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Taiwan
The island of Taiwan still bears its old name of Formosa when it comes to tea. Annexed by the Chinese at the end of the 17th century, Formosa began producing tea in very small quantities from plants that had been transplanted from the province of Fujian. It was only with the coming to power of the communists in 1949 that production was considerably increased and diversified. The island is extremely fertile and possesses ideal growing conditions: high altitude plantations with a constant temperature of 12°C- 20°C and good humidity.
Wu Long or semi fermented teas
Taiwan is well known for its semi fermented teas called "Wu Long (Oolong)", also called "Black Dragon" in Chinese. These teas can undergo various levels of fermentation depending on the plantation, something that makes it rather pointless to compare Chinese with Taiwanese methods. It is the Taiwanese that have long prevailed in the classification of Wu Long (Oolong) teas. Taiwanese teas are therefore classified according to their degree of fermentation and not to their method of production.
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Smoked teas
Taiwan makes both green and black, of which the famous Tarry Souchong smoked teas are renowned for their unusual strength.
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