Qing Xin Hua Gang Hong Cha 2024

The red tea Qing Xin Hua Gang Hong Cha comes from the Qing Xin cultivar and grows on the slopes of Li Shan mountain at an altitude of around 2,400 metres, near the picturesque village of Cui Hua.

Interestingly, tea growing in the Hua Gang area only began in 1990. What makes these teas so exceptional are the area’s unique climatic conditions. Large temperature differences between day and night, and the constant presence of clouds and mist throughout the year, create the ideal ground for teas of extraordinary quality. Because of this environment the tea bushes grow more slowly, which demands greater care, but the result is a tea with an intense aroma, a fascinating taste and a long-lasting finish. High-mountain teas from this area are rare, mainly due to the limited number of tea farms. Qing Xin Hua Gang Hong Cha ranks among the finest teas, and we guarantee that drinking it will be a true pleasure for your senses.

Region: Cui Hua, Li Shan (Taiwan)
Harvest: 2024
Cultivar: Qing Xin

12,50 €for 25 g

Packaging

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„A high-mountain red tea from the Qing Xin cultivar (Li Shan, ~2,400 m) - an intense aroma, a fascinating taste and a long-lasting finish.“- Tasting note

Preparation

How to prepare red tea

	Temperature	Dose	Time	Infusions
Gong Fu Cha Small teapot	90 °C	5 g / 100 ml	45 s	×10
Teapot Per 1 litre	90 °C	5 g / 1 L	3-4 min	×1

We adjust the steeping time to taste and the colour of the infusion.

Where it's from

Locality - Li Shan

Li Shan (梨山 · “Pear Mountain”) is one of the highest-lying tea areas in Taiwan, situated in the central Zhongyang Shanmai range in Heping district, Taichung. The gardens spread at altitudes of 1,700 - 2,600 m - the most famous sites, Fu Shou Shan and Da Yu Ling, are among the very highest commercial tea plantations in the world.

Until the 1980s the region grew mainly apples, pears and peaches - fruit growing was founded here by Kuomintang veterans after 1949, and the mountains were named after their characteristic pear production. Tea bushes came later; pilot plantations on the Fu Shou Shan state farm laid the foundation for the gradual transition from fruit to tea, which today forms Li Shan's main agricultural identity.

The climate is exceptionally favourable for tea - the average temperature in the main gardens stays around 10 - 15 °C, dense mist envelops the slopes most days of the year and protects the leaves from direct sun. The cool, humid air slows growth, the leaves are smaller and fleshier, with a higher concentration of aromatic compounds and amino acids. Irrigation is not needed.

Li Shan's speciality is a high-mountain oolong from the Qing Xin cultivar (青心烏龍) - lightly oxidised (15 - 25 %), rolled into balls, mostly unroasted or only gently finished. The liquor is light gold, the aroma markedly floral (orchids, white flowers), the taste creamy and sweet with a long finish. The most prized are the spring harvest (April - May) and the winter harvest (November - December). Li Shan is among the most prestigious and most expensive teas in Taiwan.

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