• Consumer Identity and Popular Beverages


    A lesson from history

    What makes one beverage become more popular than another? What makes a beverage take hold at one moment in history over another?

    Christine Folch, assistant professor of cultural anthropology at Duke University in North Carolina, explores these questions through her research on three beverages of the ilex, or holly, genus: yerba matte, yaupon and guayusa.

    Of the three ilex beverages, yerba matte is the most well known, but interest in yaupon and guayusa is growing. Has their moment come?

    Christine Folch holds the leaves of the yaupon plant outside her home in North Carolina.
    Listen to the interview
    Christine Folch, PhD, in conversation with Tea Biz’s Jessica Natale Woollard

    Colonization and the commercialization of caffeinated beverages: A conversation with Christine Folch

    From the start of the colonial period in the Americas in the 16th century, commercialization attempts were made to position these three ilex beverages — yerba matte, yaupon and guayusa — as caffeinated drinks that could compete on the world stage with coffee and tea, which were just entering the market.

    Yaupon | Aiton, Emory University 
    Herbarium(GEO), 898baf6d-30de-4d36-8794-b9f0e5d21ae4

    These attempts failed for various social, cultural and economic reasons, which Christine Folch discussed in fascinating detail in her talk at the 2022 Global Tea Institute colloquium in January.

    She continues the conversation with Tea Biz’s Jessica Natale Woollard.


    Watch the video, featuring Folch’s talk at the Global Tea Initiative Colloquium, hosted by the University of California, Davis, on Jan. 13, 2022. Folch’s presentation begins at 04:37:00.


    Jessica: In your talk at the Global Tea colloquium, you share the curious story of yaupon and how it was consumed as a form of protesting British rule. You explain how the beverage remained popular during the US Civil War, particularly in the south, and discuss the reason consumer identity issues impeded its popularity.

    How has consumer identity shifted, now in 2022, to give yaupon another chance to enter the caffeinated beverage industry?

    Christine: When I first tasted yaupon, the first thing I noticed was, it was really yummy. 

    The other thing that I noticed quite immediately is where I got it, which was the shrubbery right outside of my window. I made it myself, toasted it, and tried it, and I thought, this stuff is so good. And it’s yard decor.

    It raises this really important question: why is it that we in the United States don’t drink something that is quite delicious and grows with little tending right outside of our homes, if we’re in the southern part of the United States?

    Read about the work of the American Yaupon Association.

    I think that beverages and food come socially encumbered; they come with social implications. The identities of the people who were fans of this beverage, in the 19th century and beforehand, were marginalized identities for various reasons. The primary consumers were Indigenous people. And as we know about the complicated history of North America, there’s this sort of tension about a rejection around Indigeneity, which can be incredibly violent and has been historically.

    So, yaupon was consumed by “wrong people” in in the 19th century. 

    Scarborough Yaupon
    Mr. Scarborough (owner of a “yaupon factory”) stands next to his yaupon processing equipment. Hatteras, Outer Banks (NC), 1905. Photographer: H.H. Brimley. Courtesy of NC Archives

    The question becomes, what has changed?

    And I think what has changed is that we see other values percolating to the surface. It’s the realization that the communities we thought were marginalized and therefore their consumption was like less desirable, actually those communities have heritage; those communities actually know a lot about land; those communities actually are the source of incredible creativity.

    There’s a new openness to that consumption. 


    Jessica: If our readers are lucky enough to find a café, shop or experience where they can try yaupon and guayusa, is there anything they should know before tasting them for the first time?

    Christine: Expect to be surprised by how yummy it actually is. 

    I’m drinking yaupon right now, and I don’t have any sugar in it. It’s a really pleasant drink that it is less bitter than black tea. 

    I think you’re going to taste it, and you’ll say, it’s not something I’ve had before, but that’s not bad. I’d like to try some more. 

    You can get yaupon in the United States by ordering directly from a number of yaupon companies.

    The word yaupon comes the Catawba for “small tree.” Even the name itself holds so much about the history of this land.

    Schultes, Richard Evans. 1972 “Ilex Guayusa from 500 A.D. to the Present” In Henry Wassen, A Medicine-man’s Implements and Plants in a Tiahuanacoid Tomb in Highland Bolivia, 1972, Göteborg.
    Guayusa leaves from above.

