Plum Rain

We called this tea “Plum Rain” because last year’s Plum Rains were the strongest they have been in many decades, providing the abundant waters that made this May 2022 spring green tea what it is. Master Yu San He’s farm is named “Respect for Great Nature.” It is located in Pinglin township, about a half-hour’s drive east from downtown Taipei. Like us, Mr. Yu is a meditator and a vegetarian. He’s a very rare kind of tea farmer, too. From the first, he shines with a kind of directness, looking you right in the eyes in a way shier Taiwanese won’t, and there’s kindness in those eyes as well. Mr. Yu has been growing tea organically for more than ten years, but the vast majority of tea farmers in the area do not. He decided long ago to stop being a part of this problem and has since become a shining example of someone who can produce fine tea without polluting the environment. One noteworthy factor about his growing methods is that he doesn’t use any organic fertilizer or irrigation. This is one of the characteristics of Living Tea, referred to as “ziran nongfa” in Chinese, or “ecological tea.” It’s based on a philosophy of letting the tea bushes struggle on their own, helping them as little as possible, and letting the weeds grow up around them. This encourages the trees to weave themselves into the local ecosystem without any foreign agents and grow stronger as a result. Plum Rain is a bright, clean and fresh tea. Its fragrance and aroma are cleansing, opening the pores and senses and leaving us open and clear. It is watery, fluid and has a delicate, soft Yin energy that meets the subtle body in an upwards movement through the head.