by WTN Staff

Move over Taiwan; there's a new kid in oolong town.

Called Zealong, the tea is produced in Hamilton City, New Zealand, through a tea business that operates under Eterna Holdings Limited. According to a March 10 news release, Zealong is free of chemical sprays and residues and certified as compliant with ISO 22000 HACCP standards by SGS.

The company said the climate in New Zealand is ideal for cultivating oolong. This, combined with a use of Taiwanese technology and key staff from Taiwan's oolong-producing regions, have led to a tea that Zealong believes will appeal to "discerning customers" worldwide.

Vincent Chen, Zealong director and general manager, added, "Customers are looking for products they can trust – that's why we've gone for the highest international standards. ... I believe you can taste the purity."

Zealong anticipates producing 13 tons of tea through the end of this month on its 7.4-acre Rototuna plantation. Scheduled for an opening in 2012 in nearby Gordonton is a 119-acre plantation, which will house 1 million tea plants and include a tea factory with full-time staff, nursery, lodge, lake and visitor center, the company stated.

Zealong's history started in 1996, when Chen, the son of a Taiwanese developer doing business in New Zealand, imported 1,500 seedlings from back home. Only 130 of them survived the rigors of government-mandated quarantine, according to company accounts, but these eventually led to the existing production.

The company plans to launch its product in the United States at the World Tea Expo, scheduled June 11-13 in Las Vegas. (World Tea News and World Tea Expo are both owned by SFG Group.)