Shopping for Oolong Tea: Is it worth paying for high priced tea?

Is it worth paying for high priced tea?

If you are very experienced in tasting tea, it is similar to being a wine expert. The region where the tea plants grow, the process of fermenting, roasting, and so on all have an influence on tea prices.

Generally, as long as the tea is really from Taiwan, the quality is good. I'm not just saying this because I am Taiwanese. Taiwan is a small country, where land and labour are not cheap, so people will not waste their money growing low quality tea. People been growing and making tea on the same mountainside plantations for more than 100 years. Amongst connoisseurs of tea, the quality and reputation of the farms, can be compared to established vine yards of Italy, France, Australia or California.

For every day tea, what you might call table tea, affordable prices are similar to table wine. For table tea, the average price is about US$50to US$80 for 600g. Most Taiwanese tea drinkers will drink tea of this quality every day.

If you are buying tea to share with friends, just for a souvenir or as part of your experience of Taiwan, then tea in this price range is not a bad choice.

Higher priced tea leaves in Taiwan are usually grown in the high mountains. The higher the farm, the higher the price. The highest mountain and price tea grow in Dayuling peak, in the central mountains. Its has best environment: low temperature, moisture, clean water, the tea grows slowly, the tea leaves are thick and very fragrant. When tasting this kind of tea, the fragrance and sensation evoke the clean and refreshing mountain environment where the tea grew. For this kind of high quality tea, the average price is about US$130 to US$200 for 600g.

If you are buying Oolong tea for experienced tea drinkers, then high mountain tea would be a good choice.

Read more articles about making tea

Read about our tea-making class

 

Photo by Joyce Tay

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