"Formosa Oolong" (台灣烏龍茶) is Oolong teas grown and produced in Taiwan.
Taiwan is also known as Formosa(福爾摩莎) from the Portugese Ilha Formosa, meaning "beautiful island".
The earliest record of tea trees found in Taiwan can be tracked back to 1717 in Sui Sha Lien (水沙連)，currently know as Yuchih (魚池)、Puli(埔里), Nantou County (南投縣) . These tea trees were called "Mountain Tea" (山茶)。
According to Lien Hen (連橫，Taiwan historian in early 20th centry), in the late 18 century, Ke Chao (柯朝) brought some tea trees from Fuchien, China (福建, 中國) into Taiwan and planted in Jie Yu Keng (櫛魚坑), currently known as Rueifang (瑞芳) in Taipei County (台北縣). However, transaction records indicated that tea business in Muzha (木柵, Taipei 台北市) area started as early as late 18th century. Thus we can believe that tea has been merchandised in Taiwan for more than 2 centuries.
In 1855, Lin Feng Chi (林鳳池) brought the Chin-sin Oolong (Qingxin Oolong 青心烏龍) plants from Wuyi Mountain (武夷山 Fujien Province, China) into Taiwan and planted in Dongding Village (Lugu Township, Nantou County, Taiwan). This is said to be the origin of Dongding Oolong from Taiwan. Also in this period of time, Taiwan has started exporting teas to Fujien, China.
In 1867, English tea trader Jon Dodd started a tea company in Wanhua, Taipei (萬華-台北市), and started to sell Taiwanese oolong tea to the world under the name "Formosa Oolong", and the Pouchong oolong was considered to be more flowery than Baihao Oolong, Pouchong was exported under the name "Formosa Pouching". Formosa Baihao Oolong is very fruity in taste and got the name "Oriental Beauty" from Queen Elizabeth II in the 1960s, thus "Formosa Oolong" became popular in the western world for "Oriental Beauty". In fact, Dongding, Baihao and Pouchong are all categorized as Oolong tea, which contributes a large part of Taiwan tea industry.
During the Japanese-ruled period (1895-1945), Japanese started to industrialize the tea industry in Taiwan. They brought Assam black tea from India to grow in Taiwan, and famous Formosa Black Tea was sent as tribute to the Emperor of Japan.
As Taiwan is lucky to have great environment for tea growing, and with the developing of tea technology, Taiwan has produced many top quality teas, all can be called as "Formosa Tea". The best known ones including "Dongding oolong"(凍頂烏龍茶), "Alishan Oolong"(阿里山烏龍茶), "Wenshan Pouchong"(文山包種茶),"Oriental Beauty"(東方美人茶), "Shanlinxi Oolong"(杉林溪茶), "Jade Oolong"(翠玉) and so on...
In the recent era, tea is no longer the major exporting goods from Taiwan. In stead, tea has become a style of art enjoyed by Taiwanese people. Formosa tea is one of the most precious, and also priciest teas in the world. There are many mimic versions of Formosa tea, tea lovers are recommended to experience more and build up the ability to distinguish the real Formosa tea and the mimic ones.
to be continued...
參考資料
台北市茶商業同業公會
藝茶網
預見，行銷全球的未來！- 以Formosa 之名行銷農產品於世界,農訓雜誌，2006，23(7): 22-25
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