7 Types of Black Tea in Taiwan

Basically all tea trees can be made into black tea, mainly because the finished product is the difference between aroma and taste. Taiwan’s black teas are distinguished according to the suitability of the tea tree. The most commonly used varieties of black tea in Taiwan are: Taicha No. 18, Taicha No. 8, and Taicha No. 21. In addition, there are also Chin-Shin-Dapan and Oolong. The varieties are described in detail below:

1.Taicha No. 18 – Taiwan Black Tea

Taicha No. 18, also known as “Rudy Black Tea”, is a type of tea that is made by blending Taiwanese wild tea with Burmese large-leaf tea. The origin is mainly in Yuchi Township, Nantou, and it is currently the most famous black tea in Taiwan. The tea brew of Taicha No. 18 has a light mint fragrance and natural cinnamon fragrance, and it has a glycolic taste in the mouth. It is very suitable for hot brewing, so as to fully display the aroma of Taicha No. 18.

2.Taicha No. 8 – Taiwan Black Tea

Taicha No. 8 is cultivated and improved by Indian Assam Jaipuri, so most people call it “Assam Black Tea“. Compared with Taicha No. 18, Taicha No. 8 has a stronger concentration of tea, similar to Indian Assam black tea, with a rich and mellow malt aroma, but it will be more astringent. In addition to hot brewing, it is very suitable for adding some milk to make the aroma of milk tea a classic among classics.

3.Taicha No. 12 – Taiwan Black Tea

Taicha No. 12 is a combination of Daguang Hongxin and Taicha No. 8, which can also be called “Jinxuan Black Tea”. There are different presentations depending on the production method, so it can be used for fermented black tea, Baozhong tea or Oolong tea. In addition, when Taicha No. 12 is made into black tea, the colour of the tea leaves will be black and purple, with golden buds. Taicha No. 12 has the aroma of milk and nectar. When you drink it, you will experience bitterness at first, but it will then later turn into glycol and have a sweet aroma.

4.Camellia formosensis – Taiwan Black Tea

Camellia formosensis comes from the native wild tea trees in the mountains of Taiwan. According to its bud colour, it can be divided into two categories. The first is Camellia formosensis with green or lavender tea leaves, and the second is red bud camellia with purple-red tea buds. These are all very rare black tea varieties. The tea brewed from Camellia formosensis is golden with a hint of red in colour, revealing the scent of flowers, and the taste is naturally sweet and warm. It can be said that this is an upper-class black tea among Taiwanese black teas.

5.Taicha No. 21 – Taiwan Black Tea

Taicha No. 21 is a black tea variety that has been cultivated for more than 40 years and was named and approved in 2008, which means “good luck”. Therefore, Taicha No. 21 can also be called “Hong Yun”, which is cultivated from Indian large-leaf species and Qimen leaflets. The aroma of Taicha No. 21 is very outstanding, and it has a strong floral and fruity aroma, similar to the smell of citrus blossoms. The colour of the tea brew is bright golden red, and the taste is sweet and refreshing, suitable for all ages.

6.Large-leaf Oolong – Taiwan Black Tea

Large-leaf Oolong is a type of tea that was actively promoted and cultivated during the Japanese occupation, and it is one of the four famous teas in Taiwan. At present, the origin of Large-leaf Oolong is mainly in eastern Taiwan, particularly in Hualien which boasts 60% of the planting area due to the high temperature and low rainfall.

7.Chin-Shin-Dapan – Taiwan Black Tea

Chin-Shin-Dapan is a unique variety belonging to the Three Gorges in New Taipei City, and can also be called “citrus”. It can be harvested from March to November every year. In the past, most of them were made of green tea. However, the honey-scented black tea, which is sucked by the tea leafhoppers, has been vigorously promoted by the Three Gorges District Farmers’ Association in recent years, and it is quite popular.

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The History of Taiwanese Black Tea

Taiwanese black tea was introduced during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan (1895-1945). When the Japanese arrived, Taiwan already had a natural advantage in tea leaf cultivation and had been producing and exporting tea, primarily oolong tea rather than black tea.

Due to the similarity between lightly fermented oolong tea and Japanese green tea, the Japanese suppressed the production of lightly oxidized oolong tea to protect the export of Japanese green tea. Simultaneously, there was a high demand for black tea in the Western world. To replace lightly fermented oolong tea, the Japanese promoted the production of black tea for sale to Western consumers.

