Origins of TTES No. 18: Taiwan’s Tea Cultivated Since the Japanese Era

Taiwan Tea No. 18 / By /

TTES No. 18 is Taiwan’s most popular black tea variety. Loved by tea enthusiasts for its mellow, rich liquor with subtle notes of cinnamon and mint, many might not realize that TTES No. 18 is a genuinely homegrown Taiwanese creation! Here is the story behind the origins of TTES No. 18~

Origin of Taiwan Tea No. 18

Origins of TTES No. 18: Taiwan's Tea Cultivated Since the Japanese Era

During the Japanese era, Japanese researchers imported Assam tea plants in 1925 and began cultivating and researching tea trees. Around the same time, wild Taiwanese mountain tea was discovered. In 1946, cross-breeding began using Assam tea as the maternal parent and Taiwanese mountain tea as the paternal parent. After years of trials and selection, it was finally released and officially named TTES No. 18 in 1999.
Origin of Taiwan Tea No. 18

How TTES No. 18 Saved Yuchi's Black Tea Industry

Between 1970 and 1999, the local tea industry in Yuchi, Taiwan, faced a major bottleneck. The locally grown TTES No. 8 Assam black tea gradually declined due to shifting market trends, leading many tea plantations to switch to other cash crops. Following the launch of TTES No. 18 Ruby in 1999, the local industrial landscape was quickly revitalized, and tea once again replaced betel nuts as the pillar economic crop of the region.

Origin of Taiwan Tea No. 18

The birth of TTES No. 18 is not only the result of the hard work of Taiwan’s Tea Research and Extension Station, but also built upon the foundation of tea research laid during the Japanese era—with the contributions of Director Kichijiro Arai being particularly vital. This ultimately gave rise to this uniquely distinct black tea variety. TTES No. 18 is not only representative of Taiwanese black tea, but also successfully revitalized the tea industry in Yuchi Township.

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