
Tunyuan TeaTunyuan Tea
Flavour
Very pronounced cool mineral aroma with floral-fruity sweetness
Tunyuan stands at the trailhead of the Nenggao Cross-Ridge Trail, about 2,100 m, wild country with an enormous day-night swing. The tea carries a very strong cold-mineral scent; the liquor is a clear honey-gold with wild flowers and sweet fruit in it. Full and sweet on the palate with a long finish — one of the most distinctive high-cold teas in Ren'ai.
Fair priceestimated
One jin is 600 g. Below NT$1,500, be sceptical.
A reasonable range is NT$2,500–5,000 per 600 g. Below NT$1,500, 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
Near the trailhead of the Nenggao Cross-Ridge Trail in Ren'ai Township, Nantou, at about 2,100 m. High-cold country; the gardens are small and scattered.
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 (24.0700, 121.1800). This marks the growing area, not one specific garden.