Origin of Taiwanese Black Tea

In 1923, during Japanese rule in Taiwan, the Department of Agriculture introduced the Assam tea variety to Taiwan and distributed seeds to four regions to determine which had the most suitable soil and climate for planting black tea trees. The Sun Moon Lake region in Taiwan, with its fertile soil, short sunlight exposure, and misty environment at an altitude of 600-800 meters, proved to be the most successful black tea production area among the four.

Due to Japanese investment and promotion during their era, many tea regions in Taiwan began cultivating black tea for export. Despite Taiwan’s global reputation for oolong tea since the 19th century, by 1937, black tea comprised over half of Taiwan’s total tea production. In 1936, the Taiwan Tea Research and Extension Station set up a research center in Yuchi Township, Nantou, dedicated to the cultivation and production of black tea, a tradition that continues today.

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Export of Taiwanese Black Tea

The export industry of Taiwanese black tea thrived for decades until Taiwan was forced to withdraw from the United Nations in 1971. After World War II and the end of Japanese occupation, Taiwan returned to the Republic of China, with Chiang Kai-shek retreating to Taiwan after losing to the Communist Party led by Mao Zedong in the Chinese Civil War.

In 1971, with the United Nations recognizing the People’s Republic of China’s One-China policy, Taiwan lost its global status and formal diplomatic relations with most countries. This led to a decline in demand for high-quality Taiwanese black tea in the global market, resulting in rising prices and reduced demand.

As black tea was primarily produced for export, many black tea-producing regions switched back to producing oolong tea to cater to local tastes, a regrettable development for the once-popular Taiwanese black tea.

Modern Taiwanese Black Tea

In recent years, some Taiwanese tea farmers have shown interest in black tea, even combining it with oolong tea to produce options like “Red Oolong” . Young tea producers, in collaboration with the Tea Research and Extension Station (TRES), have created new black tea tree varieties, such as Taiwan Tea No. 18 and Taiwan Tea No. 21, both used to produce high-quality black tea.

Although black tea still represents a small portion of Taiwan’s total tea production, the choices and varieties have significantly increased in the past decade. 

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What is Taiwan honey-scented black tea?

Taiwan Honey-scented black tea can be said to have become a very popular black tea in recent years, but it is not a new variety. Honey-scented black tea can be traced back to Gao Zhaoqin, a tea farmer in Hualien. When Oolong tea was produced at that time, it was impossible to produce fragrant tea leaves due to damage caused by small green leafhoppers.

Therefore, it was used to make fully fermented black tea, but unexpectedly, honey-scented black tea with a special rich taste was developed. The continuance of this new organic tea saw other tea farmers cease the use of pesticides so that the small green leafhopper could survive.

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Where can I Buy Good Taiwan Black Tea?

If you want to drink good black tea today, basically you can buy it everywhere in Taiwan. However, the most well-known locations are mainly Nantou County, Huadong District, and Sanxia District of New Taipei City. If you want to buy black tea in the place of origin, it is also recommended to choose black tea with production and sales experience certification and organic certification to reduce the possibility of buying low-quality black tea.

Then if you are still worried, you can also buy it directly from ABoxTik Tea. ABoxTik Tea carefully selects high-quality tea from Taiwan, so that you can try it and become a loyal customer!

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ABoxTik, enjoying Taiwan Black Tea with you.

Black tea is a favourite tea for many people, which can be said to be an unbeaten tea. Whether it be men, women, or children, no one dislikes black tea. Have you ever tried the above 7 kinds of black tea? The oxidation properties in tea polyphenols can promote human digestion, which means, as long as you drink black tea in moderation, you can achieve the functions of anti-inflammation and protection of gastric mucosa.

No matter whether it is spring, summer, autumn, or winter, black tea is always very suitable to enjoy, which is why black tea is so popular with everyone.

ABoxTik will continue to bring everyone different tea knowledge, including history and various analyses of tea culture. In hopes for everyone acquires a better understanding of tea, please read through our articles. If you are interested in various tea cultures, as well as the history and knowledge of tea, you are welcome to explore more secrets of tea with ABoxTik products. Continue to follow our article updates, and visit our official website!