    Jessica: Where do you recommend someone take their first sip of the lesser-known ilex beverages, yaupon or guayusa?

    Christine: Around your kitchen table with your friends and a good mug.

    The thing about these beverages is that they are social; they’re meant to be consumed with other people so. Have a taste test with your roommates; see which one you like. 

    That’s how I think you should have it. 


    This interview has been edited and condensed.

    More from Christine Folch

    An Ilex Counterpoint — Christine reflects on why yaupon never achieved the popularity of yerba mate for Comparative Studies in Society and History.

    A Tale of Two Quintessential Argentine Beverages — Christine writes about wine and yerba mate for Slate magazine.

    Forthcoming book: a cultural history of yerba mate


    Share this post with your colleagues.


    Sign up and receive Tea Biz weekly in your inbox.


    Never miss an episode

    Subscribe wherever you enjoy podcasts:

  • Tea as Medicine


    The Global Tea Initiative Colloquium was hosted by the University of California, Davis on Jan. 13, 2022. Click here to see a video of the full day’s program.

    This year’s topic is Tea and Beyond: Bridging Science and Culture, Time and Space. Tea Biz brings you a recap of the keynote address on “The Popularization of Food as Medicine and Its Impact on Tea” presented by Dr. Nada Milosavljevic. Nada Milosavljevic, a Harvard-trained physician and faculty member at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Milosavljevic is the founder of the integrative health program at Massachusetts General Hospital and worked for a decade as its director.

    Dr. Nada’s passion for holistic, innovative wellness and preventative healthcare led her to found Sage Tonic, which produces teas and tisanes formulated from evidence-based clinical studies.

    Listen to the interview

    Dr. Nada in conversation with Tea Biz’s Jessica Natale Woollard

    Sage Tonic happiness tea. Photo provided by Sage Tonic

    Tea, Herbs as Medicine: A Conversation with Dr. Nada

    Dr. Nada Milosavljevic is a board-certified, Harvard-trained physician and a faculty member at Harvard Medical School. In addition to conventional medicine, she practices Integrative Medicine for cognitive and behavioral conditions. Nada has specialty certifications in Regenerative and Functional Medicine, Medical Acupuncture, Ayurvedic Medicine, and Chinese Herbs. Her training involves the use of evidence-based treatments that include: acupuncture, bio-identical hormone therapies, herbs, nutritional supplements, clinical-grade aromatherapy, as well as light and sound therapy.

    Jessica Natale Woollard: Your keynote at the Global Tea Initiative colloquium on January 13 will address trends of seeing food—including tea—as medicine. Can you give the Tea Biz community a preview of what you’ll be covering in your talk?

    Dr. Nada Milosavljevic: My topic is the popularization of food as medicine, but also looking at that through the lens of tea.

    Everyone at one point has heard of the concept of food as medicine; it’s become quite popular. My talk will give some of the historical underpinnings that show the idea of food as medicine has been around for millennia in many different ways, from many different cultures.

    Now with modern medicine, we’re really seeing some of the ways that food, and tea is no exception, can have certain health applications. I’ll be highlighting that information and further defining it, so people can appreciate where the field is going — because it’s growing, and it’s growing rapidly.

    Jessica: The teas you sell through Sage Tonic are categorized by their benefits, for example, helping with relaxation, sleep, energy, and focus.

    At what point in your medical profession did you discover the benefits of tea and begin to research the role tea plays in preventative healthcare?

    Nada: That journey for me began almost 14 years ago. It was about 2007, and, in working with patients—they ranged from teens to young adults to adults—I realized that some of the medications that we use, which are beneficial and can save lives, have certain side effects. I found out that there were a number of natural compounds, tea being one, that can play a role as a preventive or as something that can be used as an adjunctive therapy and serve a healthful purpose.

    That’s really where a lot of my research began, looking into not just tea, but other herbs as well, and the synergistic and additive effect they can have for optimal health. Certainly from a preventive standpoint, if someone wants to start using something even earlier, they can put themselves on a healthy trajectory.

    Sage Tonic Happiness tea.
    Photo provided by Sage Tonic.
    Sage Tonic essential oil towelette for relaxation.
    Photo provided by Sage Tonic.

    Jessica: In the research, you’ve conducted into the benefits of tea, herbs, and spices, did any results surprise you?

