tea houses and even on the street

you can see groups have friends or even individuals

savoring a nice cup of tea.

Taiwan boasts the fabled name the island of the Immortals.

Located in the subtropics it enjoys warm sunshine throughout the year

and moderate temperatures in abundant rainfall and with picturesque mountains

and clear waters,

it is a paradise for growing tea leaves. Taiwan has 20,000 hectares of tea

farms with an annual production of 21,000 tons of dried tea leaves.

Tea farms are spread throughout Taipei

Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Nantou,

Yulin, Chiayi, Kaohsiung,

Taitung, Hualian and Yilan.

These farms produce a wide variety of teas noted for their outstanding

quality.

Taiwan's more famous varieties of tea leaves include Wenshan Pouchong Tea,

Oriental Beauty,

Tong Ting Oolong and High Mountain Oolong.

Wenshan Pouchong tea is grown in the mountainous areas near the Wulai scenic

area in northern Taiwan.

The tea produced in Taipei counties Pinglin, Xidin and Xindian areas

are the most famous. Wenshan Pouchong is lightly fermented and

rolled to form a finished tea, the appearance of the tea leaves

features swallowed lines and dark green luster

In water the tea becomes a light brownish green in color

with a delicate fragrance and a sweet smooth flavor

this type of tea leaf emphasizes the aroma, with the stronger the aroma

the higher quality of the tea. The water we use for brewing tea has been

processed

it is low in mineral content and free of any disinfectant residues and

bacteria.

Therefore this water does not need to be boiled first.

Simply heat the water to the desired temperature, different tea leaves should

be brewed at different temperatures.

For Wenshan Pouchong. the water should be ninety degrees Celsius.

With the water bubbling like this,

the temperature is about 90 degrees, perfect for brewing Wenshan Pouchong.

If you plan to brew the tea for five rounds, fill the pot

half full of the tea leaves, if the tea leaves are finer, use a little less.

If the tea leaves are thicker then add a bit more.

The brewing time is very important

for the first round steep the tea for about one minute,

naturally this time can be adjusted according to your preference for tea

strength.

Pour the tea into a pitcher then into the teacups.

If you poured directly into the cups, then fill the cups

evenly four times, adding a quarter each time,

then top of each cup

this will insure a balanced tea strength.

Wenshan Pouchong is slightly fermented

with the brewed teas slightly yellow in color, its aroma is delicate and fragrant

with a vibrant taste.

For the second round, cut the brewing time to about 20 to 30 seconds.

The flavor was already released during the first brewing

and will steep very quickly, with the third round you will need to lengthen

the steeping time with each subsequent brewing.

For example if the steeping time was one minute with the first round

then the second time can be twenty seconds, the third

forty-five seconds, the fourth time 1 minute 20 seconds

and the fifth time two minutes 20 seconds.

This is just a rule of thumb and should be adjusted according to the quality and

release time of the tea.

There is another method for brewing the tea leaves just once in a large cup.

An easy method suitable for everyday use or at the office.

With this 130 CC covered bowl we first at tea leaves equivalent to about 1.5

percent to the amount of water.

In other words 130cc X 0.015

equals 1.95 grams or approximately two grams of tea leaves.

For Wenshan Pouchong tea which should be steeped in water heated to 90 degrees

celsius,

the tea should be brewed for about 10 minutes for best results.

after 10 minutes, the tea is cool enough to drink.

Also the water-soluble elements in the tea

have completely dissolved so the tea leaves will not need to be separated

from the tea and it won't be too strong

even after sitting for a while.

Oreintal Beauty Tea also called Pekoe Oolong.

It gets its name from the fact that the more the bud leaves are pekoe,

the higher quality the tea. It is the most unique of taiwan's famous teas

since this is the only place it is produced in the world.

The raw tea is selected from leaf buds which have been eaten by the green tea leaf

hopper.

The leaves are mixed manually to control fermenting, creating a tea that is double

fermented but lightly rolled,

it has a sweet or ripe fruity aroma.

The tea is mainly grown in Hsinchu counties; Beipu and Emei

and Miaoli counties; Touwu and Toufen areas. The color of oriental beauty

varies like a flame from white to green yellow brown and red.

The tea is the color of amber with the rich taste that is fruity and sweet.

When brewing oriental beauty heat the water to 85 degrees Celsius.

If you plan to brew five rounds

filled the teapot half full with oriental beauty tea leaves,

brew the tea for about one minute for the first round or to your personal taste.

Next pour all of the tea into a pitcher, and then into the cups.

If you pour directly into the cups, then fill the cups one quarter at a time

and then top them off.

This will ensure the tea strength is well balanced.

With double fermented oriental beauty the tea is orange yellow,

its aroma is fragrant turning from floral to fruity.

The taste is very soft and elegant,

brewing time is the same with the first round about one minute

second round is cut to 20 seconds, the third round is 45 seconds,

the fourth 1 minute 20 seconds

and the fifth 2 minutes 20 seconds.

This is just a rule of thumb and should be adjusted according to the quality and

released time of the tea.