Rare Asian Teas

Ceremonial grade matcha is the highest quality powdered green tea — stone-ground from tencha leaves shade-grown in Uji, Japan. Unlike culinary matcha, ceremonial grade is whisked directly with hot water and consumed whole, delivering the full nutritional profile of the leaf: L-theanine for calm focus, EGCG antioxidants, and natural chlorophyll. Vivid emerald green, intensely vegetal, and surprisingly smooth with no bitterness when properly prepared.

• Origin: Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
• Grade: Ceremonial, rich & smooth character
• Brew temp: 165–175°F / 74–80°C
• Preparation: Whisk 1 tsp with 2–3 oz water
• Size: 40g

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Longjing — "Dragon Well" — is China's most celebrated green tea, grown in the misty hills surrounding West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Hand-fired in woks by skilled artisans, this pre-Qingming (pre-April 4th) harvest Longjing yields flat, jade-green leaves with a clean, chestnut-sweet flavor, refreshing vegetal notes, and a soft, lingering finish. Emperors of the Qing Dynasty designated specific Longjing bushes as imperial tribute teas.

• Origin: West Lake (Xi Hu), Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
• Harvest: Pre-Qingming (before April 4th)
• Brew temp: 175°F / 80°C
• Steep time: 1.5–2 minutes
• Size: 1.8oz / 50g

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Pu-erh is the world's only truly aged tea — a post-fermented tea from Yunnan Province that improves with age like fine wine. This pressed cake (bing cha) is crafted from large-leaf Yunnan tea. Rich, earthy, and deeply complex, aged pu-erh delivers notes of forest floor, dark plum, leather, and a smooth, velvety finish. A living tea that evolves every year it's stored.

• Origin: Yunnan, China
• Type: Ripe (Shou) Pu-erh, pressed cake
• Brew temp: 212°F / 100°C
• Steep time: 20–30 sec (gongfu), rinse first

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Silver Needle (Baihao Yinzhen) is the emperor of white teas — crafted exclusively from the earliest spring buds of the Da Bai tea cultivar in Fuding, Fujian Province. Each bud is hand-picked over just a few days in early spring, then sun-withered and air-dried to lock in its delicate, honey-sweet character. The liquor is pale gold with a clean, silky mouthfeel and subtle melon notes. Minimally processed, high in antioxidants, naturally low in caffeine.

• Origin: Fuding, Fujian, China
• Harvest: Early spring buds only
• Brew temp: 175°F / 80°C
• Steep time: 2–3 minutes
• Size: 30g / 1.06oz

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Tieguanyin — "Iron Goddess of Mercy" — is one of China's Ten Famous Teas, originating from Anxi County in Fujian Province. This lightly oxidized oolong unfolds in layers: floral orchid and gardenia on the nose, creamy butter on the palate, and a sweet, lingering aftertaste known as hui gan. Its tightly rolled jade-green leaves reopen dramatically during brewing, releasing their full aromatic complexity.

• Origin: Anxi County, Fujian, China
• Oxidation: 15–25% (light oolong)
• Brew temp: 195°F / 90°C
• Steep time: 45 sec–1 min (gongfu), 3 min (Western)
• Size: 4oz / 113g

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Gyokuro is Japan's most prized green tea, shade-grown for three weeks before harvest to amplify chlorophyll and L-theanine. The result is a tea unlike any other — intensely savory, ocean-sweet, and deeply umami-rich with a brilliant jade-green liquor. Ippodo's Kanro is grown, processed, blended, and packaged entirely in Kyoto by the same family business since 1717 — the classic introduction to true Japanese gyokuro.

• Origin: Kyoto, Japan
• Shade-grown before harvest to maximize umami
• Brew temp: 140–150°F / 60–65°C (low & slow), or cold brew
• Steep time: 90–120 seconds, re-brewable up to 3 times
• Size: 1.76oz / 50g — approximately 5 servings

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Da Hong Pao — "Big Red Robe" — is the crown jewel of Chinese teas, grown on the mineral-rich cliffs of the Wuyi Mountains in Fujian Province. This heavily roasted rock oolong (yancha) delivers a deep, complex flavor with notes of roasted stone fruit, dark cocoa, and a lingering smoky sweetness. The high-mineral cliff soil imparts a distinctive yan yun (rock rhyme) finish that defines true Wuyi tea. One of the world's most sought-after teas.

• Origin: Wuyi Mountains, Fujian, China
• Oxidation: 60–70% (heavy roast oolong)
• Brew temp: 200°F / 93°C
• Steep time: 30–60 sec (gongfu), 3–4 min (Western)
• Size: 1.76oz / 50g

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