Dongding - Ensuring the Real Thing

Lugu Jinxuan OolongThe Lugu Township Dongding Manufacturers Association has recently announced new packaging to make the identification of authentic Dongding tea easier. Dongding, also known as Tung Ting, is an oolong tea picked from Taiwan’s Mount Dong Ding. The tightly rolled leaves are coveted for their fruity, full flavor. The high demand for Taiwanese teas makes counterfeiting very profitable. In 2009 the Taiwan Tea Manufacturers’ Association noted that more than 27,000 tons of tea had to be imported onto the island to meet demand. Both Chinese and Vietnamese tea producers have been known to label teas as Taiwanese if they are processed in Taiwan, even if they are not grown there. A 600 gram supply of real Dongding can be sold at $48 (RMB 300) while the fake Dongding would only be worth half that amount. The goal of the new packaging is to help ensure that buyers can accurately select true Taiwan grown tea. The packaging has a specifically designed tag and assigned serial number that render it “forgery proof,” as described by the manufacturers association. The Lugu Township Dongding Manufacturers Association was founded in the early 1970s and has more than 1,000 tea farmers among its members. Source: Focus Taiwan