Hi! I just discovered this forum, and it's very cool to see the knowledge and enthusiasm for tea displayed here. I'm currently on a 3 week trip in Taiwan, and I'd like to find some places to learn more about tea, and to buy some good quality tea (and maybe teaware) to bring back home.
My trip is still open ended, so I could visit some tea farms, but from what I've heard and read on here that's difficult. So I guess my best bet is to visit some shops where I can try teas before buying them. I saw [runefactory's recent thread on stores in Taipei](viewtopic.php?f=17&t=2575), and that already has some good recommendations. In my case, some of my favorite teas include grassy and milky lightly oxidized oolongs like unroasted Baozhong, charcoal roasted Si Ji Chun, but also some fruity hong cha, or Wuyi oolong (not sure if there exist similar teas in Taiwan?). I'd also enjoy some fresh green tea.
Can anyone provide me with some more recommendations, also outside of Taipei? I'm finding it a bit difficult to go on recommendations on Google Maps for instance, because they tend to be from people that have just started learning about tea, and they're usually a bit less discerning about quality.
Taiwan recommendations?
Best advice is to avoid shops where you can not try, otherwise just be open and drop in wherever you feel like, teashops are everywhere.
For fruity Hongcha look out for Gaoshan Hongcha.
There is Wuyi cultivar made Oolong in Taiwan, but it is different to Wuyi Yancha. Yancha is hard to get in Taiwan, at the moment it is not allowed to import in commercial quantities.
Do you also know when the shops will get this spring's gaoshan harvest?