About Lishan Tea

History and Culture of Lishan Tea

Known as "unmatched by any other tea," Lishan tea is a high-quality high-mountain oolong tea that Taiwanese people admire.

However, due to its popularity, all kinds of tea in Taiwan are sold under the label "high mountain tea."

In reality, many of these teas are not made in high mountains but in lowland areas. In Taiwan, tea genuinely produced in high mountains is named after those mountains. For example, Dongding Oolong from Dongding Mountain, Alishan Tea from Alishan, and Lishan Tea from Lishan. On the other hand, most teas sold under the name "high mountain tea" are made from tea grown in lowland areas like Nantou County, at altitudes of only a few hundred meters.

Lishan tea is made in one of the highest altitude tea gardens in Taiwan. At HOJO, we source only spring tea plucked from tea gardens located around 2400 meters.

Production Region of Lishan Tea

Lishan tea is produced in Lishan, located in Heping Township, Taichung County, Taiwan. Lishan is composed of various mountains with altitudes ranging from 1500 to 2400 meters, and it is known as one of the highest altitude tea gardens in Taiwan.

While there are higher altitude tea gardens in Taiwan, Lishan is known as the most renowned high-quality tea-producing region.

In the high mountain climate, sunlight reaches the tea gardens only in the morning. In the afternoon, the tea gardens are completely covered with fog, which continues until night.

Additionally, the high altitude causes a temperature difference between day and night. In high mountains, the morning sun is very strong, but at night, the temperature drops significantly.

Plants (tea) conduct production activities during the day and consumption activities at night. In environments where there is good sunlight during the day and low temperatures at night, the tea leaves can preserve the components produced during the day without consuming them at night, resulting in rich and full-bodied tea.

Conversely, if the altitude is low and the outside temperature does not drop at night, the tea leaves will consume the substances stored during the day, reducing the flavor components.

However, these factors alone cannot explain the exceptional quality of Lishan tea. There must be other reasons for the fruity, citrus-like aroma of Lishan tea, beyond the high mountain climate.

The elegant aroma of Lishan tea is not found in other high mountain teas.

Generally speaking, when tea is exposed to stress conditions such as low moisture, low temperature, and low fertilizer, it produces a sweet, citrus-like aroma that is unique. It is believed that the soil and environment of Lishan play a significant role in forming the distinctive character of Lishan tea.

Cultivars and Plucking of Lishan Tea

HOJO's Lishan high mountain tea is made from the cultivar Qingxin Oolong. Tea made from this cultivar is characterized by a refreshing taste and an elegant aroma.

We analyze approximately 400 types of pesticides per batch and source only tea that meets the pesticide standards of Japan and Taiwan.

All tea plucking is done by hand, plucking 3-4 leaves including the buds. Lishan tea is plucked twice a year, in spring and winter, but the quality varies depending on the rainfall conditions of the year. Therefore, HOJO selects and purchases tea from the better season, either spring or winter.

Processing of Lishan Tea

The production of Lishan tea involves the following processing steps.

• Sun Withering
• Indoor Withering ~ Fermentation
• Rolling

Here is an explanation of each step.

Sun Withering

After harvesting, the tea leaves are spread out on the ground under the sun to wither.

This is called sun withering. It is usually done on cloudy days to avoid damaging the tea leaves. On sunny days with strong sunlight, a cover is set up a few meters above the ground to soften the sunlight.

By sun withering, the moisture in the tea leaves evaporates, and fermentation gradually begins. The leaves become softer and start to emit a refreshing aroma.

Indoor Withering ~ Fermentation

The fermentation process of oolong tea is quite different from that of black tea. The sun-withered tea leaves are brought indoors and spread on sheets. If the leaves are moist and fresh, they are spread thinly to speed up the evaporation of moisture.

Next, the tea leaves are spread on bamboo sieves. By spreading them on the sieves, fermentation is promoted, and the process of lifting the leaves, dropping them on inclined sieves, and resting them for fermentation is repeated.

Then, the leaves are stirred in a bamboo drum. This stirring lifts and drops the leaves repeatedly, bruising the edges and promoting enzymatic fermentation.

When fermentation progresses sufficiently, the leaves emit a sweet, floral aroma. Tea leaves processed by skilled craftsmen have only the edges turning red.

This indicates that only the edges of the leaves were bruised and partially fermented, clearly distinguishing them from low-quality leaves with uneven red discoloration.

The fermented tea leaves are heated to inactivate the enzymes and stop fermentation. If fermentation is not stopped promptly, the leaves continue to ferment, resulting in a flavor closer to black tea.

The number of stirrings and resting times are determined based on the moisture content, aroma, and color of the leaves. These delicate timings are decided based on the experience of the craftsmen, and they greatly influence the quality of the oolong tea.

The craftsmen work under the direction of a "master." The quality of oolong tea is greatly influenced by the skills of the master. To consistently obtain high-quality tea, it is essential to work with a skilled master.

Rolling

At this point, the leaves already exhibit the flavor and aroma of oolong tea. However, since the cells of the leaves, except for the edges, are intact, the flavor and aroma will not be fully extracted when brewing tea in this state.

On the other hand, if the leaves are rolled under high pressure as in black tea production, (1) unnecessary off-flavors will be extracted into the tea.

(2) Additionally, excessive exposure of the components to air will cause non-enzymatic (non-fermentative) oxidation, altering the flavor and aroma.

To resolve these dilemmas, the method used in oolong tea production is called "Baozhong" rolling. Baozhong literally means wrapping and then rolling.

The leaves are placed in cloth bags while they are warm and soft. Each batch of 10-20 kg of leaves is wrapped in a bag and rolled into the size of a basketball.

Today, the ends of the bag are twisted mechanically. By twisting strongly, the bag is compressed, and the leaves are pressed tightly.

Next, the ball of tea leaves is placed on a disc-shaped device. There are two discs, one above and one below, which sandwich the ball of leaves.

The upper disc is fixed and does not move, while only the lower disc rotates. The ball of leaves is rolled while rotating. After some rolling, the leaves are gently heated again.

As the leaves cool, they harden and break, so they are periodically heated to keep them soft. The leaves gradually become tightly packed and shaped into a ball.

The higher the quality of the leaves, the more tightly packed they are and the heavier they feel. High-quality leaves also have a glossy surface due to the solidification of the extracts released during rolling.

These processes are repeated multiple times. The number of repetitions, the method of rolling, and the application of heat vary depending on the condition of the leaves. For example, leaves harvested from tea gardens with relatively low nutrients and water content have lower moisture content.

If these leaves are rolled in the same way, the reduction in moisture content can cause the leaves to break or discolor due to heating.

Considering the condition of the leaves, the weather of the day, and various other factors, it is important to adjust the conditions of the process accordingly, which is the skill of the master.

The rolled tea leaves are then dried in a drying machine, reducing the moisture content to below 5%, completing the process.