Being a tea merchant comes with plenty of perks. Aside from being able to drink premium tea like water, I also receive little gifts from the tea farmers from time to time. Over the past couple of days, the store manager received an amazing treat: Lishan kiwifruit, something very few people have ever tried!
Aside from kiwifruit, I’ve also received Lishan apples, peaches, cabbages, kohlrabi, and other produce. I’m always thrilled to receive these gifts because it means you’re a valued regular customer worth keeping in touch with. When tea farmers have good tea, they always save it for their regulars first, so getting a gift always feels like unlocking a new achievement badge.
Lishan kiwifruit is even sweeter and has a richer flavor than those from New Zealand! Because yields are small, you rarely see them in city markets—I’ve only ever spotted them at alpine farmers’ markets. If you happen to pass through the farmers’ markets in the scenic areas of Nantou in September or October, definitely pick some up to try. I have to say, Taiwan’s high mountains are truly magical; any crop grown up there turns out with incredible quality!
