Adventures in Taiwan
April 2025, I had the opportunity to help produce this tea myself in Luye, Taitung, Taiwan. I was already in Taipei, but needed to get down to Taitung for a rare opportunity in the next 12 hours, stat! With little information except basically, "meet me here, at this time" I figured, okay lets see how this goes! The train ride was 8 hours, and after arriving I noticed no taxi apps. After arranging something with a cab driver, there was an additional 1 hour drive. I sent my last text right before that to my friend, "see you here, at this time". After that there was no cell service. The drive was pretty, but it was also extremely remote, I was headed on my way to a tiny town with no guaranteed way back to Taipei, and my flight was leaving in 4 days.
Fortunately my tea friend is trustworthy so he was right there as I arrived. He warmly welcomed me, poured me a cup of tea, and spent the next 72 hours showing me his entire process, his tea plants, and his charcoal roasting operation.
From fresh leaf to rolled oolong
Arriving at the tea production center and smelling the picked leaves starting to oxidize was something I hope to never forget. The aroma of wet tea leaves that are quickly breaking down is a bit like a combination of walking inside a flower shop, and the smell of freshly cut grass. As it breaks down even more, the scent becomes more floral and fruity and less grassy. After many hours of careful observation comes the kill-green process (sha qing) (杀青) where you slightly "fry" the leaves to stop the oxidation. It halts any further enzymatic progress, and from there you can begin to roll the oolong into its classic ball-rolled "pearl shape". (see the image below for a sneak-peak into that process) 
Inside the charcoal roasting room
At this point most of the immediate work is done. Charcoal roasting will not happen right away, but in a few months after the tea has rested a proper amount and the amino acids, catechins, and other plant compounds have time to settle. I did however, get to visit the charcoal roasting facility, run by a kindly husband and wife duo, who follow traditional methods. The smell of freshly picked tea is incredible, but the smell of roasting tea? It was absolutely transcendent, like a sugary sweet-smelling candy shop mixed with freshly baked pastries. If the room wasn't close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit and didn't feel like a small sauna, I would have liked to stay longer. Seeing how the charcoal is used and the authenticity, and extra labor that goes into that part of the tea process made me respect the difference between "electric roast" and "charcoal roast". It really is a fraction of the effort to just use an oven and "toast" the tea that way, but the aroma of burning wood cannot be replicated. So for me this was a special part of the trip - I had never even considered this part before, and yet here was a critical piece as to why some of the best oolongs I had ever tasted had such a depth of flavor, and lovely notes of caramel, toast, and honey.
Why it’s called “Da Ye”
Da Ye (大葉) simply means "big leaf". It's a tea cultivar named for its large leaves, like the one in the photo at the top of this post. (If you're curious what a cultivar is, I explain it in What are Tea Cultivars?) Working with Da Ye Oolong firsthand was particularly memorable because it was my first time actually participating in tea processing, not just observing or watching yet another Youtube video about it. It was hard work! I got a splinter from tossing the tea around on bamboo trays, was extremely sleep deprived, very sweaty, and often waiting around for long hours until the next part of the process could begin. You need a lot of patience, and a lot of caffeine to process tea. Fortunately, the tea farmers often have both in abundance.
The first taste
Tasting the tea for the first time immediately after was another highlight, everyone gathered around and excitedly shared their thoughts. Freshly processed oolong is generally much better after a resting period of a few months, but even with just 72 hours the tea tasted delightful! There are tea cultures in many parts of the world, and I hope to visit more someday! But this trip to Taiwan was very special, and the people there were truly kind and humble tea professionals, who absolutely love this beautiful plant and its very enjoyable effects.
I recommend steeping this tea 12 rounds if you have enough time, it's a memorable one.
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