
Jiayang TeaJiayang Tea
Flavour
Elegant floral and fruity notes
Xinjiayang is one of the two or three largest areas in Lishan, spread over four hilltops facing the Deji Reservoir — the view alone is worth it. The liquor is clear and bright, sweet and crisp, with a natural flower-and-fruit scent that nothing else quite matches.
Fair priceverified
One jin is 600 g. Below NT$1,700, be sceptical.
A reasonable range is NT$3,000–6,000 per 600 g. Below NT$1,700, 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
In Lishan Village, Heping District, Taichung, on the upper Dajia River. The gardens cover four hilltops over a wide area.
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 (24.2500, 121.2120). This marks the growing area, not one specific garden.