Connecting Taiwanese Tea with its Roots: 3 Leafs Tea

Nancy Lang, the owner of Three Leafs Tea with a local tea farmer during her exploration of the island. Each and every sip of tea carries its own unique story that starts with the individual farmers. “What makes us stand out is our focus on People! We want to promote the people behind each cup of tea to our customers.” — Nancy Lang

A Sip of Tea — A Chance Encounter

I first met Nancy Lang, the owner of Three Leafs Tea during a transitional period in my life. It was the beginning of 2020, and Covid-19 had yet to make its full onslaught attack felt across the globe. I was entering the final days of my previous position at a company where I had worked and thrived for the past 8 years, The Hutong. Coming from a work culture full of life and energy, overflowing with the spirit of sharing, these values continue to stay with me to this very day. After leaving my job which required me to travel back and forth between Taiwan and mainland China, it was time to shift my focus to what was in front of my eyes and beneath my feet, becoming more aware of my surrounding community in Taipei. The taste of sharing was still on the tip of my palate.

What had I been missing that I hadn’t noticed before?

What was out there waiting to be discovered?

Who would I meet on the next step in life’s journey?

Although there was no rush or sense of urgency, there was an undeniable feeling of anticipation and adventure. Transitions can be scary, but they can also be exciting when we realise that everything we see, every chance encounter we have, every time we decide to take that extra step may just be the start of a new life adventure. And what better way to start off a journey than with a sip of tea?

I stumbled upon Nancy through an online community forum for professional networking, as well as viewing social media posts about Three Leafs Tea on Facebook. It seemed to me that this young entrepreneur was pushing hard to break through with her brand, and I could sense that she had a much deeper mission than simply wanting to run a tea house or wholesale tea business. There was something about the way she communicated that reminded me of my previous job’s spirit of sharing culture and knowledge, and I felt her positivity and willingness to say yes to chance encounters. I reached out to her asking her if she was looking for anyone to work with and if I could learn more about Three Leafs. Mostly I was just curious and wanted to chat with this person who seemed to be bubbling with ideas that percolated at the bottom of a tea pot, steaming upwards and outwards.

I’ve always been a fan of tea after having lived in mainland China for 13 years, but thanks to Three Leafs and the lovely encounters with Nancy, I’ve cultivated a stronger taste for local Taiwanese teas.

After meeting with Nancy face to face, I learned that my chance encounter with Three Leafs wasn’t initially my own — it was my wife’s. As my wife was spending a portion of her days learning about tea culture and service at another tea house on Taipei’s historical Dihua Street 迪化街 called Hence/Love (another fantastic tea house with an elegant flair), Nancy had actually bumped into my wife by chance at this particular tea house. The world of tea is both broad and narrow, and so tea lovers are bound to cross in Taipei sooner or later.

Nancy had decided to do a bit of research at other tea houses in the Dihua Street area. When she walked into Hence/Love, my wife seated her and served her tea. Wearing a hoodie like an undercover agent or a celebrity shielding herself from autographs, Nancy seemed as if she was traveling incognito, keeping a low profile. She didn’t realise that the lovely wait staff at Hence/Love serving her was my wife until we discovered this odd coincidence during our first conversation at Three Leafs.

At the heart of Three Leafs Tea lies the beauty of Taiwan’s natural landscape and the people who have cultivated the tea farms across the countryside.

Lifelong Learning and Ambition

Like any entrepreneur, I learned that Nancy took a risk in setting up Three Leafs Tea, and yet she was not one to look back. Her route to entrepreneurship into the tea business has been filled with twists and turns. Still, one thing that has remained constant throughout her professional career is her ambition and drive to succeed as she stays true to her mission.

I had always been working for myself ever since age of 18, and prior to Three Leafs Tea, in Taiwan, I was a Subway Franchisee. Before that, I was an insurance agent since I was 18 years old and also co-founder of a INC5000 Web-hosting company.

One of the things that I really enjoy about my interactions with Nancy is the glint in her eye that says, “yes, I’m here with you.” Her mind moves a mile a minute, and even though I know that she’s with me every step of the way in a conversation, I can also tell that she’s able to work out a situation elsewhere in her mind at the same time. It’s exciting to engage her in conversation, and even though there were no other people in Three Leafs when I first chatted with her, it felt as if there was a party happening in the room. That’s the kind of atmosphere she brings to a conversation.

