Black · Yuchi Township, Taiwan
Organic Shan Cha "Wild Mountain" Black Tea
Free shipping over $75 (US only).
Tasting notes
About these tasting notes
These are the tasting notes we and others pick up most often. Palates vary, so you may catch some, all, or different ones — flavor is personal and subjective. Nothing is added: there are no added flavorings in this tea. Any notes you find developed naturally in the tea plant through rediscovered artisanal processing techniques.
About these tasting notes
These are the tasting notes we and others pick up most often. Palates vary, so you may catch some, all, or different ones — flavor is personal and subjective. Nothing is added: there are no added flavorings in this tea. Any notes you find developed naturally in the tea plant through rediscovered artisanal processing techniques.
Effects
About these effects
These are the effects people most often report from this tea. Bodies differ, so treat them as a common guide rather than a promise — most people notice at least one, but what you feel is personal.
About these effects
These are the effects people most often report from this tea. Bodies differ, so treat them as a common guide rather than a promise — most people notice at least one, but what you feel is personal.
Shan Cha - Untouched Tea from the Mountains
Shan Cha (山茶), meaning “Mountain Tea,” is Taiwan’s rare native wild tea, Camellia formosensis, which evolved naturally in the island’s mountain forests rather than being introduced from Fujian like most Taiwanese cultivars. Long before cultivated tea arrived, Taiwan’s indigenous peoples harvested Shan Cha for medicinal and ceremonial use.
Unlike standardized cultivars such as Jin Xuan (TTES No. 12), Shan Cha grows as scattered wild bushes and is difficult to cultivate, so production is extremely limited and much of it must still be hand-harvested. Most supplies of this rare wild tea never leave Taiwan. This makes authentic Shan Cha a highly sought-after tea collector's item—and, of course, this one is 100% organic.
When made into black tea, it produces a smooth, savory-sweet cup with distinctive notes of blackberry, honey, cream, raisin, and freshly baked oatmeal cookies.
Notes from Staff: Great tea for a book, a movie, or a quiet afternoon at home. It’s also a fun one to share with friends because very few people ever get the chance to taste Taiwan’s original wild tea. A rare treat!
Old Mountain Tea Guarantee
Our teas are guaranteed free from harmful chemicals. We source directly from small, clean family farms that take real pride in their work — no middlemen, no anonymous blends. Many of these teas are bug-bitten, and leafhoppers only feed on gardens grown without pesticides, so the leaf itself is living proof the garden is clean. Every tea is grown to organic standards and traceable to the farm that made it.
Origin & Terroir
- Cultivar
About this cultivar
Shan Cha (山茶), meaning “Mountain Tea,” is Taiwan’s rare indigenous wild tea, scientifically classified as Camellia formosensis and formerly considered a subspecies of Camellia sinensis. Unlike most Taiwanese cultivars introduced from Fujian, Shan Cha evolved naturally on the island and retains a distinctly wild character that requires skilled processing to tame. It is also an important parent of celebrated Taiwanese hybrids such as Red Ruby #18 and Hong Yun #21, passing along the distinctive fruity qualities found in those cultivars.
Because authentic Shan Cha is difficult to cultivate, found in scattered wild populations, and rarely exported from Taiwan, it remains an especially scarce and prestigious tea. One point of confusion is “Shancha 1,” a registered high-yield Camellia sinensis cultivar developed in mainland China; in the global tea world, however, Shan Cha (山茶) generally refers to the rare wild Taiwanese Camellia formosensis.
- Shan Cha(山茶) "mountain tea" (Camellia formosensis)
- Status
- Rare
- Processing method
- Black Tea(Hong Cha) (紅茶)
- Charcoal roast level
- 0%
- Region
- Yuchi Village, Yuchi Township, Nantou County, Taiwan
- Harvest
- Spring 2026(Organic)
- Elevation
- 670 meters
- Climate
- Misty, Mountainous, Temperate
- Oxidation level
What oxidation level means
Oxidation is what turns green tea into oolong or black tea — as leaves are bruised and rested, enzymes react with oxygen and deepen their color and flavor. Green tea sees almost none; oolong ranges widely; black tea is oxidized fully.
- Picking style
Why picking style matters
Hand-plucking means workers select each bud and leaf by touch, one at a time — far slower and more expensive than machine harvesting, but gentler on the leaf. As labor costs rise, fewer gardens still pick this way, making hand-plucked tea increasingly rare.
- Hand Plucked
- Bug-bitten level
- 0%
How to brew it
Leaf · 5 g
Water · purified soft water, freshly boiled
First infusion · 20 seconds
Each infusion after · add 15 sec
Up to 12 infusions
Leaf · 5 g
Water · purified soft water, freshly boiled
First infusion · 2 minutes
Second infusion · 5 minutes
Third infusion · 10 minutes
