Alishan tea is one of well known Taiwanese teas and is grown in the high mountains. It has a bright liquor color, a gentle sweetness and a gorgeous aroma. It is said that the higher the altitude of the tea gardens, the lighter the aroma.
Japanese tea is made by steaming tea leaves, whereas green teas in other countries are usually made by frying tea leaves in a pan. Alishan tea has a nostalgic aroma reminiscent of an old fashioned tea that was once available in Japan.
About Alishan Tea
Alishan is famous for its oolong tea, which has a delicate fragrance, light color and a slightly sweet taste without being astringent. If you buy tea in Taipei, the main city of Taiwan, you will be recommended Alishan tea first.
Alishan Tea Review from a Japanese Perspective
We tried to brew Alishan tea at 75-80°C (75-80°F), which is lukewarm, like Japanese high grade sencha. However, the result was a vague and bland tea, so we brewed it at 90°C.
When brewed with boiled water, the aroma is immediately enhanced and the sweetness of the tea spreads softly in the mouth. Alishan tea also has a flowery aroma when brewed. This is called withered fragrance. It is the aroma produced when fresh tea leaves are gotten withered.
The Difference between Alishan Tea and Japanese Green Tea
In contrast to Taiwanese teas, which are known for their floral wilted aroma, Japanese green teas are known for their fresh aroma. The withered aroma is the one that used to be present in Japanese green teas, and may be familiar to those who know Japanese teas from half a century ago. We hope to write more about wilting in a separate article, as it is becoming a popular production method in Japan.
Alishan Mt. Ali
Alishan is not the name of a single mountain, but a series of mountains averaging about 2,500 metres in height. It is a picturesque place and has been a very popular national park in Taiwan since the 1920s. It is also well known among the Japanese for its tea.
Alishan’s Average Temperature and Altitude
The Hida, Kiso, and Akaishi mountains are the highest mountain ranges in Japan at 2,500 meters above sea level. It is quite majestic to imagine that tea trees are grown in the middle to the foot of the Japanese Alps. However, tea trees do not grow at high altitudes in Japan because they are sensitive to cold.
The average daytime temperature in Alishan is 14-24°C in summer and 5-16°C in winter. It is colder than Taiwan’s coastal areas but Alishan is located in the south and even though it is at a higher altitude, the temperature is suitable for growing tea trees.
It is said that tea trees grow best on sunny slopes in valleys, and the areas where tea is grown in Alishan meet this condition.