Not afraid to take risks and try something different, this is Three Leaf’s stall at a recent mini-food festival in Taipei. The meatballs were excellent! Recently, Three Leafs has also branched out into offering culinary experiences at their shop. Although there are now exquisite food dishes available at Three Leafs (I recommend the wagyu beef), Nancy wants to emphasise that “Three Leafs Space is not a restaurant, it’s a place for people to learn about each ingredients that are home grown and appreciate it.”

Experimentation and Branching Out Through Tea

As Nancy is open to taking risks, trying something new, and making opportunities through personal connections, she’s tried quite a few different directions during her time as manager and owner of Three Leafs. She is always learning as well. In 2020 she took my wife and I on a trip in the Taiwanese countryside around Hsinchu as she was going to visit the author of a book devoted solely to Oriental Beauty tea.

Oriental Beauty Tea is my favorite because of its interesting origin story as well as it’s complex taste and aroma. — Nancy

This short video features some of the complex processes that go into producing the world famous Oriental Beauty Tea from Hsinchu, Taiwan. The fragrant flavour of this tea actually comes from a direct result of the tea plant’s relationship with an insect, the tea jassid. The tea is made from leaves which are bitten by the insect. The insect’s bite releases a chemical into the leaves giving Oriental Beauty its fragrance.

Extremely dedicated to her craft, her research of tea, and most importantly nurturing her relationships with tea farmers across the Taiwanese countryside, she feels it’s part of Three Leafs Mission to connect tea farmer and consumer.

We want to be the bridge between modern tea lovers and Taiwan oolong tea growers, helping people around the world understand and learn more about tea and more about Taiwan. — Nancy Lang

Throughout her time as owner of Three Leafs, Nancy’s knowledge and support base has grown. She has partnered with chefs and business entrepreneurs along the way. In addition to working directly with tea farmers, Nancy has also earned the recognition of local government administration offices for her continuing efforts to shine a spotlight on those doing the hard work of bringing top grade Taiwanese tea to global consumers. In addition to tea, Nancy Three Leafs also has a tea-inspired menu with excellent savoury and sweet dishes, all combining elements from her travels across the diverse Taiwanese countryside.

In the past four years, I have been around Taiwan and visited many tea farmers, probably around the island at least 5 or 6 times already. Along the way, I have met so many other farmers that are just as passionate and as dedicated as the tea farmers that I work with. I would like to bring all these local produces to Taipei, to let more people enjoy them through our creative dishes. — Nancy Lang

This video highlights the diverse agriculture, products and people of Fuli. As Nancy has made numerous visits to local farmers and towns around Taiwan, her understanding of these locations has become deeper. Three Leafs tries its best to translate some of these cultural treasures through the products and stories they tell, in addition to documenting them through videos and social media.

Following A Mission

Each time I meet up with Nancy I am always surprised at her presence across many industries and locations in Taipei. I’ve bumped into her in my neighbourhood at a mini-food festival as well as in the basement supermarket of a department store in the center of Taipei. She is constantly traveling, researching, and connecting with people from all walks of life, always keeping in mind her mission of highlighting the source of the tea — the local tea farmer and tea picker.

Running your own business or be your own boss is not just about money or freedom, it’s about a mission or a passion or a message that you want to bring to the world. It might be very hard and tiring or discouraging at first, but if you believe in yourself and believe in what you do that will benefit this world, big or small, and give your best effort, you will attract the people who appreciate what you do. — Nancy Lang

Whether or not tea is your thing, a visit to Three Leafs Tea is definitely worth the time, if not just to have a conversation and cup of tea with Nancy. Not only an entrepreneur, she’s also someone who will sit by your side and learn with you as you touch Taiwanese culture through taste. Three Leafs hosts tea tasting experiences at the shop every Tuesdays at 10am and 7pm, and Sundays at 10am-12pm, 2pm-4pm from April to June (appointment needed). Visitors can sign up for tea tasting through Three Leafs Tea Facebook, or on Accupass. Or, feel free to do what I did — take a chance, and stop by for a taste of Taiwan culture with one of its most enthusiastic proponents.

Nancy hosting an event in the early days of Three Leafs Tea.