Salted olives v.s. Li Shan (High Mountain) Oolong Tea

Many of tea lovers are interested in finding out what dessert to match well with tea. Since long time, in China, where produces hundreds of tea has a slang and mentions about this issue. It said that the sweets match green tea, the sour ones match black tea and the salted dessert match Oolong tea.

The slang possibly could come from the old time when people didn't have so many choices for their tea time. Nowadays, people seem not following this "rule" and still make the tea time perfectly.

We have some great seasonal olives from the forest in Nantou, Taiwan. They were made with a very simple and natural way. By this good chance, we would like to taste it by following the old slang -- salted olives v.s. Li Shan (High Mountain) Oolong Tea.

The Li Shan Oolong Tea came from the altitude 2,200 to 2,500 meters in Taiwan. The quality of this tea was premium. It had a refreshing fragrance and tasted so smooth in the mouth. The salted olives also brought a light fragrance and there was no conflict between olives and tea -- they matched well. It seemed that the slang made sense.

However, for us, we still prefer having tea and dessert separately, instead of having dessert in between. Which means, to have the dessert after finishing tea. To concentrate on each brewing tea is important so that we can find out and taste the differences in tea.

EAST X WEST - a good combination : Oriental Beauty Tea v.s. Napoleon Pie

This pie is called "Napoleon Pie" in Taiwan, it sounds full of stories inside the pie.

Of course, there are still many people just call it as "Mille Feuille".

The tea on the photo is the famous one in Taiwan,

Tea of Today: Harbour Tea [for your vacation]

Today, we introduce the tea from the south of Taiwan which is also the only one close to harbour. We chosed this just because it's summer time and everyone feels to have a vacation!

In Taiwan, from the north to south, you can find tea! (Don't believe it?! Please refer to this map and introduction.) Harbour Tea comes from Pingdong county, the tea plantations exist since long time ago, but due to the trend and market needs, Harbour Tea is not popular in Taiwan now. So that, the tea plantations are less than before and not so many tea makers for it any more.

If you like the fresh and the style with light roasting from High Mountain Oolong Tea, you will be surprised that Harbour Tea brings you more traditional and local taste of Taiwan. Every time when we drink Harbour Tea, the memory of childhood back. That is what we say about "traditional taste" (Gu Tzao Wei; 古早味).

The outlook of this dried tea is not so green as Green Tea we introduced or High Mountain Oolong Tea. It looks a little bit grey outside, and balled shape. The grey color is nature as the tea grow on the flatland and close to ocean, there is no mist or drizzle like on the high mountains. Instead, there is often windy and the drought. You probably will taste it a little bit salty, but there is no salt in the tea certainly.

We appreciate and cherish every different tea from the mother nature. Every tea has its cheracters. If you are interested in Harbour Tea, please feel free to contact us, it's pleasant to share more infomation with you.

Tea of Today: Green Tea [nature farming plantation]

There are always reasons for us to choose which tea we would like to brew for the day, for example the mood, the weather or the participants of tea party. Most of time we posted here were because of weather, same like today -- it is hot, humid and rainy.

For such a day and you would like to brew a cup of tea for yourself, green tea would be a very good choice more than others. Green Tea is an unfermented tea and keeps a lot of anti-oxidant effects. The tea makes people feeling refreshing and energetic. Is it too hot to drink hot tea for you? From the traditional Chinese medical science, it's good to drink hot tea when it's hot, so that will keep the physical balance.

This tea came from a nature farming plantation with the low altitude which belongs to a religion group. It was harvested in April this year and we tasted it 2 months later. (We never suggest our customers to taste the really new tea which is just left roasting machine and produced.)

Before brewing, we smelled the fresh and nature fragrance of flower and bean from the dried tea leaves, which is typical for green tea. After brewing, we smelled the passionfruit from the inside of tea pot's lid, same for every first sip of each brewing. That was amazing! This tea pot never been used with any fruit! And it was very productive, we repeatedly brewed it for 6 times!

This tea is a personal collection and offering limited, we are sorry that you won't be able to find it on our on-line shop. However, we could provide you more information if you are interested in this tea!

Have a nice cup of tea for youself too!

Tea of Today: Fancy Black Tea (Fancy Schwarztee mit natürlichem Honingaroma)

How's the weather in the city you live? In Taiwan, we have rained every day since last week that would be good as in southern Taiwan and many parts of Taiwan need water urgently.

The weather now does not like the normal May we used to have, the temperature is low, just like autumn. In such weather and temperature, it will be good for having "Fancy Black Tea" (Fancy Schwarztee mit natürlichem Honingaroma). The nature honey aroma and mild tea liquid make the rich flavor in the mouth stronger and warm up the body.