    Nada: Yes, they did in fact. There were a number of herbs and certainly a number of compounds that were not elucidated to me previously as to what their health benefits were. I saw they could play a role in human health; they could play a role in preventive health, and they could play a role for humans at many different chronological points throughout our lives.

    An herb class, called adaptogens, is one of the things I’ll be talking about at the Global Tea Initiative Colloquium next week. It’s an herb class that can really play a role in anxiety and stress reduction. It can have a constitutionally normalizing effect on the body and even be helpful with focus and sleep, many of the things that many of us have faced in many different ways, given what we’ve all been dealing with the last, almost two years now, with the pandemic.

    That herb class was something I was not as familiar with back then, and they do have a wonderful application for health.

    What is exciting to me, and what was certainly exciting 14 years ago when I began this work, is to see research into health benefits grow. There are literally hundreds of compounds in teas, and even compounds that have yet to be fully researched and categorized.

    I think there are a lot of other exciting things yet to come.

    Hear more from Dr. Nada

    You can hear more from Dr. Nada on the power of tea as medicine in her keynote address at the Global Tea Initiative Colloquium online. Click here to see a video of the full day’s program.

    This interview has been edited and condensed.

    Wholistic Health for Adolescents by Dr. Nada Milosavljevic
    Wholistic Health for Adolescents by Dr. Nada Milosavljevic

    Holistic Health for Adolescents

    Stress. Fatigue. Depression. Sleeping problems. Issues with focus and concentration. Headaches. Substance abuse. These are all common problems that teenagers deal with. We have long been acquainted with the conventional treatments of therapy and prescription medications. It turns out there are also many complementary and alternative therapies available that have evidence-based track records of success. This book presents therapies based around the five senses—including acupressure, aromatherapy, yoga, sound/music therapy—to help teens with their mental health.
    $21.95 | 288 pages | 2017 | Published by Norton Professional Books


    Share this post with your colleagues.


    Signup and receive Tea Biz weekly in your inbox.


    Dr. Nada Milosavljevic

    Never miss an episode

    Subscribe wherever you enjoy podcasts:

  • Golden Leaf Awards — Deadline Near

    Submit your tea to Australia’s tea awards by November 30

    The Golden Leaf Awards, sponsored by the Australian Tea Masters and suspended during the height of the pandemic, have returned in 2021. The deadline to enter the competition is November 30.

    View previous winners of the Golden Leaf Awards.

    Tea Collective — Winner Best Tea House and Best Tea Cocktail from 2019. Photo courtesy Golden Leaf Awards.
    Listen to the interview
    Sharyn Johnston on returning the competition to in person judging

    In-person judging returns for the 2021 Golden Leaf Awards

    By Jessica Natale Woollard

    Australia’s Golden Leaf Awards return in 2021 with live, in-person judging to crown this year’s best teas in the Australian market. Tea submissions are open until Nov. 30. View the award guidebook for more information.

    The Golden Leaf Awards are presented by the Australia Tea Masters and feature a number of categories : green, black, white, yellow teas; matcha; Pu-erh; herbals; chai; and iced tea. There’s even a category for tea packaging and best tea house.

    The judging is blind and done by industry professionals.

    Australia Tea Masters founder and CEO Sharyn Johnston speaks with Tea Biz’s Jessica Natale Woollard about this year’s event.

    Judges at work at the 2019 Golden Leaf Awards. Photo courtesy Golden Leaf Awards.

    Jessica Natale Woollard: Why should someone submit their teas to the Golden Leaf Awards?

    Sharyn Johnston: It’s a great opportunity for tea companies whose products are available in the Australian market. Small farmers, people who have unique teas, or people who are blending their own teas can showcase them to the public and get their name out there.

    Jessica: What should our listeners know about the blind judging for the Golden Leaf Awards?

    Sharyn Johnston, Australia Tea Masters founder and CEO.

    Sharyn: This year we’re back to our old style of judging; we’re able to have live judges coming out in different sections.

    We’ll have limited numbers of judges over limited day: four judges in person per day.

    We try to get specialists in each particular category; for example, packaging design would be judged by graphic designers.

    We include different sectors of the industry.

    Judges at work at the 2019 Golden Leaf Awards. Photo courtesy Golden Leaf Awards.

