Tea Renaissance in a Town of Luye

Nanyan, a local youth returning to Taitung turned and rejuvenated the production activities in the past into travel service in hope to utilize local services such as food and beverage, products and tours to show tourists the tea culture in Luye and offer one-day or two-day farming experiences and local tours. Tourists can shop souvenirs such as rice, honey, tea, dried fruits and coffee from local farmers and share with their family and friends.

Tea plucking is important to learn the tea culture. The soil and climate deeply affect the taste of the tea soup, especially that of red Oolong which change along seasons so each batch of tea product is different. Some carry the plum fragrance, some with strong honey flavor and some with floral scents. Strolling in Luye Tea Garden, tourists can also have an overview of the picturesque scenery in the valley.
Entering the tea garden, tourists dress like tea farmers with bamboo hats, sheathes, and bags so to beat the torching sun in Taitung and finish the plucking task. The magic phrase for tea plucking is “One-Tip-Two Leaves”. Select the tender leaves at the tip of the twigs and gently snap it with your fingers. It seems easy but to spot the great tips and leaves may toil the eyes.

It takes several steps to make tea leaves ready, withering, stirring and tossing, panning, rolling, oxidation, and finally drying. The first few processes almost determine the quality of a batch of tea. Tea leaves gradually change the aroma and flavor along the time.

Luye is a melting pot of various peoples, Puyuma, Amis and as time passed by, Minnan and Hakka peoples came to live here. There is also a brief history of Japanese colonization here, so there is a variety of food cultures. Our lunch is a feast of Hakka-flavored pounded tea.
The spirit of the feast is to use local ingredients and pair simple foods to cook in easy ways for the authentic flavors in Luye villages. Peanuts, sesames and other grains are pounded together in a bowl. Sprinkling the powder on the warm rice makes it great to go along with other Hakka dishes.

Tourists would make their own colored pearls for desserts by using dragon fruits and red Oolong. Adding tapioca powder after warming up the dragon fruit juice and red Oolong tea soup, and kneading these two different balls till they are smooth and supple. Cut them into pieces and roll them into long shape and cut again for small pieces to roll them into small balls, and they are the colored pearls. Finally, cook them in the boiling water till they float, and the transparent pearls are ready to serve.

The roots of Roselle don't like soggy soil, so they usually grow in gravel land which drains well. With the balmy weather in Hualien and Taitung, farmers in Taitung develop the business of growing Roselle. The flower season of Roselle is around autumn. Roselle withers when it gets cold so Roselle blossoms every October and November. The edible part is its calyxes which are bright red with thick petals.
There is no sweat at all to pick the Roselle. Just cut the bottom of calyx from the branch with the scissors. It can be very addictive because the flowers are getting bigger and more beautiful along the way, you may wonder which flower would be the most satisfying in the process.

We collected the Roselle in a big bamboo bag before removing the seeds which requires some skills. Moving an hollow iron stick to take the seeds out from the bottom of the calyx towards its top. Once exerting the force in a wrong way, the calyx would be easily broken apart.
Fold the processed Roselle in small pieces, then clean and drain them. And we are ready to make the Roselle Jelly. It takes patience to make the jelly. Gradually put the Roselle and sugar into the pot and stew it over low heat slowly. If the heat is too high, the jelly would get burned easily. Once Roselle mixes with sugar, its juice exudes and becomes the sticky red jelly which is great to make cold beverage or paste on toasts.

6 local chefs prepare such a great feast with local produce, culture and their own preoccupation of the earth, so that the meal is more than mere satiation, it is getting to know Luye from tastes. When each dish was served, its chef shared the story of the creation process.

GraceKitchen makes the pork balls by traditional cornels. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the dish tastes savory and juicy. “Hongchang Hakka Restaurant” served the braised tender pork carrying tea aroma with the Turmeric Noodles from “Imagine Taitung”; And “Family in the Valley” presents the barrel broiled chicken over wood fire whose flavor is very Luye; or go to “Playground of Bunun Kids” for the indigenous cuisine, steamed rice with pigeon peas made with food materials in the open country; and 3 Yuan Farm makes fresh- fried bamboo shoot with their home grown produce. A feast presents a variety of flavors and expresses the rich cultures and features of different peoples in Luye.