Culinary innovations
How does one reconcile the delicate aromas of tea with the pungency of Chinese-style cuisine? “This has to do with my dual identity as a tea maker and a cook.” Tapping into his knowledge of the subtle fragrance of tea and the fermentation and roasting processes, Tsai is able to integrate tea with food ingredients effortlessly.
Two kinds of tea are used for the chicken soup on Natural Tea Manor’s menu. The tea cooked with the stock serves to accentuate the rich keynote flavor. When the chicken soup is about to be served, freshly brewed Baozhong (Pouchong)—a lightly oxidized tea—is added to give more texture to the scent. The lemon fish here also features the delicately refreshing aroma of Baozhong, which sets off the savoriness of seafood.
For fried glutinous rice balls (a traditional Taiwanese dessert), Tsai deep-fries rehydrated Oriental Beauty tealeaves. The crispy texture, together with the gentle aroma, keeps customers coming back for more.
Tian Mama and Michelin
In early 2023, Natural Tea Manor joined the Tian Mama accreditation scheme under the Council of Agriculture (now the Ministry of Agriculture). In June, Tsai’s Dongpo pork, cooked with Tieguanyin oolong tea, made it to the final round of a culinary competition held under the aegis of Tian Mama.
The occasion gave Tsai an opportunity to compare notes with Thomas Chien, a renowned Taiwanese chef with a background in French cuisine. They reduced Dongpo pork in guabao steamed buns to the size of finger foods and blended tea powder into the dough used to make the buns. “We stewed the Dongpo pork using Tieguanyin-style tealeaves with a mellow aroma.”
The conversation with Chien “opened up new vistas for me at the intersection of agriculture and culinary arts,” Tsai says shyly, but beaming with contentment. After a series of trials and upgrades, Natural Tea Manor was included in the Michelin Guide in 2025.

Tsai Hsu-chih treats everything in his family’s tea plantation with love. When it comes to tea, he has a wealth of stories and insights to share.

Natural Tea Manor grows Jin Xuan, a cultivar resistant to pests and adaptable to climate change, making it very suitable for organic farming.