    Jessica: What was your objective in founding the Golden Leaf Awards?

    Sharyn: When Australia Tea Masters first started, after being in the tea industry for four or five years, I realized there were no tea awards in Australia or even throughout the Asian region. We thought it was a great chance to showcase teas.

    We also started a category of a focused country. I visited many small farmers around the world and realized that they didn’t have an opportunity to put their teas in the Australian market.

    We choose a different country each year; this year it’s Sri Lanka.

    We’ve chosen Sri Lanka to showcase a group of about 25 farmers who have developed some amazing teas, only available in small batches. We’re hoping to see some amazing teas from them.

    Mr. Charles Moon from Formay Teas of Korea – Winner International Green Tea category, 2019. Photo courtesy Golden Leaf Awards.

    Learn more about the Golden Leaf Awards and how to submit your tea before Nov. 30. Watch the awards website to see bios and information about this year’s entrants.

    This interview has been edited and condensed.

    Share this episode with your friends in tea.


    Listen to Tea Biz on Apple Podcasts


    Signup Free

  • AVPA Gold Winners 2021

    AVPA, the Agency for the Valuation of Agricultural Products headquartered in Paris, France is a non-governmental, non-profit organization, mainly composed of producers and taste enthusiasts. In 2021 AVPA awarded 133 medals in its 4th Teas of the World Contest, recognizing teas from 33 countries. Prizes included 10 “Gourmet Or” gold medals, 25 silver, and 25 bronze with 73 teas receiving certificates for gourmet excellence. Tea Biz called to congratulate gold medal winners in the two main categories, one a high-mountain oolong grower in Taiwan, and in the botanical category, a family grower in Greece.

    Malotira "Mountain Tea" from Tofillo, Crete
    Freshly harvested Malotira “Mountain Tea” from Tofillo, Crete, Greece. Photos courtesy Tofillo Farms.
    Celebrate with Rodo Vasilaki, at Tofillo Farms, gold medal winner in botanicals

    Native Malotira Tea from Crete Wins Gold

    By Jessica Natale Woollard

    High in the White Mountains on the island of Crete grows malotira, an ancient herb with small yellow flowers used to make Cretan Mountain Tea.

    Rodo Vasilaki and her husband and business partner Nikos Psyllakis grow the herb on 30-acres of family-run farms that are dotted across the island. Their Malotira Tea, known locally as tsai tou vounou and by the Latin name Sideritis syriaca, won gourmet gold at the 4th AVPA Teas of The World contest. Another one of their teas, Pink Healer, featuring Cretan sage and pink rockrose, earned a “gourmet” distinction.

    Rodo spoke with the Tea Biz Podcast from the island of Crete to tell us more about the malotira herb and its healing properties, which have brought people wellness for thousands of years.

    Jessica Natale Woollard: Rodo, congratulations on winning two awards at this year’s Teas of the World contest. How did you react when you learned your hand-harvested, 100 percent Greek tea, Malotira, the Cretan Mountain Tea, won gourmet gold? 

    Rodo Vasilaki: I was very happy, most of all because I would have the chance to speak about this incredible herb to even more people to get to know it.

    We’ve known about its properties and health benefits for centuries here in Crete, and every word is a chance for me to talk about these herbs.

    Jessica: What are some of the properties that are beneficial in the malotira?

    Rodo: For us, we grow up with this herb. Whenever we feel a little sick—a headache, our stomach—it’s the first herbal tea that our grandmother would make for us. It’s something that we use here for everything, I would say. It’s good for the common cold, and a headache, for stomach and so on.

    Jessica: What made you choose the malotira tea to enter into the competition?

    Rodo: Malotira is an endemic plant here in Crete. You will find it here and nowhere else in the world. It’s a special one and grows at an altitude of over 1000 meters.

    They have talked about malotira throughout history, even Hippocrates, 2,500 years ago. Our aim is to make this herb well known worldwide. For us, it’s one of the most special herbs that we cultivate here in Crete.

    Jessica: Can you comment on the herbal industry in general?

    Rodo: I see that it’s a very dynamic branch now. More people talk about not only tea but specifically herbal teas and loose herbal teas.

    They know that this kind of herb offers 100% of the properties that plants have. I feel that more people are trying to find loose herbal teas instead of bags for ecological reasons and also because it’s the best way to get 100% of these plants. Of course, here in Greece, we have plants with thousands of years of history, using them as medicines. 

