Monday TeaDay 8/04/08 Fav origin for Taiwan oolong?

[Chip]

Yesterday, predictably, Uji was voted top prefecture for Japanese tea. You can still vote and discuss this topic.

Welcome all TeaChatters to TeaDay. Let's brew early and often, not forgetting to share what is in your cup through out the day.

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic finishes our world wide tour of different nations' famous tea regions. Today, we visit Taiwan. Taiwan will be dealt with a little differently due to its small size. Taiwan teas are often known by the mountain of their origin. So, where is you fave Taiwan tea from? What is it about this origin you like.

You don't know the teas of Taiwan or their mountains? Here is a link that has a lot of easy access info on Taiwan teas, the mountains of Taiwan, etc.

http://www.teafromtaiwan.com/Tea_Areas.htm
http://www.teafromtaiwan.com/Taipei_County.htm
http://www.teafromtaiwan.com/Nantou_County.htm

I am definitely looking forward to sharing TeaDay with everyone. Bottoms up.

[Victoria]

AliShan gets my vote but wow, WenShan is knocking my socks off right about now.

Still Alishan is consistantly good and gets my vote!

[Salsero]

Happy (urgh) Monday. Today we are serving TeaCuppa’s 2007 EXQUISITE DA HONG PAO. This stuff tastes exactly like hot chocolate, at least up until the fifth infusion. DHP is one of the Yan Cha or Cliff Teas from the Wuyi Mountains. They are called Cliff Teas because some of them are picked from near vertical, rocky escarpments.

This tea was shared to a small number of lucky stiffs by Scruff McGruff, who reviews it HERE. At over $1.00 per gram, I don’t expect to be consuming much of it in the future. Oh, yes, that is another annoying feature of Yan Cha teas: they tend to be pricey and need to be brewed with plenty of leaf!

[olivierco]

I don't drink very often oolongs so naming a favorite taiwanese region is too specific for me.

This morning keemun.

[Riene]

Bah, second day in a row that I cannot vote in a poll!

No tea here yet...still in a hotel, and there will be no options downstairs at breakfast.

[omegapd]

Bah, second day in a row that I cannot vote in a poll!

Oh just pick something...it's not like anyone cares. FWIW, I didn't vote either the last couple of days...

Home this morning. Wound up in the hospital the last couple of days when something unexpected came up. The pain killers I'm stuck with are making me so sick I can't eat or enjoy any tea. Shame too, since I got a nice Upton's order in the mail a few days ago.

Reading about tea is almost as good, though.

EW

[neowolf]

Again here, I just don't know enough to a favorite.

Today I'm drinking some iced peppermint I brought with me to keep cool at work!

[hop_goblin]

AliShan gets my vote but wow, WenShan is knocking my socks off right about now.

Still Alishan is consistantly good and gets my vote!

I have to agree with Victoria. AliShan is great stuff.

[Aphroditea]

I clicked the wrong one by accident. I haven't had my caffeine, yet!!

Okay, well - the oolong that I have that I love the most is one from Li Shan. I bought it from a Taiwanese woman who owns a small, wonderful teahouse near Austin. She knows the farmer and so gets a good deal on the tea (It is still really pricey though!), but doesn't have too much to sell because the farm cannot produce so much of this particular tea. These leaves were picked at 2500+ ft which is the very top of Pear Mountain.

But, I love this oolong, it has a naturally sweet taste which is simultaneously very creamy and fresh tasting. It is so complex and whether I gongfu it or steep it stright (Taiwanese style - leaves in the cup, with no filter), it is one of the most enjoyable cups of tea!!

And now that I have gone on about it - I think that is what I will have this morning

[Beanbean]

Hmmm...it looked to me that "none" was the top vote getter yesterday.

[CynTEAa]

Home this morning. Wound up in the hospital the last couple of days when something unexpected came up. The pain killers I'm stuck with are making me so sick I can't eat or enjoy any tea. Shame too, since I got a nice Upton's order in the mail a few days ago.

Reading about tea is almost as good, though.

EW

Yikes! Feel better soon!

Picked Wen Shan. But I may love them all...

Golden Yunnan again for first cup. No second cup yet. Soon though...

[chrl42]

Li Shan. And I think Taiwanese Oolongs came equivalent to Chinese Oolongs in quality.

Especially I like their way of being trustful in the making and eagering to be organic.

For example teas like Da Yu Ling - highest grade Li Shan, doesn't have to say organic cos they are born organic!

[olivierco]

Houjicha with my lunch.
1997 Wuyi this afternoon.

[auggy]

Too groggy to vote this morning, though my instinct is just to say "yes".

EG right now. Pouchong is next up. This weekend was mixed. Yesterday was my 6th anniversary so yay. But I also found out that a friend I've known since I was 3 was diagnosed w/ breast cancer on Friday. Not sure what stage yet, but she sees the dr again today, so maybe there will be more info soon.

Anyway, hopefully today will be a nice, quiet day with lots of housework that gets done and good news coming from the doctors.

And speaking of doctors, omegapd, I hope you feel better soon!

[Selaphiel]

I don't know enough about Taiwanese oolongs to utter an opinion here.

Started with some more Pearls of fire from yunnan today, really delicious, bit rounder and a bit lighter than the Yunnan golden needles. Perhaps a bit more spicy as well.