Customer Question: Do you offer machine-harvested Assam black tea? Hand-harvested tea costs over NT$2,000 per 600 g, but I heard machine-harvested Assam black tea is only NT$300. I’m looking to buy it as an ingredient for milk tea.
Chang-Xing Tea: Hello, and thank you for your inquiry. We do not sell machine-harvested Assam black tea here. Most of Taiwan’s Assam black tea is produced around SunMoon Lake, with Yuchi Township having the highest yield and best quality. In recent years, due to a surge in tourism, the quality and price of SunMoon Lake black tea have steadily risen, often commanding thousands of dollars per 600 g. To cut costs, some local producers use machinery for harvesting to reduce labor expenses, making machine-harvested Assam around NT$300 to NT$600 per 600 g.
We recommend taking a trip to Yuchi Township or contacting the local farmers’ association, where you should find plenty of options. If you are purchasing it specifically for milk tea, there are also many suppliers on the market offering dedicated Assam black tea that you can inquire about. In fact, the most popular black tea varieties in the SunMoon Lake area aren’t actually Assam; Taiwan Tea No. 18 (Ruby) and Taiwan Tea No. 8 are also very popular!