Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Taiwan: Picking Tea in Alishan

In Alishan (high mountain oolong), tea pickers (predominantly women) are often seasonal workers who move from farm to farm as the tea becomes ready to pick.  The readiness of the tea differs by altitude and microclimate.  It's an intense few days. The farm where we stayed had four days of picking during this flush.

The pickers work hard at this job. They fill their baskets and then deliver them to be weighed. The results are recorded in the books. Note the picker's blade attached to her finger. Not everyone uses these, but my own attempt at picking showed me how strong the stalk can be. For these high mountain oolong teas, three leaves and a bud get harvested.

Hard work in a very beautiful setting!  Thank you to all the people who bring the tea to life.



9 comments:

Teafan said...

Beautiful! The tea is shimmering.

Ana said...

Great pics, Steph! I love these.

Linda Jennings said...

Amazing! Thanks so much for sharing.

amherstrose said...

Love the three hats peeking out over the tops of the tea bushes.

Lush green loveliness!

Mary Jane

Marilyn Miller said...

Awwww! The memories of visiting right here. I loved seeing the women picking and arriving in the morning with laughter as they chatted with their friends. It is so beautiful here. Thanks for sharing this beautiful place.

Steph said...

Marilyn - You are right! The sound of the chatting and laughter was like tinkling music.

La Tea Dah said...

Beautiful photos! I always enjoy pictures of the real "tea ladies" as they pick tea leaves. Each is unique and yet there is a commonality between them all. Thank you for sharing!

LaDonna
Gracious Hospitality

South Bay Ladies' Tea Guild said...

That reminds me to taste the Alishan oolong that was a gift from a friend and her husband!

Angela McRae said...

I so hope you are planning to put all these great photos into a book one day!