Taiwan is famous for its cutting-edge semiconductors and world-class carbon bicycle frames. Yet there is another treasure waiting to be discovered, its Oolong tea.
I spent ten days traveling around the island. Bringing a bicycle home on a plane was out of the question, but carrying tea was very possible.
In the city of Tainan a restaurant owner shared a tip with me. “Go to the oldest tea shop in town, maybe even in the whole country. They have been running it for at least five generations and the quality is outstanding.”
The shop was simple and authentic, not designed to impress. The owner welcomed me politely, though at first with some reserve. We spoke about tea for a few minutes. Then, as if a door had opened, his voice came alive. His stories flowed with pride, memory and love for his craft. In that moment tea became more than leaves. It became legacy.
Later, as I walked back to my hotel with my purchase, I thought about what truly stayed with me. It was not only the quality of the tea, or the fair prices, or even the long history and tradition. All of these were impressive, but they were not the heart of it. What stayed with me was his passion.
Jim Collins frames the Hedgehog Principle around three questions. What are you deeply passionate about? What can you be the best in the world at? What drives your economic engine?
Long before carbon frames and semiconductors, the family behind the Chen Fa Tea Shop had already discovered their answers and built a legacy around them.
Warm regards,
Ralph Hubacher
