Our yearly trip to the 2025 Nantou Global Tea Expo was an enjoyable success, but we did see some disappointing trends emerge. There seems to be a growing divergence between the expensive 'premium' and cheaper teas which has been challenging for many companies. While not unique to Taiwanese tea by any means, the divergence did seem to accelerate this year. Some of the things we noticed:
1. We found no new teas or exciting innovations during our visit this year. We couldn't even find the rumored new 'orange' style of tea to try. In the past, experimental cakes, new and interesting hybrid processing styles and unique cultivars were all available to try, evaluate and discuss. This year we didn’t find anything that was truly unique.
2. While generally the prices for things stayed about the same, it felt like the prices for 'certified organic' or 'premium' teas rose by 50% or more. It was pretty dramatic. The quality and complexity of the teas didn’t seem to change much, but the price certainly did!
3. The disappearance of many innovative and marginal companies from the show as the general bifurcation between premium and budget became more pronounced. Decent, clean, small and innovative companies seem to be getting squeezed out of the market and those new, less established companies that had tried some interesting or unique processes disappeared.
While we did see some disappointing trends at the tea show, the trip was by no means a negative experience. It was wonderful to see our friends and there is plenty of hope for the Taiwanese tea industry in the future. Some of the more positive trends at the show were:
1. Families, children, and younger generations were everywhere! It was wonderful to see many generations of teas enjoying tea together. The show was packed with people from all over Taiwan.
2. There was support from many levels of Taiwanese bureaucracy. There was a concert that was even broadcasted live onto national television!
3. Year after year the teas on offer become cleaner and cleaner. This year was no different and it is wonderful to see that more and more companies are placing their organic certifications and agrochemical test results in their booths. It also helps us while we sample the teas. Every year we get fewer and fewer headaches!
4. New generations are taking over and there were many young faces in the booths helping with the businesses. This year the shift seemed more dramatic as more and more younger members of families join their older family members in selling tea and talking to guests. The new generations seem to be taking over the Taiwanese Tea Industry.
Overall, the Taiwanese tea industry seems resilient and strong. The challenges are not unique to Taiwanese tea, but we seem to be at an inflection point. It will be very hard for many companies to survive without innovating and finding a unique niche. The days of offering generic 'High Mountain Oolong' seem to be drawing to a close...
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