As the weather gradually cools as summer comes to an end, it is the perfect time to enjoy and appreciate tea. Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-Je joined ETMall for the first time to promote Taipei’s local tea. He wore a traditional farmer’s hat and acted as a “tea-picking uncle” to personally introduce the “Taipei Heartwarming Tea Set” (containing Tieguanyin (300g/can)*2 and Paochong (150g/can)*2), which are directly produced and sold in Taipei. These two types of teas both offer mesmerizing fragrance and taste, whether in the form of brewed tea, tea leaves, or lingering aroma. The tea set also comes with a free gift bag and is limited to 100 sets while stock lasts. Under the dedicated promotion by Mayor Ko Wen-Je, the tea sets were sold out within 40 minutes, achieving great success during his first sale. Gary Wang, chairman of ETMall, said that ETMall has always supported local agriculture in Taiwan and he would like to thank Mayor Ko for specially coming to ETMall today to promote Taipei’s high-quality local tea. Before this occasion, ETMall has already worked together with eight other central and local governors to promote agricultural products. In the future, ETMall will promote more high-quality agricultural and fishery products, as well as continue to uphold the original intention and commitment of “EHS Select”, direct delivery from the place of origin so that consumers can buy products with peace-of-mind.

For the Tieguanyin and Paochong tea produced in Taipei, the Tieguanyin’s curly leaves are rolled into balls, and the brewed tea ranges from honey gold to light amber in color; the dried tea leaves have a deep fragrance while the brewed tea has a strong aroma of ripe fruit and fire. The tea is rich and full-bodied, with a distinctive “slight fruity acidity”, producing a lingering fragrance in the throat and strong aftertaste. The Paochong tea’s naturally curled leaves come in neat rod shapes, the brewed tea is a bright emerald green, offering a light and elegant floral fragrance with a smooth and aromatic mouthfeel. However, due to limited land resources and limited production, Taipei has switched to a premium production method that emphasizes quality over quantity. The source of “Taipei Heartwarming Tea” is the tea farmers who won the 2011 “Nangang Paochong Tea” Grand Prize for Spring Tea and the 2018 Winter Tea First Prize, as well as the tea farmers who won the 2012 Muzha Tieguanyin Spring Tea Grand Prize, the 2013 Winter Tea First Prize, and the 2016 Spring Tea First Prize. These awards not only prove that Taipei tea is of the best quality, but also make the limitedly produced Taipei tea a rare commodity in the market. Even the tea farmers are extremely reluctant to sell the tea, and gourmands “might not be able to buy the tea even if they wanted to”.

Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-Je said that Taipei is the leading capital of the country and the driving force behind Taiwan’s domestic commercial development. However, its agricultural image is not prominent, and together with the aging tea plantation labor force and limited land resources, it has resulted in the limited production of Taipei tea and relatively low popularity. In actual fact, Muzha’s Tieguanyin tea has a long history. It was first introduced to Muzha in 1895, and Taipei is still the only place where Tieguanyin is produced. The tea leaves are kneaded and rolled by tea farmers by hand or in a cloth bag in a rolling machine, then slowly baked over a low fire, and then rolled and baked again several times. The unique flavor of Tieguanyin is produced through this arduous process, and this is the reason that the gifts given to the guests of the 2018 Universiade included premium Taipei tea. Mayor Ko also praised TV shopping and online shopping for having more advantages due to well-prepared data and professional marketing. For example, products come with a video introduction or a full description; shopping experts come well-prepared and use videos in their introduction of the product to offer comprehensive descriptions and information. “It is not easy for the staff of physical shops to know their products so well, so this is what gives ETMall its advantage in the future.”

Chairman Gary Wang of ETMall pointed out: “ETMall has always supported the local agriculture in Taiwan, and has fully taken on the corporate social responsibility of “giving back to society in return for the things that we take from society”. Not only can the company help out the small farmers, it can also let consumers taste the delicious local flavors. In the future, ETMall will promote more high-quality agricultural and fishery products, as well as continue to uphold the original intention and commitment of “EHS Select”, delivering directly from the place of origin so that consumers can buy products with peace-of-mind and safety.”

ETMall has long supported local quality agricultural products, and the Group mobilized its TV shopping and online shopping channels to stand together with small local farmers and called on its members to show love and take action to give back to farmers regardless of the cost. This year, we are the first to join the national agricultural and fishery products marketing team. With our support, we sold out 1,600 Chiayi Aurora muskmelons, sold 3,500 sets of Taitung atemoya in seconds, sold out 4,000 sets of Tainan Guanmiao pineapples, and sold 8,000 fourfinger threadfins and hybrid giant tiger groupers. We achieved brilliant sales performance each time, and we will also be promoting Dongshi oysters from Chiayi on September 16th. Not only have we upheld the spirit of “EHS Select” to look for quality food and ingredients, but we have also assisted farmers in promoting domestic sales and allowing consumers to taste local delicacies again and again. Eastern Farm adheres to the strictest selection and quality control process for the products, all of which are delivered directly from the place of origin to the customer’s home. After the launch of agricultural products, it has been warmly praised and received positive feedback from the majority of ETMall members. Over the years, we have upheld the spirit of “EHS Select” to look for quality products from all over Taiwan. We also hope to lead by example and inspire our peers to also support Taiwan’s local agricultural industry.