Charcoal Roasted Tibetan Tea

古道烘培藏茶 

Harvest
Spring 2015

Origin
Ya'an, Sichuan

Tibetan tea has a history that can be traced back more than 2000 years. Tea was an important commodity, worth more than porcelain and silk, traded between the tea region Ya’an, of Sichuan, and the holy Tibetan city of Lhasa. To be traded the tea was transported along the Ancient Tea Horse Road, a historic passageway that stretches 2250 km, from Ya’an to Lhasa.

Tea Horse Road remains one of the highest and harshest trails in Asia, passing from the verdant valleys of Sichuan, through the snow capped Tibetan Plateau, the freezing Yangtze and Mekong Rivers, before ascending 17,000 ft into the mysterious Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains to finally reach Lhasa. On horse, the entire journey would take 3 months.

Tea was first brought to Tibet during the Tang Dynasty in AD 641. Tibetan royalty and nomads loved tea for a few different reasons. First, because it was a hot beverage in a cold climate. Secondly, at such high elevations, Tibetans could not grow many vegetables, so tea was an important part of their diet and a powerful source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Traditionally, tea was blended with local yak butter to make a distinctive salty, oily and calorie dense drink that served as a mini-meal for herders. 

Tibetan tea is usually made with older tea leaves and stems, and is considered a type of dark or fermented tea. Like pu’erh, it is traditionally pressed into bricks for ease of transport and storage. 

By the 11th century, tea had become the prime trading commodity between China and Tibet. For 130 pounds of tea the Chinese would get a single horse, that they then used on battlefields in the North, defending their country against Genghis Khan. 

This Tibetan tea, from Ya’an, Sichuan, is made from younger tea leaves harvested on Mengding Mountain. It was fermented, and then slowly roasted. The roasting process gives it a warming character, and an aroma reminiscent of toffee cake. It is bright and lean, with a very comforting mouthfeel and a fruity finish that tastes like raw cacao and dried apricot. This tea is gently uplifting, and a delicious pick-me-up for the summertime, as it is not drying or tannic.  

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Brewing guide