龍潭在1990年代後期積極發展茶業,並成功打造出響亮的「椪風茶」故鄉名號。論茶種,椪風茶係屬烏龍茶類,而在此屬銅鑼圈客家聚落的當地茶農,均以栽種「青心大冇」品種為主;椪風茶論品質特色,專家咸認主要是其獨特蜂蜜茶香所使然,而此香氣卻又是源自原屬害蟲的「茶小綠葉蟬」。茶小葉綠蟬的生長繁衍除因有龍潭特殊的地勢環境外,當地茶農戒除農藥的依賴習慣,也是促成椪風茶具永續農業經營之意義所在。因此,本研究目的乃為探究龍潭地理環境及客家文化對椪風茶文化形塑的影響,並實地進行椪風茶製作的參與觀察,以翔實記錄茶農的農作經驗。研究發現農業政策及龍潭特殊的地理環境,是構築椪風茶文化的外在因素,而較深層的內在因素,主要係環扣於茶農與土地間的共生關係、在地知識、生產技術,甚至是地方政府所推展的椪風茶節慶活動。
Long-tan Township has since late 1990s spared no effort to develop tea industry and successfully created the full-fledged signature of the “Home of Pong-feng Tea”. Generally speaking, the Pong-feng tea is one of Oolong tea varieties and specifically, the so-called Chin-shin ta-pang variety is widely applied to the Hakka-dominant Long-tan. Regarding the tea quality, Pong-feng tea is most recognized by its honey-inherent flavor, believed to be produced from the bug-like green leaf hopper’s bites. The proliferation of the green leaf hopper is not only indebted to topographical conditions in Long-tan, but also to tea farmers’ avoiding using chemical pesticides, both of which have in fact led to a realm of sustainable agriculture. The study is thus aimed to examine geographical and Hakka cultural elements resulting in molding the Pong-feng tea culture, by undertaking an in-depth participant observation on Pong-feng tea making to completely record tea farmers’ ordinary practices. Findings of the study include agricultural policies and geographical environment contribute as external factors to the development of Pong-feng tea culture in Long-tan, while the symbiosis between tea farmers and farmland, local knowledge, producing technologies and local government-promoted tea festival are internal factors.