    See: Greece’s Mountain Tea and its Ancient Secrets of Healing

    Miaoli is a city of 89,000 nestled in the mountains of western Taiwan. The region is home to the Hakka, an indigenous tribe employed in cultivation of tea since the early 1900s. Gardens in the area are famous for producing Oriental Beauty, an oolong that depends on the bite of the tea leafhopper to develop its honey fragrance and honeysuckle taste. Rick Chang is director at Xue Jian, a tea plantation situated at 4,500 feet altitude that produces oolong and black tea. The company first competed in the AVPA contest 2018, winning a gold medal that year and at least one every year since.

    Xue Jian Oolong Tea farm in Miaoli, Taiwan
    Xue Jian Oolong Tea farm in Miaoli, Taiwan
    Celebrate with Rick Chang at Xue Jian Oolong Tea, a gold medal winner in tea
    Rick Chang Xue Jian Oolong Tea

    Taiwan High Mountain Oolongs Earn Multiple Gold Medals

    By Dan Bolton

    The Xue Jian (Xu?jiàn) tea farm was planted in 2011 and produces mainly oolong and black teas from the Qing Xin cultivar (known as green tip oolong). Rick Chang is the 2.5 hectare farm’s director. He manages cultivation, tea processing, and sales.

    Congratulations on earning the most medals in the 4th Teas of the World contest. What led you to submit these teas for evaluation? Why do you feel this recognition will be helpful?

    Rick Chang: We have been participating in the AVPA Teas of the World contest since 2018. We won one gold medal, one silver, one bronze, and one gourmet. In 2019, we won two gold medals in the oolong tea and black tea category, like this year.

    We are the only high mountain oolong tea plantation in the region of Miaoli Taiwan and not well-known. Winning the AVPA contest brought media attention and more people now know Xue Jian Oolong Tea which has increased our sales, and also establishes standards for consumers comparing our teas to others.

    Rick Chang, Xue Jian Oolong Tea

    Dan: Tell us about the winning entries with details on how they are grown, processed. What makes these teas special?

    Rick: We won five awards for our spring teas, each produced on different dates. The black teas were produced during different seasons. All were grown at 1,400 meters on the Xue Jian plantation. The garden has a good natural environment with multiple plant species. Conditions there are good for tea to grow. There is a large temperature difference between day and night and management is eco-friendly. We use no herbicides, no chemical fertilizers, only soybean meal.

    The gold award oolong tea was produced on the last day of the spring harvest with leaf maturity full grown. So, we had to spend more time on withering, setting, and tossing which led to a stronger fermentation, and it turns out a very good texture and very good floral aroma.

    The gold award black tea we call Le Thé de Madame Hakka is harvested at the beginning of September. We are very glad we made it on time for the contest. The tea is grown in a no-chemical environment that increases the number of tea leafhoppers that bite the tea leaves and bring out the honey fragrance.

    [Editor’s Note: Tea plants have developed a marvelously complex means of defending themselves from the bite of the 3mm hoppers whose scientific name is Empoasca onukii (also known as Jacobiasca formosana in Taiwan). The bite of the hoppers is tiny and virtually invisible after processing but their presence triggers the release of volatile chemicals unique to this pest. The honeysuckle fragrance released by hectares of plants is frightful to bugs as it attracts their mortal enemies and is delightful to tea drinkers. Intensity varies by year as populations wax and wane. If the arriving swarms are small and fail to do much damage, the plant’s defensive cloud is weak. In other years, huge swarms overwhelm the defense and make the tea bitter. The key is to pluck the leaves within the two days it takes for the plants to respond. This requires pluckers of exceptional skill and experience. Hoppers only attack the young leaves, the plant’s maintenance leaves have a surface too hard to penetrate. – Tea Epicure]

    Rick: The winning tea is named in honor of the Hakka, one of the ethnic groups in Taiwan. We are very appreciative to eight Hakka grandmas for the exquisite plucking that makes a tea of prime quality. We also like to share the different aspects of the ethnic group cultures with others.

    Dan: Taiwan is currently experiencing a difficult time of drought and high temperatures, will you comment on innovations and techniques that you employed to make these high-quality teas.

