Susie, to answer your question, the teas are very different. Mainly, the major difference between Anxi and Taiwan is cultivar and process. You could say that Taiwan has kept the old traditions while China advances the brand name and mass production marketing of Tae Guan Yin.

Tae Guan Yin originated in Anxi and the tea bushes there have a distinctive character different from those found in Taiwan. This factor coupled with the difference of soil and micro-climate make Anxi tea different from Taiwan’s. Furthermore, Tae Guan Yin lovers cherish Taiwan Tae Guan Yin due to some interesting issues:

Taiwan follows the old method of ripe fermentation and moderate roasting that originated in Anxi but is almost extinct in Anxi today. It is so hard to find old style, traditional Tae Guan Yin in Anxi these days as the local Chinese markets prefer the Qinxiang (clear green aroma type) that is withered indoors with air conditioners and very lightly fermented and gently dried. This tea is far removed from Tae Guan Yin’s traditional character and process and we love the old school Tae Guan Yin so we choose Taiwan as our favorite.

The first tea bushes introduced to Taiwan were Wu-Long (Qingxing) and Wu-Yi, both cultivators could be described as very old Sezhong, separate from Tae Guan Yin but still “Tae Guan Yin” was and is made from these cultivators in Taiwan. The most famous but also least cultivated heirloom Tae Guan Yin cultivar is Mu Zha’s Tae Guan Yin Hongxin Waiwei Tao. There is 100 x more of this sold than cultivated in Taiwan and many Mu Zha Town’s tea vendors go to Nantou to buy Tae Guan Yin made from Wu-Yi that they sell in Mu Tza as Tae Guan Yin.

I hope that helps!
Joshua

Zai jian!

The phrase “gong fu cha¬¬ (the art of brewing tea with great skill).” appears in the second paragraph before the last. Are these intentional special characters, or should they be deleted?