Tea Cultivar · Camellia sinensis var. sinensis
Si Ji Chun
- Origin
- Taiwan - Muzha (Wenshan), natural seedling selection
- Primary use
- oolong
Overview
Si Ji Chun - 'Four Seasons Spring' - is a Taiwanese oolong cultivar discovered as a natural seedling on a tea farm in Muzha (Wenshan district, Taipei) in the late 1970s and propagated cuttingwise rather than through the formal TTES breeding program. Its name reflects its most distinctive trait: it flushes nearly year-round in Taiwan's warmer growing regions, sometimes producing five to six harvests in a year compared to the more typical three to four.
Characteristics
A medium-leafed sinensis with bright green, slightly elongated leaves and a vigorous, early-budding habit. It is remarkably flush-prone - the trait that gave it its name - and is particularly productive at lower and mid-elevations. It is more drought- and heat-tolerant than Qing Xin and has been widely planted across Nantou, Chiayi, and Pinglin, as well as exported to Southeast Asia.
Flavor profile
Si Ji Chun produces a bright, intensely floral oolong with a high gardenia-and-lilac aroma, a brisk vegetal body, and a clean sweet finish. It is more aromatic and less buttery than Jin Xuan, more accessible and less mineral than high-mountain Qing Xin. Its lively floral character has made it a popular daily-drinker oolong in Taiwan.
Where it grows
Taiwan (Nantou, Chiayi, Pinglin) · Vietnam, Thailand