Ming Xiang Ming Cha Introduction
A Worthy Wait for Essence Tea Aroma In 1978, Chen Jianhong, with a deep passion for tea, decisively left behind his identity as a sculptor and founded Ming Xiang Tea House. At the age of 28, during a time when information was not widely available, Chen spent three years searching for books, literature, and friends in the tea farming community, self-studying the knowledge and techniques of "roasting tea." "In the first three years of opening the store, because the tea did not sell well, I often went hungry," Chen said with a faint smile. What supported him all the way was his love for tea. It was this deep affection that led him to write a sincere "self-recommendation letter" to Professor Zeng Zhizheng of the Graduate Institute of Biotechnology at National Chung Hsing University after seeing a paper he published in 2008. The next day, Professor Zeng called and invited Chen to meet in Taichung, and their delightful relationship began. Through industry-academia collaboration, Professor Zeng provided knowledge, and Chen provided techniques, and together they spent six years developing the store's signature product - roasted Oolong tea. In the past, roasting old tea took six years, but they managed to shorten the process to two years, using Qingxin Oolong to produce roasted Oolong tea rich in beneficial substances such as "teasomes" and "gallic acid," promoting "caffeine-free and non-stimulating elements, gentle and non-irritating to the stomach." Ming Xiang Tea House underwent renovation in 2017, and now upon entering the store, one is greeted by a bright and clean space with a simple and elegant Japanese style. Every tea product in the store is a product of Chen's own roasting efforts. He explains that during the roasting season, he spends more than eight hours a day next to the fire, with no time to slack off; this process lasts for 20 days to produce the ideal good tea. His dedication and commitment to tea stem from the fact that he does not view tea as a "commercial product," but rather as an "art form," incorporating art into his life, resulting in each pot of tea filled with the essence of time. Recommended dishes: Roasted Oolong Tea, Gold-Digging Beauty.
