In news reported by Epoch Times on June 13, 2024:
Do Americans drink tea? The global popularity of bubble tea and hand-shaken beverages has led Americans to gradually become acquainted with “Taiwanese tea”. In June of this year, as part of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau’s exhibition in North America, the fourth-generation descendant of the “Lu Yuan Tea Estate”, Lin Pei Ying, introduced Americans to the same tea tree that can produce various flavors through different roasting, fermentation, and kneading methods, receiving high praise in cities like Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
Taiwan boasts nearly three hundred mountains over three thousand meters high, along with volcanic terrain, and is traversed by the Tropic of Cancer, creating an excellent environment for cultivating tea trees. Lin Pei Ying stated that Taiwan’s favorable climate and mineral-rich soil naturally nurture tea trees, coupled with tea-making techniques passed down since the Qing Dynasty, have propelled Taiwanese tea to international fame. Yilan, surrounded by mountains and the sea, with a climate rich in humidity and rainfall, has given rise to well-known tea varieties like “Three Stars General Tea”, “Datong Yulan Tea”, “Dongshan Suxin Black Tea”, and “Jiaoxi Wufeng Tea”.
Established in 1935, the Lu Yuan Tea Estate has been passed down through generations, with Lin Pei Ying, who grew up watching her family cultivate and process tea, choosing to return home after working in a foreign company for many years to help promote tea leaves. Tea leaves from Lu Yuan Tea Estate were exported worldwide from Dadaocheng, and now Lin Pei Ying has taken on the legacy, expanding the global reach for tea and forging friendships.
Lin Pei Ying mentioned that most Europeans and Americans are accustomed to drinking coffee and tend to prefer dark roasted teas and black teas, finding green tea too mild for their taste. She believes that this requires a gradual process of familiarization, simply by engaging more and giving it a try, they may eventually come to appreciate and even love it.
She gave an example, likening it to cooking a good piece of beef where a chef wouldn’t make it heavily seasoned but rather grill it lightly with a sprinkle of salt to allow diners to savor the original flavor of the ingredients. Similarly, to bring out the best flavors of Taiwanese tea, it is not suitable for heavy roasting or heavy fermentation; semi-fermented tea best showcases the flavor of Taiwanese tea. In contrast, Indian or Sri Lankan black teas are highly fermented, making it harder to taste the original tea leaves.
Lu Yuan Tea Estate allowed visitors to taste three teas on the spot, demonstrating how the same tree species can yield different flavors through different tea-making techniques; many Westerners were amazed and some even added honey or other fruit flavors.
Lin Pei Ying explained with a smile that these teas are completely natural, with the different flavors resulting from the processing methods. The first tea is lightly fermented green tea, not roasted to avoid over-fermentation, and with reduced kneading, it brings out the tea’s fragrance the most; after drinking, a lingering sweetness and fragrant aftertaste remain. The second tea is roasted oolong tea, semi-fermented and lightly roasted, creating flavor changes in the tea leaves; it gives off a roasted or “charcoal” taste when sipped. The third fully fermented tea is made from leaves that have been nibbled on by insects, thus offering hints of fruit and honey flavors.
Lin Pei Ying highlighted the fun of understanding the tea’s seasonal and geographical origins when drinking tea, as teas from the same location and season can vary in flavor due to differences in rainfall and sunlight.
Through traditional tea ceremonies, Lin Pei Ying gradually introduces Westerners to Taiwanese tea. She also looks forward to the day when Europeans and Americans swap their full-sugar bubble tea for half-sugar and eventually forgo milk and pearls, shifting towards a preference for drinking “pure tea”.
Concerned that drinking tea may lead to insomnia? Lin Pei Ying suggested, “As long as you drink good quality tea, its caffeine content shouldn’t be excessive, preventing sleeplessness or discomfort.” For those seeking milder tea options, black tea or roasted teas can be chosen, but be mindful that as caffeine is reduced through processing, nutritional components are also decreased.
Lin Pei Ying also cautioned that water temperature can affect the tea’s flavor, citing that delicate teas like Oriental Beauty Tea should not be steeped in boiling water. However, the unique feature of Oriental Beauty is its resistance to bitterness even when steeped for extended periods; with extremely low caffeine levels, it’s an option for those concerned about their caffeine intake.
While brewing tea may not yield consistent flavors each time unless ground into powder like coffee, Lin Pei Ying believed that it diminishes the pleasure of tea brewing. She explained that the taste of tea varies due to the state in which the leaves unfold, with the first brew containing rich nutrients and a different taste than the second brew. Hence, at a tea ceremony, there is a “fairness cup” where the tea master pours brewed tea into it, then distributes equal amounts to the participants, ensuring everyone experiences the same tea flavor.