Tea Tasting

The shop outside Taipei where we experienced tea tasting

It’s now Thursday May 28, 2023. Kia ora!

On Tuesday we went on a tea-tasting tour, which I have not written about yet. We took a van out of Taipei, driving over the river and through East Taipei, on spectacular freeways into the hills. After a time we turned off and the roads became steeper, the hills more mountainous, and any habitations a bit run down, although there were shrines from time to time. The area seemed mostly uninhabited, and semi-tropical, as we climbed higher and higher. The driver was very good, I didn’t feel unsafe at all. After about an hour we stopped at a lookout about 1000 metres above sea level, and got out of the van. We could see tea plantations on the steep hillsides, and we could also see a reservoir that serves Taipei, although it was considerably reduced. The guide explained you usually couldn’t see the brown banks, although there was still lots of water there. The lookout had an eight-sided figure, obviously well-tended, with different tea plants in it.

The eight-sided figure

The diminished reservoir, above and below

A tea farm: the banks where tea is planted are extremely steep, which the photo doesn’t convey

The road was spectacular – well engineered, well fenced, and with a double yellow line for the most part. Banks were well secured with concrete or netting.

Soon after, we stopped at a pretty run-down place to have another look at the view: we walked over some quite rough terrain this time, but there was another shrine there, too, and some stuff for sale, although no one bought anything.

A roadside shrine, at another lookout point

Then we drove on to a very picturesque town (Pinglin), and over a bridge to a tea museum. We climbed up some steps, and spent an hour there. It was quite interesting, although most descriptions were in Chinese. It was quite philosophical, with quotations from Albert Einstein, and some very climate-focussed displays. You could smell various types of tea (mostly varieties of Oolong tea), and there was, of course, a shop. I couldn’t buy any tea to take home, I’m not a great tea drinker anyway, but we bought a comic book for our grandson. It came in a beautiful carry bag, as does every purchase. I am saving these beautiful bags.

Over the bridge to the tea museum

Back in the town for tea tasting; this was a very narrow street, our van could barely fit driving in it.

Then we drove back across the river (noisy, with its small waterfall), into the town, up a very narrow street, reminding me of parts of France and Italy. We drove along a very narrow street and stopped at a tea house, where we were evidently expected. We sat around a table, and sampled three types of tea. There was some ceremony to all this, which involves using two teapots, and not letting the tea brew for long. There was also a ceremony in which you invert two tea containers, and then rub the hot one that previously contained tea around your cheeks and the back of your neck. I managed to spill mine the first time, the tea was so hot, but I managed it the second time.

The two tea containers: the hot tea is poured into the tube-like container; you hold the saucer-like container over the top, and invert them quickly, leaving the hot tea in the cup, and the warm thimble-like container to rub on your face and the back of your neck.

The first tea was quite weak; the second was a honey-flavoured Oolong tea. Evidently the leaves are bitten by a small cicada-like insect, which gives the tea its special flavour.

An image of the insect biting the tea leaves

After the ceremonial tea tasting (you’re supposed to hold the tea in your mouth for a few seconds before swallowing), we were each given a crunchy peanut candy to munch with the tea (and warned about peanut allergy). This family earn prizes for their tea, which is tasted and then spat out much as wine is tasted. It was all quite weak to me, but very good. There was no mention whatsoever of the caffeine content! The idea was that in times of trouble, Covid 19, or whatever, just enjoy drinking tea to calm yourself down.

At the tea museum

Then we were free to buy teas, or little tea sets, with the charming little tea pots and tiny saucer-like cups, so different from Western mugs! We bought some of the honey-flavoured tea for our daughter-in-law, and a set of wee cups to take home. These purchases, again, came in a beautiful carry bag, and I was glad JD had decided to bring his backpack, since it could hold everything.

Some of the tea sets for sale

The trip back to Taipei was much faster, since we took free ways and tunnels rather than winding back the way we’d come. Of course, we ran into traffic, so it was slow though once we reached the city. We were due for our grandson’s birthday party at 6 pm (birthday song and birthday cake), and in the event got back a few minutes after 6 pm.

On our way back we passed Taipei 101, the very tall building with a lookout.

The wee boy, who turns 6 in July, was very energetic, but we enjoyed his cake, and some Taiwanese whisky (which tastes like Laphroiag). Then another friend and her daughter joined the group.

JD and I walked back to the hotel, buying more cheese slices on the way. We feasted on cheese and crackers, fruit, and a beautiful chocolate bread filled with chocolate cake that our eldest son had given us.

Today we must leave this beautiful place. Last night I didn’t sleep too well; this was not helped by JD turning the lights on at 5:40 am! I was awake, but trying to go back to sleep. He went back to sleep himself, of course. Never mind, it’s overcast and wet here, just like when we arrived.

