
LongfengxiaLongfengxia
Flavour
Elegant floral aroma
The highest ground in Shanlinxi, and the aroma arrives before the cup does: orchid at the front, cedar and bamboo through the middle, then back to flowers at the end. The liquor is gold, soft and thick, and the mouth waters long after the swallow.
Fair priceverified
One jin is 600 g. Below NT$1,600, be sceptical.
A reasonable range is NT$2,400–4,500 per 600 g. Below NT$1,600, ask more questions. "High mountain tea" has no legal definition in Taiwan. Ask for the exact elevation and the road marker (K number). Competition-grade lots command a large premium. Ask which association ran the competition, which year, and for the seal.
What to ask when buying this
"High mountain tea" has no legal definition in Taiwan. The K number is a road milepost — the most concrete way to pin down origin. Asking it signals you have done your homework.
Grading standards differ between associations, so awards are not comparable across competitions. Genuine lots come with a seal and certificate.
Spring and winter lots fetch the highest prices and the best aroma; summer and autumn are a step down in both.
If they will not let you taste but want you to buy 600 g of something expensive, walk away. It is the simplest and most effective filter there is.
Specifications
About the origin
The top of the Shanlinxi range, ringed by moso bamboo and cedar. High ground and difficult terrain keep the plantable area small.
These figures will be updated if they change.
Brewing
Temperatures follow the official category guidance. Source: TRES — Effects of water quality and temperature on tea liquor
Common mistakes with this tea
95°C or above. Too cool and the roast aroma never opens, leaving it flat.
The window for temperature and timing is narrow. On your first try use slightly less leaf and shorter steeps.
Rolled-ball leaf needs the first infusion to open up; the second is then shorter.
Best drunk within two months.
What to eat with it
A chilled jelly has almost no flavour of its own; a heavily roasted tea would bury it. A fragrant, lightly oxidised tea lifts it instead.
Location accuracy: named locality (23.6280, 120.7720). This marks the growing area, not one specific garden.