Ilha Formosa, Taiwan

Dear Blog Readers, I can keep this quiet no longer!  On Thursday this week, I'm boarding a plane to the tea mecca of Taiwan! This island country, south of Japan and east of China, produces some of the world's best oolong teas.  For an oolong lover like me, this trip is very special. 

You've probably heard of "Formosa" oolong.  Formosa is a former name of Taiwan, so named by the Dutch when they first laid eyes on the mountainous and forested heaven.  Ilha Formosa means beautiful island.

We will be visiting tea farms and meeting tea makers in several regions. In addition to tea, we'll be eating yummy food.  Taiwan is quite well known for its cuisine, influenced by native customs, China, Japan and others. 

Map of teas grown in Taiwan, from Wikipedia

Thanks to my sweet DH (dear hubby) for encouraging me to go. He'll be keeping the house and garden while I'm drinking my weight in tea. Thanks to Shiuwen of Floating Leaves for organizing this tour! I feel very fortunate to be able to visit tea farms and see Taiwan through her eyes. And thank you to my tour mates, a small group of us inquisitive travelers and tea lovers!

I will be blogging from Taiwan, and I hope you'll follow along!  I'll keep it streamlined with photos and a few thoughts, and save the detailed accounts for when I return.