Wang Family Tea: BROTHER AND SISTER

Taiwan is not immediately known as a tea country. Yet here you will find a selection of the best and most unique Oolong teas. Wang Family Tea, based in Nantou County, has since been producing tea for four generations. The youngest generation, consisting of brother Joshua and sister Ivy, aims to make their tea available all over the world. To achieve this, they work with family and befriended tea farmers from various tea gardens. These are located in well-known tea regions such as Bagua Shan, Shanlin Xi, Lugu Dong Ding, Lugao (Sun Moon Lake area) and Alishan.
Today, Wang Family Tea is the only international selling tea company fully owned by Taiwanese tea farmers, without using brokers or middlemen.

TEA IN TAIWAN

As in many other tea countries, farmers in Taiwan face serious problems. Profit margins are under severe pressure, physically a job as a farmer or tea roaster is enormously hard. Younger generations are leaving the countryside in droves, opting for well-paid jobs in the city. The older generations are left behind, with no prospect of a younger generation taking over their tea gardens.

"Wang Family wants to share the best tea from Taiwan with the rest of the world: we believe that with every sip of our tea, tea lovers around the world can enjoy the Taiwanese tradition."

Joshua Wang

Wang Family Tea

ORIGIN OF WANG FAMILY TEA

Initially, the Wang family helped some of these befriended (elderly) tea farmers manage their tea gardens. Over time, the family took these gardens into their own management. They also have friends in all major tea regions of Taiwan, friendships that often go back several generations. This allows the family to offer tea from all these regions.

SUSTAINABILITY

The Wang family places enormous importance on traditional and sustainable farming practices, passed down from generation to generation. Instead of resorting to modern farming techniques, they prefer to let nature do its work.

For example, the family uses recycled peanut shells as natural ground cover. Organically grown yellow beans are added to this to return nutrients to the soil.
The family also tries to save as much water as possible. Simple measures, such as fixing leaky water pipes, make a big difference in a year’s time.
Trees, weeds, grass or other plants are not pruned as long as they do not disturb the tea plants. All pruning activities are done by hand, without using herbicides or other chemical methods.

"Taiwan's picturesque landscape contains a richness like no other. It is not in precious minerals and gemstones, nor in the abundant wildlife, but rather in the simple and unobtrusive tea tree."

Joshua Wang

Wang Family Tea

TRADITIONAL CHARCOAL ROASTING

What makes the tea even more unique is the use of traditional charcoal roasting for roasting the tea. Most modern roasters in Taiwan use electricity or gas. The Wang family uses only high-quality longan charcoal, sourced from a nearby renewable forest.
Roasting tea on charcoal is a delicate and time-consuming task. In fact, it requires a keen sense of smell and a lot of experience. To ensure that the tea is roasted to the highest quality standards in Taiwan, the family must remain extremely vigilant throughout the roasting process.

All these efforts ensure unique flavours in every cup of tea!