Some great distilled wisdom in this one! Those traveling to Taiwan for tea often get caught out by the sheer size, complexity and skill of the local tea market. Especially those in search of good, cheap tea for their business. The blog post below, although more on the Chinese tea side of things, has a great set of perspectives to temper expectations and prepare you for your tea trip to Taiwan. It isn't easy to navigate the market here, especially on your first trip. Or your second. Read it here:
https://taiwanteaodyssey.com/what-to-expect-when-visiting-taiwan/
This blog is a great one if you haven't seen it yet and https://www.instagram.com/alexbtw886/ is a worthwhile follow on Instagram as well. Especially if you enjoy the post-fermented side of things.
When coming to Taiwan in search of good tea it is a good idea to bring a large dose of humility. I have heard of so many experiences where tea searchers get overwhelmed at the start of their trip and then desperately search for low quality, low priced teas in reseller warehouses on their last day in Taiwan. In many ways, a tea sourcing trip to Taiwan is like starting your tea journey again from scratch!
-Matt @ Mountain Stream Teas
PS This article has given me some ideas and sharpened my desire to help people share more Taiwanese tea. I think it is time to start designing a tea sourcing trip for Spring 2026...
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