Jiufen, Taiwain

In early February, I traveled to Taiwan and Japan with my friend Michael to visit our friend (his girlfriend) Daniela, who is a teacher in Tamsui, Taiwan. On the third day of our trip we took the TRA eastward toward three mining towns in the mountains.

Our first stop was Jiufen (九份), mining town number nine, located near the sea and known for its old winding streets. On our walk through the streets, we enjoyed guava juice, quail eggs, and kumquat juice, a citrus fruit.

We stopped for tea at A-mei Tea House, which, according to legend, inspired the bathhouse in Spirited Away. The entire tea process allows for visitors to enjoy hours of warm tea and company, with views that overlook the East China Sea.

First, we rinsed the oolong tea leaves in the teapot, pouring the rinse water into a serving bowl. After more hot water was added to the teapot, we let the leaves steep 20 seconds, during which we poured the rinse water over the teapot. The first batch of tea was poured into tall thin cups. With the shorter cup set on top, we turned over our tall cups to transfer the tea into it, leaving the tall thin cup with just the aroma for us to smell. We were able to use the same batch of tea leaves six times with the steep time increasing after each use.

Our tea was served with dried plums covered in powdered sugar, mung bean cakes, sesame crackers, and brown sugar mochi. The mung bean cakes were delicious and delicate, with a smooth texture that dissolved in your mouth.

Cheers to Jiufen!

#taiwan #travel #35mmfilm