Introducing three of Beitou’s most famous tea shops
Introducing three of Beitou’s most famous tea shops
2026-07-21
Beitou in northern Taipei is famous for its hot springs, and drinking tea has also become a popular pastime there. But there are so many tea shops, it’s hard to know which one to pick. FTV checked out three of the biggest ones to find out what makes Beitou tea so special.
Many people come to Beitou to enjoy the black tea there, but locals still debate which shop has the best kind. There’s a popular tea shop in the market called Cai Yuan Yi, one that sells 3-kilogram bags of tea called Gao Ji, and another popular one on Guangming Road called Ming Quan.
A long line like this is a hallmark of the Gao Ji Tea Shop. About 10 employees stay busy inside. On a good day, the shop sells around 3,000 cups.
Mr. Chung
Gao Ji Tea Shop owner
We brew the tea and carefully select the leaves. There are lots of details about what kind of tea should be brewed at what temperature, and how much should be used.
Popular picks at Gao Ji include its affordable black tea and “worry-free tea,” with regulars often opting for the bagged version. Cai Yuan Yi says its half-sugar and full-sugar drinks best capture the taste of traditional black tea. Xu Jia Tea often sells out, while Mingquan Tea, which has only one location, is well-known for its milk and honey drinks.
Mr. Chung
Gao Ji Tea Shop owner
There might be more people selling it these days. Locals had it first, then visitors tried it and found the quality was pretty good. With the internet so big now, word spreads quickly, and everyone thinks that coming to Beitou means you should have black tea.
Beitou’s black tea culture dates back to the Japanese colonial era, when tea plantations covered Datun Mountain. As demand grew, local farmers began growing black tea, and by the mid-1970s, production shifted from export markets to domestic consumption. But as for which shop is the best—that’s still up for debate.
Member of public
Has a favorite
Since I was young, I’ve always had Cai Yuan Yi. I always get their tea. It has more flavor.
Member of public
Has a favorite
There are lots of tea shops around here. We usually go to Ming Quan. We think their black tea is better, it’s a little more traditional.
It’s really a matter of personal preference, so why not try them all and see which one you like the most?
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#tea #Beitou #hotsprings #blacktea #teaculture #drink #tradition #teashop
不只泡湯! "北投紅茶"源自日治時期 三大老字號名店激戰
2026-07-21
到台北北投玩，除了一定要泡溫泉，現在"喝紅茶"，幾乎成了所有觀光客和在地人的例行公事！不過北投紅茶百百家，到底哪一家才是王者？我們派出記者，直擊三大老字號名店，高記茶莊、蔡元益和明泉，果然各有擁護者，但到底北投紅茶有什麼魔力?一起來看。
“來北投喝紅茶，幾乎變成大家的例行公事，但在地人到底愛喝的是市場裡這一家蔡元益，還是一袋有三公斤，像來練舉重的高記茶莊？光明路上的明泉紅茶也被不少人申請出戰”
大太陽下，看到這個排隊場面，就知道高記茶莊到了，內場10多名員工，忙得團團轉，生意好的時候，一天可以賣掉3千杯紅茶。
[[高記茶莊 鐘老闆]]
“我們是用泡的，而且要慎選茶葉，什麼樣的茶用什麼樣的溫度去泡，要放多少量，這些都有眉眉角角”
高記必點，銅板價的紅茶、無憂茶，內行直接買袋裝，蔡元益則標榜，半糖跟全糖，才喝得到古早味紅茶精髓，許家紅茶，太晚來，就跟我們一樣會撲空，唯一沒有分店的明泉紅茶，奶蜜系列同樣廣受好評。
[[高記茶莊 鐘老闆]]
“可能賣的人比較多，當地的人先喝，大家來喝，覺得品質也不錯，現在網路很發達就一傳十、十傳百，大家都覺得來北投就是要喝紅茶”
北投紅茶文化，可追溯到日治時期，大屯山曾遍佈茶園，因應市場需求，茶農開始種紅茶，1970年代中期，茶葉從外銷轉為內需導向，也成了如今北投紅茶的文化起點，但要說哪家最好喝？
[[民眾]]
“在小時候都市場這一家(蔡元益) ，就都買這一家，比較有味道”
[[民眾]]
“這邊很多家嘛，那我們就是喝這家(明泉)比較習慣，紅茶的話，我們是覺得這家比較好喝，他比較古早味一點”
還是像這位小姐一樣，全部都先喝過，自然就有答案。
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