Taishan Sijiu (Four Nine) County Black Tea (台山四九紅茶)

One of the Taishan’s most popular teas is the black tea that comes from Sijiu (translated as “Four Nine Town”). Sijiu’s proximity to the Beifeng Mountains endows the town with dense forests, lush vegetation, and frequent rainfall—conditions ideal for planting tea. Local residents have a long history with tea cultivation and production dating back centuries. Cultivated with respect for tradition, every harvest is meticulously handpicked, processed, and charcoal-roasted by farmers who continue to rely on techniques passed down for generations. 

Grown in the hillsides of Sijiu, the Taishan Sijiu Black Tea remains under the radar in the tea world but leaves a distinct impression. Its rich fragrance is sweet and floral like the smoothest milk tea that can be found in Hong Kong, while the tea’s lingering fragrance is reminiscent of premium Yunnan Black Tea. 

Tasting Notes: Full-bodied rich, hint of smokiness, dried logan

• Full-bodied rich with a hint of sweet floral scent and smokiness; like dried longan.

• The flavor hits the palette gently with a light and smooth taste possessing zero bitterness. 

• The tea imparts a long-lasting aftertaste with the sweet fragrance lingering mildly in the mouth minutes after swallowing.

Brewing Guide:

1. Measure 1 heaping teaspoon of tea to a medium-sized gaiwan or a 5-6 oz cup. 

2. Bring the water to a boil and allow it cool for 5 minutes (95-98℃). Pour enough water to submerge tea leaves and immediately pour out this first brew.

3. Refill gaiwan to the top and steep for 10-20 seconds or until desired concentration before serving the tea. Rebrew as needed

Taishan Wild Grown Cloud & Mist White Tea (台山野生雲霧茶)

Grown in the remote mountains of Guangdong, the rich flavor of the Cloud & Mist White Tea is a nostalgia-inducing brew for many Taishanese people in diaspora. 

The white tea flourishes mainly in the Southeast face of the Beifeng mountain, where abundant sun and moonshine, cool climate, and salty breeze from the nearby sea provide perfect conditions for the plant’s growth. The tea is so reliant on these geographic factors that it cannot be found in any other area of the same mountain. 

Hand picked, sun-dried, and packaged, the Cloud & Mist tea is an organic tea that is produced in small batches with no additional manipulation needed to bring out its flavors. 

While the tea’s uniquely sweet flavor makes it a beloved brew for many, it is also consumed by locals for its herbal benefits. Elders from the area would often say that, “drinking the tea is enough to eliminate the need for any other herbal brews.” This is because the Cloud & Mist Tea features Traditional Chinese Medicine properties that cools and detoxifies the body, reduces damp heat, and reinvigorates the spirit.

The Cloud & Mist White Tea is an irreplaceable flavor that Taishanese people continue to crave despite years spent away from their ancestral home. And during rare visits back, many Chinatown residents would stock up on the tea to last until their next possible trip. 

Tasting Notes: Full-bodied sweetness, herbal notes, bamboo leaves

• In its dried form, the tea features full-bodied sweetness and herbal notes with nuances of anise. 

• With a fragrant flavor that is robust and floral like black tea, the tea is sweet and surprisingly thick for a young white tea. 

• The flavor coats the tongue with a slightly earthy taste of bamboo leaves (like the ones used in preparing zongzi) and leaves a sweetness that lingers after tasting. 

Gongfu Tea Brewing Guide:

1. Measure 1 heaping tablespoon of tea to a medium-sized clay teapot.

2. Bring water to boil (100℃). Pour in enough water to submerge tea leaves and immediately pour out this first brew.

3. Refill teapot to the top and steep for 20-30 seconds or until desired concentration before serving the tea. This tea needs to steam for a bit to bring out its flavor. 

4. Rebrew as needed. Can be enjoyed at hot, cold, or room temperature.

Taishan Wild Grown White Cloud Tea (台山野生白雲茶)

In Taishan, the wild grown White Cloud Tea has been revered by its local people since the Ming dynasty. Traditionally harvested in a narrow 2-month period before and after the Qingming festival, the White Cloud Tea is found deep in the forests of the Gudou Mountain Range. The tea’s name can be attributed to its growth at high elevations where it thrives under a constant shroud of fog and cloud. With each tree growing far away from the next, only the most experienced tea pickers know where to find the plant and very few dare to venture off-road. For this reason, very small batches of the tea are produced each year and White Cloud tea remains relatively unknown in the tea world with production and consumption of the rare tea mostly limited to the Taishanese people.

In the early 2000’s, the White Cloud tea was on the brink of disappearance. Knowledge of cultivating the tea was lost as experienced tea pickers retired or passed away and few people  from the next generation were keen to take up the grueling and risky work. Over the past few years, Teafucious from Grand Tea & Imports set out to preserve the dying Taishanese treasure by partnering with local entrepreneurs to push the local government to fund White Cloud tea research and development. These efforts have helped the tea make a comeback in the local market and is now being scoped as a potential source of economic development for the region.

The White Cloud tea is consumed by Taishan locals as an age-old remedy to boost alertness and to treat inflammation, diarrhea, sore throat, cough, labored breathing, phlegm, headache, lethargy, fever, and pinkeye. 

Tasting Notes: Deep aroma, cedar wood, bold and bitter

• Deep aroma and reminiscent of cedar wood, with slightly smoky taste. Depending on regionality, there can also be a slight floral scent that is reminiscent of roses.

• Strong, bold and bitter flavor with a hint of charred flavor, and smooth taste. After swallowing, the aroma of the tea stays in the back of your throat. 

• Note: Due to the small batch production of White Cloud tea and variances in processing techniques across tea artisans, the flavor and aromas of the tea will differ with each harvest. Current flavor notes may not be indicative of future tastings. 

Gongfu Tea Brewing Guide:

1. Measure 1 heaping teaspoon of tea to a medium-sized gaiwan or 5-6 oz cup. 

2. Bring the water to a boil and allow it cool for 5 minutes (95-98℃). 

3. Pour enough water to submerge tea leaves and immediately pour out this first brew.

4. Refill gaiwan to the top and steep for 10-15 seconds or until desired concentration before serving the tea. One serving of White Cloud Tea can be rebrewed approximately 10 times and still retain its flavor.

Pro tip: Dried White Cloud tea leaves can be infused with honey and preserved in a clean jar for 3-4 months. Locals will take this honey tea preserve and combine it with hot water to create a natural remedy for upset stomachs and diarrhea. Leftover brewed leaves are then pounded down and applied over the eyes to help treat pinkeye.