Born in the “Tea Garden” of Hsinchu Guanxi, Taiwan, Thomas Shu has been deeply connected with tea since childhood, talking about tea and selling tea for nearly half a century. During the pandemic, he not only survived the lockdown and closures of restaurants in Los Angeles but also thrived by riding the wave of the beverage shop trend, once again promoting Taiwanese tea on the international stage.
Amid the pandemic, delivery and takeout services in Los Angeles became essential. Many restaurants that Thomas Shu had collaborated with initially closed down, but many beverage shops emerged and sought him out to supply tea leaves. He recalled the disruption in the restaurant supply chain after the outbreak, with inventory piling up and employees unable to come to work, putting him in a difficult situation. However, he tapped into the increasing demand for bubble milk tea to sustain his business, encouraging restaurants to rent out their kitchens and spaces to provide bubble tea services, seizing new business opportunities during the pandemic.
Thomas Shu stated that bubble milk tea is a prime example of Taiwan’s “cultural fusion,” as it integrates the British tea-drinking culture of adding fresh milk, incorporates French mixology techniques, highlights Japanese matcha aesthetics, blends with Taiwanese local dietary habits, includes elements of Hong Kong’s pearl desserts, and adopts the American concept of customized service.
He jokingly said, “Do not underestimate bubble milk tea, as it embodies the fusion and innovation of six different cultures.” This is also the key for Taiwanese tea to go international, breaking through the challenges of high prices, limited production, and difficulty in becoming a mass-market product. Providing products that are “affordable” and “consistently available” to consumers is his dedicated goal.
Taiwan’s tea-making techniques are highly praised in the industry, with over a hundred years of heritage in controlling the oxidation level of tea leaves, rolling, and baking. In addition to tradition, Taiwan’s tea farmers also value innovation. Thomas Shu categorizes Taiwanese tea into Jade, Gold, and Ruby series, representing different levels of oxidation of tea leaves, making it easier for international consumers to understand the characteristics of Taiwanese tea.
Thomas Shu explained, “The Jade series has floral notes, representing light oxidation; the Gold series has nutty aromas, falling under medium oxidation; while the Ruby series presents a unique ripe fruit fragrance due to heavy oxidation.” This classification method is not only easy to understand but also showcases the rich layers and preciousness of Taiwanese tea.
With a wide variety of tea types in Taiwan traditionally classified based on the oxidation and fermentation levels into six major categories such as green tea, white tea, yellow tea, oolong tea, black tea, and dark tea, along with famous tea varieties like Bi Luo Chun, Longjing, White Peony, Dong Ding Oolong, Wenshan Baozhong, Oriental Beauty, Red Jade Black Tea, Pu’er tea, and more, introducing these to foreign friends accustomed to drinking coffee is not easy. Thomas Shu believes that using Jade, Gold, and Ruby distinctions is more intuitive and easier to remember.
During the pandemic, Thomas Shu restructured his business in line with the US government’s subsidy programs and actively explored ways to generate income. He devoted more effort to promoting products on social media and reflected on the development potential of the tea leaf business.
Post-pandemic, health and functional beverages are in high demand, with consumers placing more emphasis on health. Beverage shops are introducing low-sugar, sugar-free options, as well as beverages containing probiotics and dietary fiber. Apart from bubble milk tea, more tea drinks are entering the mainstream, with “hand-shaken tea drinks” becoming popular.
Beverage shops are blending Asian and Western flavors to create specialty drinks like Oolong Latte, Matcha Cheese Milk Cap, and using fresh fruits provided by local farmers in Los Angeles to make fruit teas, thereby expanding the market for tea beverages in the West to some extent.
Thomas Shu also plans to participate in industry and government cooperation projects, establishing a “Tea Culture Story Museum” in Taiwan that combines technology and historical humanities to showcase the tea culture, allowing visitors from around the world to have a deeper understanding of the tea-making craftsmanship and cultural significance of Taiwanese tea and spreading Taiwanese tea culture more widely worldwide.
Thomas Shu emphasizes, “Taiwanese tea is not just a beverage but a carrier of culture.” He frequently organizes tea culture tours for Western visitors to visit Taiwanese tea gardens and factories, accompany them to pick and process tea in Taiwan, allowing people from diverse cultural backgrounds and ethnicities to become familiar with and fall in love with Taiwanese tea, making Taiwanese tea fragrant internationally.
Welcome to JT & Tea Cupping Studio for a free tasting of various premium Taiwanese teas with a group of six. For details, please visit: https://jttea.blogspot.com/2024/05/private-group-cupping-and-tasting-jt.html?m=1