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Tunyuan Tea
AromaBitternessBody

Tunyuan Tea

Ren'ai Tea Region Tunyuan 2100m Elevation 2100 m
FruityCool Mineral

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

2,5005,000 NT$ / 600 g

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

Which K marker? Which peak?

"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.

Is this a competition tea? Which association, which year?

Grading standards differ between associations, so awards are not comparable across competitions. Genuine lots come with a seal and certificate.

Compare two or three sellers first

This price range is estimated from nearby regions and elevation and has not been verified, so compare for yourself.

Which season is this from?

Spring and winter lots fetch the highest prices and the best aroma; summer and autumn are a step down in both.

Specifications

TypeOolong tea
Leaf styleBall-rolled oolong
CultivarQingxin Oolong
HarvestSpring & Winter
Oxidation / RoastLightly oxidised Unroasted
CharacterSlightly cooling
Brewing latitudeFairly narrow
ConstitutionGood for warm constitutions

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

Water temp.95–100 °C
Leaf to water3g / 150ml
Infusion times60 45 60 80 sec
Cold brew5 g per 500 ml, 7 h refrigerated
Harvest months4、5、11、12 月

Temperatures follow the official category guidance. Source: TRES — Effects of water quality and temperature on tea liquor

Common mistakes with this tea

Use hot enough water

95°C or above. Too cool and the roast aroma never opens, leaving it flat.

Little room for error

The window for temperature and timing is narrow. On your first try use slightly less leaf and shorter steeps.

A longer first infusion is normal

Rolled-ball leaf needs the first infusion to open up; the second is then shorter.

Seal it and keep it dark

Best drunk within two months.

What to eat with it

Fenguo JellyAn amber sweet-potato-starch jelly, springy rather than sticky, often served in the same bowl as douhua.
Aiyu JellyNatural pectin washed from aiyu seeds, served with lemon and syrup. Almost flavourless on its own — the tea supplies the aroma.

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.

This one is Taiwan-only — not available overseasHere are the closest teas we can actually ship you:

Location accuracy: named locality (24.0700, 121.1800). This marks the growing area, not one specific garden.