    Rick: Yes, before the spring harvest we had no rain and no typhoons since the summer of 2020. We have a reservoir, and we get water from the stream, which cost a lot on the electricity bill. However, we were able to water every couple of days after the tea tips grow out, and made a good quantity and quality of production.

    We believe most importantly to protect and maintain every creature and plant that lives and grows on our plantations, creating a healthy environment for all.

    Download the entire list of AVPA winners.

    Share this episode with your friends in tea.


    Listen to Tea Biz on Apple Podcasts or Sounder


    Signup to receive Tea Biz Blog weekly. Subscribe (free) to hear the Tea Biz Podcast.

  • AVPA Gold Winners

    AVPA the Agency for the Valuation of Agricultural Products headquartered in Paris, France is a non-governmental, non-profit organization, mainly composed of producers and taste enthusiasts. In 2021 AVPA awarded 133 medals in its 4th Teas of the World Contest, recognizing teas from 33 countries. Prizes included 10 “Gourmet Or” gold medals, 25 silver, and 25 bronze with 73 teas receiving certificates for gourmet excellence. Tea Biz called to congratulate gold medal winners in the two main categories, one a high-mountain oolong grower in Taiwan, and in the botanical category, a family grower in Greece.

    Malotira "Mountain Tea" from Tofillo, Crete
    Freshly harvested Malotira “Mountain Tea” from Tofillo, Crete, Greece. Photos courtesy Tofillo Farms.
    Celebrate with Rodo Vasilaki, at Tofillo Farms, gold medal winner in botanicals

    Native Malotira Tea from Crete Wins Gold

    By Jessica Natale Woollard

    High in the White Mountains on the island of Crete grows malotira, an ancient herb with small yellow flowers used to make Cretan Mountain Tea.

    Rodo Vasilaki and her husband and business partner Nikos Psyllakis grow the herb on 30-acres of family-run farms that are dotted across the island. Their Malotira Tea, known locally as tsai tou vounou and by the Latin name Sideritis syriaca, won gourmet gold at the 4th AVPA Teas of The World contest. Another one of their teas, Pink Healer, featuring Cretan sage and pink rockrose, earned a “gourmet” distinction.

    Rodo spoke with the Tea Biz Podcast from the island of Crete to tell us more about the malotira herb and its healing properties, which have brought people wellness for thousands of years.

    Jessica Natale Woollard: Rodo, congratulations on winning two awards at this year’s Teas of the World contest. How did you react when you learned your hand-harvested, 100 percent Greek tea, Malotira, the Cretan Mountain Tea, won gourmet gold? 

    Rodo Vasilaki: I was very happy, most of all because I would have the chance to speak about this incredible herb to even more people to get to know it.

    We’ve known about its properties and health benefits for centuries here in Crete, and every word is a chance for me to talk about these herbs.

    Jessica: What are some of the properties that are beneficial in the malotira?

    Rodo: For us, we grow up with this herb. Whenever we feel a little sick—a headache, our stomach—it’s the first herbal tea that our grandmother would make for us. It’s something that we use here for everything, I would say. It’s good for the common cold, and a headache, for stomach and so on.

    Jessica: What made you choose the malotira tea to enter into the competition?

    Rodo: Malotira is an endemic plant here in Crete. You will find it here and nowhere else in the world. It’s a special one and grows at an altitude of over 1000 meters.

    They have talked about malotira throughout history, even Hippocrates, 2,500 years ago. Our aim is to make this herb well known worldwide. For us, it’s one of the most special herbs that we cultivate here in Crete.

    Jessica: Can you comment on the herbal industry in general?

    Rodo: I see that it’s a very dynamic branch now. More people talk about not only tea but specifically herbal teas and loose herbal teas.

    They know that this kind of herb offers 100% of the properties that plants have. I feel that more people are trying to find loose herbal teas instead of bags for ecological reasons and also because it’s the best way to get 100% of these plants. Of course, here in Greece, we have plants with thousands of years of history, using them as medicines. 

    Miaoli is a city of 89,000 nestled in the mountains of western Taiwan. The region is home to the Hakka, an indigenous tribe employed in cultivation of tea since the early 1900s. Gardens in the area are famous for producing Oriental Beauty, an oolong that depends on the bite of the tea leafhopper to develop its honey fragrance and honeysuckle taste. Rick Chang is director at Xue Jian, a tea plantation situated at 4,500 feet altitude that produces oolong and black tea. The company first competed in the AVPA contest 2018, winning a gold medal that year and at least one every year since.

