Formosa Oolong Tea - History

History

According to Lien Hen (連橫; Taiwanese historian zh:連橫 (人名)), in the late 18th century, Ke Chao (柯朝) brought some tea trees from Fujian into Taiwan and planted them in Jie Yu Keng (櫛魚坑), currently known as Ruifang District, New Taipei City. However, transaction records indicated that tea business in Muzha (木柵, Taipei 臺北市) area started as early as late 18th century. Thus we can believe that tea has been merchandised in Taiwan for more than two centuries. In 1855, Lin Feng Chi (林鳳池) brought the Cing Shin Oolong(青心烏龍) plants from Wuyi Mountain (Fujien Province)(武夷山，福建) into Taiwan and planted in Dongding Village (Lugu, Nantou County, Taiwan)(凍頂鄉，南投，台灣). This is said to be the origin of Dongding Oolong Dong Ding tea from Taiwan.

After the Treaties of Tianjin were ratified in 1860 and the port of Danshui was opened for trade, British entrepreneur John Dodd began working with tea merchants and farmers to promote Taiwan tea, slowly developing it as an export item. Before long, tea ranked first among Taiwan’s top-three exports, ahead of sugar and camphor. The earliest teas exported during the Qing dynasty were oolong and baozhong tea, which began to be sold abroad in 1865 and 1881, respectively.

In 1867, Dodd started a tea company in Wanhua, Taipei Taipei city(萬華，台北市), and started to sell Taiwanese oolong tea to the world under the name "Formosa Oolong". Aware of British plans to develop a tea industry in India, he successfully sought profit in developing an alternative tea product on the island. Pouchong oolong was considered to be more flowery than Baihao Oolong, Pouchong was exported under the name "Formosa Pouching". In fact, Dongding Oolong (凍頂烏龍茶), White Tip Oolong (白毫烏龍茶) and Baochong Oolong(包種烏龍茶), Alpine or High Mountain Oolong, are all categorized as Oolong tea, which contributes a large part of Taiwan tea industry. Oolong tea was practically synonymous with Taiwanese tea in the late 19th century, and competitors in Ceylon sought a US market advantage by publishing materials emphasizing the use of human foot trampling during its production. This was countered by the introduction of mechanical processing publicized at the St. Louis Exhibition.

Mainland China was subject to trade embargos during the 1950s and 1960s, and during this time Taiwanese tea growers and marketers focused on existing, well-known varieties. After the mainland's products became more widely available and the market for teas became more competitive, the Taiwanese tea industry successfully changed its emphasis to producing specialty versions, especially of Oolongs. A government Tea Inspection Office grades teas into 18 categories ranging from Standard to Choice. 17,384 tonnes of tea were produced in 2008.

The government-supported Tea Research and Extension Station, established to promote Taiwanese tea in 1903, conducts research and experimentation.