This article introduces numbered Taiwan tea cultivars, covering their history, cultivar traits, and recommended processing styles.
| Taiwan Tea No. | Year Released | Common Name | Male Parent | Female Parent | Suitable Tea Types |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwan Tea No. 1 | 1969 | Kyang | Qingxin Damo | Black tea, Mee tea, Oolong tea | |
| Taiwan Tea No. 2 | 1969 | Jaipuri | Daye Oolong | Black tea, Mee tea, Oolong tea | |
| Taiwan Tea No. 3 | 1969 | Manipuri | Hongxin Damo | Black tea | |
| Taiwan Tea No. 4 | 1969 | Manipuri | Hongxin Damo | Black tea | |
| Taiwan Tea No. 5 | 1973 | Fuzhou strain natural hybrid | Fuzhou strain natural hybrid | Sencha-style green tea, Oolong tea | |
| Taiwan Tea No. 6 | 1973 | Qingxin Oolong strain natural hybrid | Qingxin Oolong strain natural hybrid | Green tea | |
| Taiwan Tea No. 7 | 1973 | Shan single-plant selection | Shan single-plant selection | Black tea | |
| Taiwan Tea No. 8 | 1973 | Jaipuri single-plant selection | Jaipuri single-plant selection | Black tea | |
| Taiwan Tea No. 9 | 1975 | Kyang | Hongxin Damo | Green tea, Black tea | |
| Taiwan Tea No. 10 | 1975 | Jaipuri | Huanggan | Black tea | |
| Taiwan Tea No. 11 | 1975 | Jaipuri | Daye Oolong | Black tea | |
| Taiwan Tea No. 12 | 1981 | JinXuan | Yingzhi Hongxin | Tainung No. 8 | Oolong tea, Baozhong tea |
| Taiwan Tea No. 13 | 1981 | CuiYu | Yingzhi Hongxin | Tainung No. 80 | Oolong tea, Baozhong tea |
| Taiwan Tea No. 14 | 1983 | Baiwen | Baimao Hou | Tainung No. 983 | Baozhong tea, Oolong tea |
| Taiwan Tea No. 15 | 1983 | Baiyan | Baimao Hou | Tainung No. 983 | White tea, Oolong tea |
| Taiwan Tea No. 16 | 1983 | Baihe | Tainung No. 1958 | Tainung No. 335 | Early Spring Longjing, Scented Baozhong base |
| Taiwan Tea No. 17 | 1983 | Bailu | Tainung No. 1958 | Tainung No. 335 | Oolong tea, Shoumei |
| Taiwan Tea No. 18 | 1999 | Ruby | Taiwan Wild Tea | Burma | Black tea |
| Taiwan Tea No. 19 | 2004 | Biyu | Qingxin Oolong | Taiwan Tea No. 12 | Oolong tea, Baozhong tea |
| Taiwan Tea No. 20 | 2004 | Yingxiang | Qingxin Oolong | Strain 2022 | Oolong tea, Baozhong tea |
| Taiwan Tea No. 21 | 2008 | Hongyun | FKK-1 natural hybrid | FKK-1 natural hybrid | Black tea |
| Taiwan Tea No. 22 | 2014 | Qinyu | Taiwan Tea No. 12 | Qingxin Oolong | Oolong tea, Baozhong tea |
| Taiwan Tea No. 23 | 2017 | Qiyun | Keemun strain natural hybrid | Keemun strain natural hybrid | Black tea |
| Taiwan Tea No. 24 | 2019 | Shanyun | Taiwan Native Wild Tea (Yongkang var.) | Taiwan Native Wild Tea (Yongkang var.) | Green tea, Black tea |
| Taiwan Tea No. 25 | 2021 | Ziyun | Burma natural hybrid | Burma natural hybrid | Green tea, Black tea |
Guide to Taiwan Tea Cultivars: Updated August 22, 2025
Bred by the Taiwan Tea Research and Extension Station, this cultivar was created through controlled crossbreeding between the male parent Kyang (an Indian large-leaf strain) and the female parent Qingxin Damao. It was officially named Taiwan Tea No. 1 in 1969.
Developed by the Tea Research and Extension Station, trial cultivation began in 1952, and naming was requested in 1969. It is a controlled crossbreed between the male parent Jaipuri and the female parent Daye Oolong.
Developed by the Tea Research and Extension Station, trials began in 1952, selecting from 46 strains. Selection was completed in 1968, and naming was requested in 1969. It is a controlled crossbreed between the male parent Manipuri and female parent Hongxin Damao.
Developed by the Tea Research and Extension Station, trial cultivation started in 1952, with naming requested in 1969. Like Taiwan Tea No. 3, it was crossbred from Manipuri (male parent) and Hongxin Damao (female parent), but belongs to a medium-to-late maturing variety.
Developed by the Tea Research and Extension Station and named in 1974. Selected from natural hybrid descendants of the Fuzhou maternal line, it is an early-maturing cultivar ideal for making green tea.
Developed by the Taiwan Tea Research and Extension Station and officially named in 1974. It was selected from natural hybrid descendants of the Qingxin Oolong maternal line. An early-maturing variety, it is especially suited for producing green tea.
Developed by the Taiwan Tea Research and Extension Station, this cultivar was selected in 1941 from natural hybrid offspring of the Shan strain and officially named in 1974. It is well-suited for making black tea.
Bred from single-plant selections of the Indian Assam Jaipuri strain and released in 1973, it is one of Taiwan’s most iconic black tea cultivars.
Developed by the Taiwan Tea Research and Extension Station through controlled crossbreeding of Kyang (male parent) and Hongxin Damao (female parent). Officially named Taiwan Tea No. 9 in 1975, it yields excellent quality whether made into black tea or green tea.
Developed by the Taiwan Tea Research and Extension Station from a cross between Jaipuri (male parent) and Huanggan (female parent). Officially named Taiwan Tea No. 10 in 1975, this variety is particularly suitable for making black tea in summer.
A crossbreed between Jaipuri (male parent) and Daye Oolong (female parent), named Taiwan Tea No. 11 in 1975. It is a very early-maturing cultivar well-suited for black tea production.
Taiwan Tea No. 2 was developed by the Tea Research and Extension Station, with trial cultivation beginning in 1952. Selected from 46 strains, selection was finished in 1968, and naming was requested in 1969. It was crossbred from the male parent Jaipuri and female parent Daye Oolong.
Also known as CuiYu Tea, Taiwan Tea No. 13 is a cultivar developed by the Taiwan Tea Research and Extension Station. Officially named ‘Taiwan Tea No. 13’ in 1981, its strain selection code was 2029, earning it the local nickname ‘Er-Jiu-Zai’ (No. 29).
Also known as Ruby, this cultivar was developed by the Yuchi Branch of the Taiwan Tea Research and Extension Station by crossing native Taiwan wild tea with a Myanmar large-leaf strain. Rich, bold, and brisk with subtle notes of cinnamon and mint, it is most famously used for making black tea.
A cultivar developed by the Taiwan Tea Research and Extension Station and named in 2004. It is a small-leaf, medium-maturing tea bush with young buds that appear bright green with a hint of purple before turning vivid green. The mature leaves are narrow and long. It has lower resistance to pests and diseases, moderate-to-high drought tolerance, and above-average yield.
The first purple-bud tea cultivar bred in Taiwan, its defining features are its deep purple leaves and the unique trait where green tea made from it turns pink when lemon juice is added.