From a single tea leaf, a cup of bubble tea and a bowl of douhua to the lights of the night market — sail six stops along Taiwan's coast to meet its flavors and people, and see how a Taiwanese food company carries them to the world.
Along Taiwan's coastline — setting off from the tea hills and finally sailing from the harbor to the world.
Brand Philosophy
Tang Sugar Brand Philosophy: Taiwanese Food and Taiwanese Service, Bringing the Flavors of Taiwan to the World
From the Formosa Oolong that sailed to New York in 1869 to bubble tea loved around the globe, Taiwan has long been sending great flavors to the world. Tang Sugar (Caitang International) is a Taiwanese company proud of the food Taiwanese people make and the service they provide. With consistent ingredient quality, clear partnership terms and verifiable supply capability, we…
It introduces Taiwan's tea, bubble tea, night-market food, fruit and sugar, everyday life and Made in Taiwan, and shows how Tang Sugar brings these flavors and Taiwanese service to partners around the world.
How is Taiwan Stories different from the blog?
Taiwan Stories covers culture, origins and Taiwan through foreign eyes; the blog covers drink recipes, ingredient dosage and sourcing. The two link to each other, so you can go from a story to a recipe.
The Story of Muzha Tieguanyin: Seedlings Brought from Anxi by Chang Nai-miao in 1919, Maokong’s True-Cultivar Tieguanyin and Taiwanese Oolong
Key answer
Muzha Tieguanyin dates back to 1919, when Muzha tea master Chang Nai-miao and his cousin Chang Nai-chien brought Tieguanyin seedlings from Anxi in Fujian and planted them on Zhanghu Mountain in Muzha, Taipei. Because the soil and climate resembled Anxi’s, the tea spread quickly, and today Maokong and the hills behind Zhinan Temple form the Muzha Tieguanyin tea region. “True-cultivar” (zheng cong) Tieguanyin is made from the Tieguanyin cultivar itself, with a rich liquor, pronounced roasted aroma and full body. In 2019 Muzha Tieguanyin covered about 30 hectares — a rare tea village inside Taipei. Tang Sugar supplies Tieguanyin and other commercial teas for Tieguanyin lattes and oolong milk tea.
A tea mountain you can reach by gondola
Take the Maokong Gondola up from downtown Taipei and terraced tea gardens spread below the window. At night Maokong’s teahouses glow, and Taipei locals come to brew a pot of Tieguanyin and watch the city lights. Muzha Tieguanyin gives Taipei a tea village of its own (further reading: a map of Taiwan’s tea regions).
1919: seedlings from Anxi
The commonly cited story is that Muzha tea master Chang Nai-miao tasted Tieguanyin on a trip back to Anxi, Fujian, and found it remarkable; in 1919 (Taisho 8) he and his cousin Chang Nai-chien bought a large batch of Tieguanyin seedlings in Anxi, planted them on Zhanghu Mountain in Muzha and shared them with local farmers. The seedlings were commissioned by a tea company of the time, though sources differ on which company and how many plants. Muzha’s mountain soil and climate resembled Anxi’s, and Tieguanyin quickly took root. Chang Nai-miao’s descendants still carry on the tea-making tradition today.
What makes true-cultivar Tieguanyin special?
Item
Details
Cultivar
Tieguanyin (“true cultivar” means made from the Tieguanyin cultivar)
Tea type
Semi-oxidized oolong with a heavier roast
Flavor
Rich liquor with ripe-fruit and roasted notes, full-bodied
Region
Zhinan and Maokong, Muzha, Taipei
Area
About 30 hectares (2019 data)
Tieguanyin’s rich roasted aroma pairs especially well with milk, so drink shops often make it into Tieguanyin lattes and Tieguanyin milk tea (further reading: what is Tieguanyin?, charcoal-roasted oolong).
From a batch of Anxi seedlings to a tea village in Taipei, Muzha Tieguanyin is a fine example of Taiwanese people making an imported tea their own. Caitang International Co., Ltd. (brand name Tang Sugar) is proud of Taiwanese oolong roasting craft and supplies drink shops overseas with:
Tieguanyin tea: for Tieguanyin lattes and Tieguanyin milk tea.
This article belongs to Stop 1, Taiwanese Tea, of the Taiwan Stories series. Series opener: Tang Sugar brand philosophy.
FAQ
What kind of tea is Tieguanyin?
Tieguanyin is a semi-oxidized oolong with a heavier roast, a rich liquor and ripe-fruit and roasted notes; Tieguanyin is also the name of the tea cultivar.
How did Muzha Tieguanyin begin?
The common account is that in 1919 Muzha tea master Chang Nai-miao and his cousin Chang Nai-chien brought Tieguanyin seedlings from Anxi, Fujian, and planted them on Zhanghu Mountain in Muzha.
What is 鐵觀音 in English?
鐵觀音 is usually written Tieguanyin or Iron Goddess of Mercy tea.
What does “true-cultivar Tieguanyin” mean?
It means tea made from the Tieguanyin cultivar itself, as distinct from other cultivars processed in the Tieguanyin style.
Is Tieguanyin good for milk tea?
Yes. Its roasted aroma goes well with milk, making it a popular base for Tieguanyin lattes and milk tea.