We went down to breakfast (fruit and coffee – although they had our delicious meatballs on the buffet). After that, I showered and then I could pack my spongebag. I am trying to be organised for coming back to a colder climate, and then going to Hawkes Bay again. I will have to pick up something to wear to the Hōhepa party on Saturday night, and our breakfast bag. Back to reality, then!

We are to check out of the hotel by 11 am (we can leave our bags here), and meet our eldest son in the hotel lobby. He really has been wonderful giving up so much time to look after us so well. Our other two sons are due to leave on a train at 10 am this morning to spend two days in Taiwan’s next biggest city. So yesterday was a time for goodbyes.

Yesterday morning my son from the UK offered to meet me at Da’an Park. However I’d slept a bit later than usual, and was quite disoriented. Accordingly we met at 8:15 am (he was a bit sweaty after a run), and went for coffee at the Dancing Goat café. This was next level coffee, however – he offered to shout me drip coffee (his latest rave), instead of the espresso(egg cup)/Americano (mug sized) usual offering for a black coffee. The host recognised me (there was hardly anyone there), and brought over coffee grounds for us to sniff: from Ethiopian or Hawaiian beans. Both smelt wonderful; he brought over two trays of coffee made from each. I chose Ethiopian, although I meant to choose Hawaiian. It was wonderful – a cup of black coffee, and a glass tube of coffee in a cup of iced water. He’s already brought glasses of water to our table.

Next level coffee at The Dancing Goat café near our hotel

A map of the world at the Dancing Goat Café, showing Aotearoa/New Zealand.

We had a lovely chat, and then our other son from Wellington joined us. I tried to raise JD, but couldn’t get any reply. I returned to the hotel for breakfast at 9:45 am, and ended up having some fruit and juice on my own – they were keen to close the breakfast buffet by 10 am.

Then we met our eldest son and his wife to go to our granddaughter’s school. She had a half-day that day. On the way, we passed a street market, with many stalls and food offerings, cooked and uncooked, Western and Taiwanese. Our eldest son bought some treats there. It’s not sophisticated, but you can see the food being cooked, and everyone wants to preserve their reputation. Apparently closer to midday there are queues there! Then we met our granddaughter and walked to another quite modern vegan restaurant. Our other two sons joined us there. I ordered a salad with boysenberry yoghurt dressing: the dressing was separate from the salad, but actually it just tasted like boysenberry yoghurt. I had a rose vinegar drink, which had tapioca in it! I realised later that bubble tea is actually beautiful tea with bubbles in it, the bubbles being tapioca! This restaurant had lots of vegan things that purported to be different kinds of meat or fish: there was one slimy yellow dish that one son said tasted like squid, but apparently represented tripe! There were also some delicious chocolate balls. Very chocolatey, but very nice to eat.

After that, we went to a bubble tea place, and JD and I agreed to share one, but although the black tea was delicious, we found the bubbles a bit much.

Then we got a bus back to Heping Street. We visited the used books store, which was now open, but although I recognised several titles, I didn’t see anything I wanted to buy. JD did, though. Then we had a rest before going back to Heping Street to watch our grandchildren doing Taekwondo again.

We also looked at the Boutique next door, which was also open; I asked the price of a couple of items, and it was $4,500 Taiwan dollars. There wasn’t really anything I had to have, and they didn’t seem too eager to sell us anything either.

After the grandchildren’s Taekwondo lesson, we walked them home, and said goodbye. We were to meet our other two sons for dinner at a Plants restaurant, booked for 6 pm. We couldn’t raise them on Messenger. JD wanted to walk there, but it was quite a long way on the other side of Da’an Park. It was also drizzling with rain. He also suggested catching a bus, but which one? We caught a taxi, but had trouble convincing the driver where we wanted to go. JD used google maps (and got rather cross), but the driver was wonderful and took us to a church opposite. We got there before our sons, but went in and sat down.

Well, we had another beautiful meal. I had a salad again, which had dressing on the side, diced apple, raisins, quinoa, tomato and probably a few other things, on some beautiful lettuce that I’d not seen before; there were delicious sweet potato chips, and we shared a bottle of sparkling rosé wine. Afterwards, we shared delicious cheese-cake type desserts – blueberry, caramel and chocolate. The servings here are quite small, and don’t come with the lashings of cream and ice cream that you tend to get in New Zealand restaurants. Their “cheesecakes” are probably less calorific than traditional cheesecakes, with their sugar, cream cheese and cream perhaps.

After that we took a taxi back to our hotel, and said good bye to our sons from the UK and from Wellington. The local one will return in a few days’ time. It’s good to have time to pack in an orderly fashion!

Till next time, Slava Ukraini! Ngā mihi nui.