Taiwanese tea culture includes
tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of ''Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and north ...
arts, traditional tea ceremonies, and the social aspects of tea consumption in
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
. It can be traced back to its roots in
Chinese tea culture
Chinese tea culture (simplified Chinese: 中国茶文化; traditional Chinese: 中國茶文化) (''zhōngguó chá wénhuà'', 'Chinese tea culture') includes all facets of tea, both physical and spiritual, that significantly influenced Chinese cu ...
. Many of the classical arts can be seen in the tea culture, such as calligraphy, flower arts, and incense arts. Tea, especially
oolong
Oolong (, ; (''wūlóngchá'', "dark dragon" tea)) is a traditional semi-oxidized Chinese tea ('' Camellia sinensis)'' produced through a process including withering the plant under strong sun and oxidation before curling and twisting.Zhonggu ...
tea, is a popular drink in Taiwan, and
teahouse
A teahouse (mainly Asia) or tearoom (also tea room) is an establishment which primarily serves tea and other light refreshments. A tea room may be a room set aside in a hotel especially for serving afternoon tea, or may be an establishment whic ...
s, or "tea-arts" shops, are common.
History
The roots of Taiwanese tea culture are Chinese however the climate and the landscape have led to the development of a unique tea culture. In particular development has been spurred by the high mountains.
The island country's tea arts are Chinese that have been influenced by western culture.
Gongfu tea ceremony
The gongfu tea ceremony or kung fu tea ceremony ( or ), is a type of Chinese tea ceremony, involving the ritual preparation and presentation of tea. It is probably based on the tea preparation approaches originated in Fujian and the Chaoshan area ...
is informally referred to as laoren cha, or "old man tea", which originated in China and has flourished in Taiwan.
Traditionally emphasis has been placed on single-origin teas but in the 21st century high-quality blended teas gained prominence. Traditional xun tea making, that is making tea from dried petals or stamen of flowers, has also experienced a resurgence.
Tea culture and studies education
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Tatung Institute of Commerce and Technology
Tatung Institute of Technology (TTC; ) is an educational institution based in East District, Chiayi City, Taiwan. It has five new departments: Finance, Food and Beverage Management, Early Childhood Care and Education, Multimedia Design, and ...
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Lu-Yu Tea Culture Institute
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Tea Research and Extension Station
The Tea Research and Extension Station (TRES; ) is the research and development center of Taiwan tea where scientists and tea masters conduct study, research and experiment to improve tea plantations, to develop new and better cultivars, to manu ...
See also
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Bubble tea
Bubble tea (also known as pearl milk tea, bubble milk tea, tapioca milk tea, boba tea, or boba; , ) is a tea-based drink that originated in Taiwan in the early 1980s. Taiwanese immigrants brought it to the United States in the 1990s, initially ...
, invented in Taiwan
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Chinese tea culture
Chinese tea culture (simplified Chinese: 中国茶文化; traditional Chinese: 中國茶文化) (''zhōngguó chá wénhuà'', 'Chinese tea culture') includes all facets of tea, both physical and spiritual, that significantly influenced Chinese cu ...
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Gongfu tea ceremony
The gongfu tea ceremony or kung fu tea ceremony ( or ), is a type of Chinese tea ceremony, involving the ritual preparation and presentation of tea. It is probably based on the tea preparation approaches originated in Fujian and the Chaoshan area ...
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Japanese tea ceremony
The Japanese tea ceremony (known as or ) is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of , powdered green tea, the procedure of which is called . While in the West it is known as "tea ceremony", it is se ...
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Hong Kong tea culture
The tea-drinking habits of Hong Kong residents derive from Chinese tea culture, primarily the Cantonese traditions such as yum cha. After more than 150 years of British rule, however, they have changed somewhat to become unique in the world. Th ...
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Taiwanese cuisine
Taiwanese cuisine (, Bopomofo:ㄊㄞˊㄨㄢˉㄌㄧㄠˋㄌㄧˇ, or , Bopomofo:ㄊㄞˊㄨㄢˉㄘㄞˋ) has several variations. The earliest known cuisines of Taiwan are that of the Taiwanese indigenous peoples. Over hundred years of histor ...
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Taiwanese tea
Taiwanese tea includes four main types: oolong tea, black tea, green tea and white tea. The earliest record of tea trees found in Taiwan is from 1717 in Shui Sha Lian (), present-day Yuchi and Puli, Nantou County. Some of the teas retain the isl ...
References
{{Taiwan topics
Chinese tea culture
Culture
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...