    Xue Jian Oolong Tea farm in Miaoli, Taiwan
    Xue Jian Oolong Tea farm in Miaoli, Taiwan
    Celebrate with Rick Chang at Xue Jian Oolong Tea, a gold medal winner in tea
    Rick Chang Xue Jian Oolong Tea

    Taiwan High Mountain Oolongs Earn Multiple Gold Medals

    By Dan Bolton

    The Xue Jian (Xu?jiàn) tea farm was planted in 2011 and produces mainly oolong and black teas from the Qing Xin cultivar (known as green tip oolong). Rick Chang is the 2.5 hectare farm’s director. He manages cultivation, tea processing, and sales.

    Congratulations on earning the most medals in the 4th Teas of the World contest. What led you to submit these teas for evaluation? Why do you feel this recognition will be helpful?

    Rick Chang, Xue Jian Oolong Tea

    Rick Chang: We have been participating in the AVPA Teas of the World contest since 2018. We won one gold medal, one silver, one bronze, and one gourmet. In 2019, we won two gold medals in the oolong tea and black tea category, like this year.

    We are the only high mountain oolong tea plantation in the region of Miaoli Taiwan and not well-known. Winning the AVPA contest brought media attention and more people now know Xue Jian Oolong Tea which has increased our sales, and also establishes standards for consumers comparing our teas to others.

    Dan: Tell us about the winning entries with details on how they are grown, processed. What makes these teas special?

    Rick: We won five awards for our spring teas, each produced on different dates. The black teas were produced during different seasons. All were grown at 1,400 meters on the Xue Jian plantation. The garden has a good natural environment with multiple plant species. Conditions there are good for tea to grow. There is a large temperature difference between day and night and management is eco-friendly. We use no herbicides, no chemical fertilizers, only soybean meal.

    The gold award oolong tea was produced on the last day of the spring harvest with leaf maturity full grown. So, we had to spend more time on withering, setting, and tossing which led to a stronger fermentation, and it turns out a very good texture and very good floral aroma.

    The gold award black tea we call Le Thé de Madame Hakka is harvested at the beginning of September. We are very glad we made it on time for the contest. The tea is grown in a no-chemical environment that increases the number of tea leafhoppers that bite the tea leaves and bring out the honey fragrance.

    [Editor’s Note: Tea plants have developed a marvelously complex means of defending themselves from the bite of the 3mm hoppers whose scientific name is Empoasca onukii (also known as Jacobiasca formosana in Taiwan). The bite of the hoppers is tiny and virtually invisible after processing but their presence triggers the release of volatile chemicals unique to this pest. The honeysuckle fragrance released by hectares of plants is frightful to bugs as it attracts their mortal enemies and is delightful to tea drinkers. Intensity varies by year as populations wax and wane. If the arriving swarms are small and fail to do much damage, the plant’s defensive cloud is weak. On the other hand, huge swarms overwhelm the defense and make the tea bitter. The key is to pluck the leaves within the two days it takes for the plants to respond. This requires pluckers of exceptional skill and experience. Hoppers only attack the young leaves, maintenance leaves have a surface too hard to penetrate. – Tea Epicure]

    Rick: The winning tea is named in honor of the Hakka, one of the ethnic groups in Taiwan. We are very appreciative to eight Hakka grandmas for the exquisite plucking that makes a tea of prime quality. We also like to share the different aspects of the ethnic group cultures with others.

    Dan: Taiwan is currently experiencing a difficult time of drought and high temperatures, will you comment on innovations and techniques that you employed to make these high-quality teas.

    Rick: Yes, before the spring harvest we had no rain and no typhoons since the summer of 2020. We have a reservoir, and we get water from the stream, which cost a lot on the electricity bill. However, we were able to water every couple of days after the tea tips grow out, and made a good quantity and quality of production.

    We believe most importantly to protect and maintain every creature and plant that lives and grows on our plantations, creating a healthy environment for all.

    Download the entire list of AVPA winners.

    Share this episode with your friends in tea.


    Listen to Tea Biz on Apple Podcasts


    Signup Free

Verified by MonsterInsights