To spark new creativity in the tea industry, Taiwan’s Agriculture and Food Agency (AFA) under the Ministry of Agriculture hosted the 2025 “Fine Tea × Fine Treats” Pairing Competition as part of its Highlight Tea Estates Program. The event encouraged collaboration between featured tea estates and partners from the restaurant and confectionery sectors to infuse new energy into Taiwan’s tea culture and create afternoon pairings appealing to younger generations.
A total of 22 teams from across Taiwan took part, and after rigorous evaluation by a panel of experts, six outstanding entries were selected in the final round on September 18. The winning creations impressed judges with their imagination, flavor, and presentation—each skillfully incorporating local ingredients while demonstrating strong commercial potential and market appeal. 

“Cross—Industry × Local × Innovative”: New Sparks in Taiwan’s Tea and Culinary Pairings
According to the AFA, the competition aimed to broaden the domestic tea market and attract younger consumers. It spotlighted the Agency’s model Highlight Tea Estates—benchmarks for integrating production, processing, and marketing within the tea industry—as examples of innovation. Through the competition, the Agency guided tea estates to partner with restaurants and patisseries to develop creative tea-and-treat sets that pair signature teas with confections made using local ingredients.
The event was not only a showcase of craftsmanship but also an experiment in cross-industry creativity, bringing new vitality and style to Taiwan’s tea scene by blending the worlds of tea, pastry, and dining.
The competition drew an enthusiastic response, with all 22 teams pouring ingenuity into expressing the terroir and stories of Taiwan tea. After careful evaluation by a panel of experts in culinary arts, baking, and tea, six finalists were selected:

“Golden Fragrance Tea Banquet” (Nature Tea Diner × Natural Tea Manor)—featuring Wenshan Pouchong Tea, paired with locally grown pineapple and rice to create an authentic taste of the land and the tea’s delicate floral aroma.

“Uniquely Ruby” (Taiwan Fragrance No.18 × Hohocha Sunmoon Black Tea)—highlighting Sun Moon Lake Ruby Black Tea (TTES No.18) in a themed set of delicacies that extend its signature flavor while telling the story of Yuchi Township’s black tea industry.

“Starry Night at the Tea Ridge” (Hunter’s Kitchen × Gufang Organic Tea Garden)—based on Oriental Beauty Tea with its honey-fruit aroma, complemented by aged tangerine peel jelly, Fuxing peach jam, and adzuki beans for layers of flavor “as vivid as a starlit sky,” symbolizing the ecological bond among tea gardens, orchards, and mountain forests.

“Orchid Fragrance × Sweet Peanut Bliss” (ZXL Peanut Candy × HUGOSUM) —using Jaipuri Black Tea (TTES No.8) to highlight its orchid-like notes, complemented by handmade peanut candy that brings out the rustic nutty sweetness of traditional Taiwanese treats, forming a dialogue between elegance and nostalgia.

“Eastern Isle Tea Voyage” (Chai Yuan Bakery × Biluoyuan)—centered on Red Oolong, paired with local ingredients such as Chishang rice, Luye pineapple, Changbin sea salt, and Chulu milk in a “one tea, four treats” set that invites consumers on a Taitung-themed afternoon tea journey.

“Lanyang Mountain-and-Sea Tea Banquet” (Lakeshore Hotel × Hsing—Yuan Tea Farm)—built around a daring pomelo-oolong sparkling drink, served with a savory-sweet shaobing flavored with Su’ao cold-spring wine, mackerel floss, and pomelo-blossom oolong powder, alongside teapot-shaped puffs filled with rose-infused black tea cream, creating a multidimensional feast that captures Yilan’s mountains, sea, and tea.

From Competition to Collaboration: Setting a New Trend in Taiwan Tea
Entries were judged on five criteria: concept and feasibility, expressiveness and conceptual articulation, flavor harmony and technical performance, creative integration and thematic interpretation, and food safety.
The following awards were presented:

• Best Tea Pairing Award—“Eastern Isle Tea Voyage” (for its ideal tea-and-treat harmony)
• One-Bite Flavor Award—“Golden Fragrance Tea Banquet” (for its exceptional taste)
• Most Photogenic Award—“Starry Night at the Tea Ridge” (for best presentation and plating)
• Local Flavor Award—“Orchid Fragrance × Sweet Peanut Bliss” (for outstanding use of local ingredients)
• Creative Excellence Award—“Uniquely Ruby” (for its exceptional originality)
• Judges’ Favorite Award—“Lanyang Mountain-and-Sea Tea Banquet” (for unanimous acclaim) 

These awards celebrate the entrants’ creativity, aesthetic design, skillful use of local ingredients, and commercial potential. Winners will be formally recognized at the 2025 Taiwan International Tea Expo on November 14.
Looking ahead, the AFA will continue assisting winning teams in connecting with retail channels, promoting brand presence, and incorporating their creations into tea tourism itineraries. The Agency hopes the competition will inspire more inventive tea-and-food pairings that share the story of Taiwan’s tea and its local ingredients with consumers at home and abroad. Through the Highlight Tea Estates, it aims to enhance visibility, expand markets, and foster a new wave of cross-industry collaboration in Taiwan’s tea culture.