San Xia Pi Lo Chun – Green Tea

Brew & Taste

After brewing, this tea develops a fresh, pure aroma and colors the water with a light, sparkly sheen. The taste is sweet, mild, and smooth, with a pleasant buttery fullness and a slight, refreshing, balsamic quality. You’ll notice both the floral freshness of high-altitude oolongs and the rounded sweetness of young tea leaves. Each sip is bright and brings a lasting aftertaste. We think it’s the power of the Taiwanese sun, bringing warmth into our homes.

Origins

San Xia Bi Luo Chun is a tea whose origins are linked to the turbulent history of the 20th century. When trade with mainland China became unbearably complicated due to wars and political changes, growers in the hilly area south of Taipei decided to try their hand at Chinese-style green teas. They modeled their tea on the famous Pi Lo Chun from Suzhou, but gradually, the local tea evolved into an original Taiwanese specialty. The processing techniques – pan roasting, gentle rolling, and careful drying – remained similar, but the location and variety gave the result a unique character.

The San Xia region, located at an altitude of 300-600 meters, offers ideal conditions for tea cultivation: a humid subtropical climate, hilly terrain with natural drainage, and mineral-rich soil. The tea grown here is of the Qing Xin Gan Zi variety, less common than the better-known Qing Xin, but prized for its delicacy and slightly almond-like, bean-sweet taste. Harvesting takes place more frequently than in other areas – every 10 to 14 days – and focuses exclusively on the youngest buds, which give the drink its delicacy and purity. Interestingly, local factories decide on processing based on the quality of the fresh leaves: some harvests are turned into green Pi Lo Chun, others into Lung Ching, oolong, or hong cha.

Tea leaves are supplied for processing by nearly a hundred small farmers from the surrounding hills, but it is the careful selection by experienced masters that ensures the premium quality of the final products. Families who have been involved in production for generations know well which plantations and altitudes produce leaves with the best structure and taste. The San Xia area is thus gradually becoming the main center of green tea production in Taiwan, although it is best known worldwide for its oolong teas.

From its original attempt to replace Chinese green tea, San Xia Pi Lo Chun has evolved into a beverage that today represents a unique and respected symbol of Taiwanese tea culture. It combines vegetal freshness, delicate sweetness, and floral lightness, proving that Taiwan has much more to offer than just its famous oolongs.

Tea packaging preview

We pack our teas in a strong, zip-lock aluminum packet which allows you to easily re-seal its contents. This container protects the quality of the tea against humidity, light or foreign odors, all of which could noticeably affect the quality of the brew.