【2025年春有機茶コンテスト優質獎】#029有機栽培冬山翠玉烏龍｜Organic TTES No.13 (Cuiyu) Oolong

The name "Taiwan Tea No. OO" refers to a Taiwanese tea plant variety that was announced by the Tea Improvement Center of the Ministry of Agriculture after decades of research. These varieties are not only given numbers, but also attractive names every time. For example, Taiwan Tea No. 13 was given the beautiful name "Cuiyu"(means "Green Jade").

 Although Cuiyu, introduced in 1981, appeared at the same time as the famous Jinhsuan (Taiwan Tea No. 12), the amount cultivated is extremely small compared to Jinhsuan. Like Jinhsuan, it grows quickly, and the size of the shoots and leaves is larger than that of the Chinshin Oolong variety, which has long been the most widely cultivated variety. The Ministry of Agriculture encouraged the cultivation of Cuiyu, but there are two main reasons why its cultivation area did not expand. First, compared to Jinhsuan, the survival rate of cuttings is low and the number of shoots is small, making it a tea variety that requires a lot of effort for tea farmers, and Jinhsuan, which is the same generation, was quickly accepted by many tea farmers. On the other hand, for tea makers, Cuiyu has a very strong aroma when made into Baozhong tea or oolong tea, but it is said that it is difficult to bring out that strong aroma and make it delicious. As a result, the amount cultivated is gradually decreasing.

 Once you drink a delicious Cuiyu oolong tea, you will never forget the aroma that fills your mouth. The taste is mellow, and you can feel the aroma of white flowers filling the back of your nose.

 Typically, Cuiyu tea is produced in small quantities, so it is somewhat more expensive than other teas from the same altitude and variety.

 ~Trivia about Yilan tea~
 The appearance and shape of tea produced in Yilan is somewhere between the long stripe-shaped tea leaves of Wenshan Baozhong tea and the round-rolled oolong tea leaves of high mountain tea, and is generally called "half-rolled". It is also commonly called "shrimp-shaped", which refers to the shape of the tea leaves resembling dried shrimp. This is a tea leaf shape unique to this region, and is one of the characteristics of Yilan tea. It does not break even when vacuum-packed like rolled tea, but it opens up faster than rolled tea, allowing for faster extraction.

 You may not see them often in the market, but next time you see a half-rolled tea leaf, ask if it is from Yilan. Surprisingly, you might even see it from a professional tea taster.

Aroma & Taste
 Jasmine, ginseng, ginger leaves, palm flowers

How to make it
 Organic cultivation, tea picking → withering → killing blue → rolling → drying → shaping → complete drying

Origin Yilan Dongshan 

Varieties Cuiyu (Taiwan Tea No. 13) 

Elevation 100m 

Fermentation ★★☆☆☆ 
Roasting ★☆☆☆☆ 
Production period December 

remarks
 After opening, it is recommended to avoid direct sunlight and humidity and use as soon as possible.

 Tea leaves: Water
 5g: 150ml

 Water temperature
 98 degrees

 Extraction time (H)
 First brew: 2 minutes
 Second brew: 2 minutes 30 seconds
 Third brew: 3 minutes 30 seconds
 *It is recommended to use Taiwan double cup to enjoy the aroma.

 Cold Brew (C)
 5g tea leaves to 600ml water, refrigerate for 6-8 hours