Origin Spotlight: Mingjian Village, Nantou, Taiwan

Around the world, Taiwan is well-known as a country that produces highly specialized teas. The Mingjian Village is situated in the central highlands of Nantou, Taiwan and the gardens here are incredible. Jui Lung focuses on the importance of allowing nature to nurture the grounds. This can be seen in one of the small Wu-Yi gardens—Hong Yu 18 trees on the border, culinary herbs between the tea bush rows and plenty of nitrogen fixing “weeds” to maintain healthy and living soils.

The Hong Yu garden, from where we source our Hong Yu Ruby 18, is surrounded by a border of trees. This border allows a place for birds to nest and, in turn, the birds eat pests that harm tea shoots. When walking through the grounds, you see turmeric growing amidst the tea trees in the signature red soil.

The same rich, red soils that cultivate our oolong and red teas in Mingjian Village of Taiwan’s central highlands are also used to grow premium turmeric roots. Red Turmeric, Purple Turmeric, Curcuma aromatica and other related roots thrive at the oolong tea farms. The farm uses neighboring rows of tea and turmeric to maximize the use of its precious land. This provides an additional commercial crop during the “off peak” tea harvesting season.

Taiwan is a premier example of great crop diversity, rare and unique teas and has quite a range of terroir to experience. The precious Gao Shan Cha and unsurpassed Hong Cha teas are all excellent offerings in our Garden Direct series while our year-round portfolio also has many delightful profiles from this essential region of tea growing.

You can experience the range of variety with our Four Seasons Spring, Bao Zhong and Tie Guanyin (Iron Goddess of Mercy) in addition to our Garden Direct teas.

Our partners in Mingjian Village, are a truly incredible family and we have been partners for over 20 years. Each member has dedicated themselves to the everlasting pursuit of excellence. The matriarch is Mrs. Yang Yin-Tsao and is a significant supplier for RISHI. Mrs. Yang Yin-Tsao has devoted her life to tea but is also a true naturalist in her farming of tea, fruits, herbs, orchids, and varieties of turmeric and ginger. In 2000, Mrs. Yang won the Shennong Farmer God Award, issued by the President of Taiwan to farmers that show exemplary innovation and dedication to their community’s improvement.

Mrs. Yang’s son, Jui Lung, who is Joshua’s contemporary and good friend, is heavily involved in this family-run operation. Jui Lung is a level 5 tea taster, certified by the Zhejiang, Hangzhou Tea Research Institute and is one of the top tasters and specialized tea makers in Taiwan. Jui Lung’s brother, Dr. Hsieh heads up the massive turmeric project, growing the highest quality red turmeric for his Dr. Turmeric brand. Along with another brother, A-Hsiang-Shih, a renowned chef who studied under master chefs in Taiwan, they have created amazing culinary recipes full of superfoods. 

The foundation of our business is built on relationship with our partners and it is important to spend time with together to build rapport and continue our work together. Sharing meals with our partners in a staple part of this process and is key to help us to build our relationships. Largely vegetarian, this meal features many of the crops grown in the area surrounding Mingjian Village and was put together by our partners there.