
Xinzhongheng TeaXinzhongheng Tea
Flavour
Light-fragrance high mountain character
Good high-mountain conditions: cool air, plenty of rain and rich soil. The long growing season gives thick, soft leaf with a lot in it, and the high-mountain character to match — evenly rolled, with a sheen to the dry leaf.
Fair priceestimated
One jin is 600 g. Below NT$1,300, be sceptical.
A reasonable range is NT$2,000–4,000 per 600 g. Below NT$1,300, 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. This range is estimated from nearby regions and elevation; it has not been verified against listed prices.
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.
This price range is estimated from nearby regions and elevation and has not been verified, so compare for yourself.
Spring and winter lots fetch the highest prices and the best aroma; summer and autumn are a step down in both.
Specifications
About the origin
Strung along the New Central Cross-Island Highway at about 1,200–1,700 m. The gardens sit on hill slopes, and the area has grown with high-mountain farming.
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: tea region only (23.4800, 120.9000). This marks the growing area, not one specific garden.