Mingxiang Tea Introduction
A Worthy Wait for the Essence of Tea Aroma. In 1978, due to his strong interest in tea, Chen Jianhong decisively bid farewell to his identity as a sculptor and established Mingxiang Teahouse. At the age of 28, in an era without ample information, Chen spent three years searching for books, literature, and friends in the tea farming community, independently exploring and learning about the knowledge and techniques of “roasting tea.” “In the first three years of opening the shop, because the tea didn't sell, I was often hungry,” Chen Jianhong said with a gentle smile. What supported him all the way was his love for tea, and because of this deep affection, when he saw a paper published by Professor Zeng Zhizheng of the Biotechnology Institute of National Chung Hsing University in 2008, he immediately picked up a brush and wrote a sincere "self-recommendation letter" to Professor Zeng. The next day, Professor Zeng called, inviting Chen to meet in Taichung, and thus began their delightful fate. Through industry-academia collaboration, Professor Zeng provided knowledge while Chen provided techniques, and after six years, they jointly developed the store's representative work—Roasted Oolong Tea. In the past, old tea required six years of roasting time, but the two shortened the process to two years, using Qingxin Oolong to create a Roasted Oolong Tea rich in beneficial compounds for the human body like "theacrine" and "gallic acid," focusing on being "caffeine-free and devoid of stimulants, gentle and non-irritating to the stomach." In 2017, Mingxiang Teahouse underwent renovations, and now upon entering the shop, one finds a bright and clean space with a simple and elegant Japanese style. Every tea product in the store is a result of Chen Jianhong's meticulous roasting. He mentioned that during the tea roasting season, he spends over eight hours a day by the furnace, never allowing himself to be careless, with this routine continuing for a full 20 days to create ideal tea. His dedication and commitment to tea arise from not viewing it as a "commercial product," but rather an "art form," integrating art into his life, resulting in pot after pot of tea filled with the essence of time. Recommended dishes: Roasted Oolong Tea, Gold Digger Beauty.