What is "Fancy Black Tea"?

The Fancy Black Tea is one of the local specialties, renowned for its honey-scented aroma. The Fancy Black Tea and the Oriental Beauty Tea have one thing in common, though: that is, both of them go through a "spitting-on process" by Jacobiasca Formosana, the bug once thought harmful and yet found to trigger this transformation in the fresh leaves exposed to high temperature that accompanies the tea-making process. This biting by the bug brings about a unique, honey-like aroma. This Jacobiasca Formosana has its natural habitat only in a pollution-free environment and is not adaptable to frigid climate, all the more reason why this Fancy Black Tea is superb and to be valued.

T-Shopping here!

Tea of Today: Ruby Black Tea

In Taiwan, we had a long weekend until today, the most important was that the weather was so great! Many people went out with the whole family and to somewhere could appreciate Cherry Trees blooming.

With a nice temperature and sunshine, no matter we were sitting under Cherry Trees or in the front of TV at home, having a nice cup of black tea and cookies/cakes would be a nice ending for this hoilday -- Ruby Black Tea could be the tea for a moment like this.

For the days are not so hot, just like the early spring now, Ruby Black Tea can bring you the warming and relax feeling. It won't be tasted very strong like Pu-Er and won't be tasted too light as Green Tea. It will be full of light and clear fruity flavour in the mouth. Serving it with cheese cakes or fruit cakes will be the good match.


T-Shopping here!

Back to work!

Back to Work!

Wish you have a Double-luck and successful year!

Tea of Today: Oriental Beauty Tea

A good friend of Formosa T-house is married on the same day with Taiwan's birthday. Oriental Beauty Tea and Ruby Black Tea will be very suitable for the ceremony of Tea Appreciation on the wedding.

On your Wedding day

and

a lifetime of wonderful dreams come true,

wishing you both every happiness.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Today is the birthday of Taiwan of 100 years old. It means something on politics as well as on Taiwan Tea. In the past few days, there were some tea masters mentioned how to celebrate this sepcial day with teas, perhaps brewing the tea also is 100 years old?! That idea appealed to all the tea lovers, it's not easy to find an Aged Tea with 100 years old after all, is it? Anyway tea lovers would love to taste it if any chance.


Aside from the Aged Tea, there should be one kind of tea can be a good representative for today -- Oriental Beauty Tea.

The history of producing teas on Formosa Taiwan since a long time ago and the tea played a very important role to gain the foreign exchange for this island at the time, people said, "Tea up north, sugar down south." which already stated the situation clearly.


Around 60's in the 20th century, the Oriental Beauty Tea which is also called "Pomfeng Tea" and so on, won its fame from the competitions in the world. Until now, it still has a high position in the tea. Therefore, to celebrate this unique day with tea, Oriental Beauty Day could also be a nice choice and no matter how old it is. Enjoy it!

Tea of Today: Muzha Tieguanyin Tea

How's the weather in your city today?


We had a rainy and cold day in Taipei and actually it's the typical weather we have in winter. To drink tea in such a cold day, the tea with the mild to heavy fermented will be very matched, therefore, black tea and Puerh could be the choices. What about Oolong? There are so many different kinds of Oolong, which one can be a better choice? We would like to suggest the heavy fermented and roasted Tieguanyin Tea for the day. But here we are not talking about the Tieguanyin Tea with the very light fermented which is very popular in Fujian, Guangdong and some areas of China, that is tasted like Baozhong Tea or High Mountain Oolong Tea won't be the one we say for the cold day here.


The Muzha Tieguanyin Tea we had today was harvested in November 2006 and since then it was roasted by the tea farmer every year with the traditional method (used electricy to roast instead of "charcoal" for a better control on temperature) before we ordered in. It's a kind of tea going to be the "Aged Tea" and should be roasted every year if we'd like to store it well.


This Muzha Tieguanyin Tea was made of the sort of tea tree of Tieguanyin, we call it the "Real or/and Right Tieguanyin Tea" as there are many Tieguanyin teas made of other types of tea trees.

The liguid of tea looked darker than the tea liquid of High Mountain Oolong Tea because it has been roasted for many times, so the color of tea liguid shouldn't be looked like green or honey. The taste of the tea certainly was stronger than light fermented Oolong tea, that was also the reason we chosed it for today.

How to keep the dried tea well? To vacuum it in an aluminum foil bag and avoid the air and wet is the best way, or seal the tea bag well in a good way and put it into a ziplock can also be a good choice at home.


The Tieguanyin Tea which has been deep-roasted by charcoal will be introduced next time, in the cold day like today.



More info: Muzha Tieguanyin Tea