{"title":"For Debbie","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"osmanthus-laoshan-green","title":"Osmanthus Laoshan Green","description":"\u003cp\u003eOsmanthus flowers are extremely ephemeral. Their trees bloom for two weeks in October, once every year. In a village nestled within the cliffs of Mount Lao, an area to which Osmanthus trees are indigenous, this is an unmistakable event. The tiny blossoms fall almost as soon as they have opened, covering the ground in a tangerine coloured snow, while the area is filled with the incredibly sweet smell of the flowers. There are only three days during which they may be harvested and still retain their scent. During this time grandmothers in the village collect them by hand, as they have for generations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTea leaves have long been known for their remarkable capacity to absorb and preserve the scent of flowers. However, successfully scenting tea leaves is tedious and depends on processes perfected over centuries. The craft began in the Southern Song Dynasty, over a thousand years ago. It requires a careful understanding of the ratio of flower to tea, and several rounds of infusions to achieve a lasting transfer of the flower's otherwise fleeting scent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMr. Tang's family, who crafts this tea, is known for their skill with traditional scenting, as well as for the beautiful location of their tea farm. The many small plots that make up their farm are scattered along the ocean, at the foot of Mount Lao. There is a great peace that settles over this area of Laoshan and the tranquility of Mr. Tang's tea farm extends between its many parts. Here, the smell of the ocean gives way to red pines, overlayed with the scent of green plum from their orchards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe tea leaves are harvested by Mr. Tang's mother and grandmother, then scented by his uncle. After scenting, the flowers and the tea are packaged together. When we prepare this tea the tiny flowers dance in the water, much like they did as they fell from the trees. While they appear separate, the scenting process has caused the osmanthus and the Laoshan green to become one single, indistinguishable flavour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJust looking at this tea will warm your heart; the fine spindles of Laoshan tea peppered with the tiny, burnt orange osmanthus flowers. It smells intensely like candy, but its taste is very clearing and subtle, finishing with just a touch of sweetness. We notice this is a quality shared by many Autumn teas: it is as though they have come to rinse us, and ready us for Winter's retreat.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate","offers":[{"title":"25g","offer_id":32103155761257,"sku":"","price":28.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50g","offer_id":32103155794025,"sku":"","price":56.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100g","offer_id":32103155826793,"sku":"","price":108.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/files\/615A8832.jpg?v=1698977810"},{"product_id":"song-zhong-pheonix-oolong","title":"Da'an Song Zhong","description":"\u003cp\u003eWe are very fortunate to be able to offer this beautiful Songzhong from Da'an Village of the legendary Wudong Mountain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDa'an Village sits at 3,000 ft elevation, deep within the Wudong Mountains and central to an area widely regarded as the most prestigious origin for Phoenix oolongs. The name \"Da'an'' means \"Great Monastery,\" a reference to the ancient Taiping temple built here during the Qing Dynasty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn account of the tea-appreciating Buddhist monks that inhabited Taiping, Da'an is home to the \"mother trees\" of many varietals of Phoenix oolongs that the monks planted around their temple. The mother tree of this varietal – Songzhong – lives here, and is now at least 400 years old.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is understandably difficult to source tea from such a highly sought after region, especially ones made from older trees. This tea was personally sourced by Cultivate's tea mentor who has nurtured relationships in the region. In this tea, they explained to us, the unique terroir of Wudong, the impressive age of the trees, and highly skilled craftsmanship combine to create an outstanding example of the Song cultivar.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTasting this tea, we see how these factors have synthesized into something exceptional. In the gaiwan, the leaves look like dark ropes, mottled in colour from their bruising, and slick and strong like arame seaweed. The tea is intensely aromatic - floral, fruity, and slightly smoky - with savoury, saline undertones difficult to name. Its liquor is smooth and thick, coating your mouth and throat with a sweetness that lingers long after it is swallowed. We find wild mountain flowers and pomelo in this tea, woven through a dense, rocky foundation. It leaves us feeling very awakened, not to mention grateful for the experience of tasting it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"25g","offer_id":32459949277289,"sku":"","price":30.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50g","offer_id":32459949310057,"sku":"","price":60.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100g","offer_id":32459949375593,"sku":"","price":110.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/files\/20260316_Cultivate_19105_WEB.jpg?v=1774038568"},{"product_id":"mountain-orchid","title":"Ancient Spring \"Orchid\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eMr. Tang left his corporate job in the city, Kunming, in 2006. He had rented a small place in rural Yunnan where his only intentions were to read, reflect, and drink tea with friends. In one of these conversations an old friend, Li, suggested that Tang grow tea in Li's hometown, Yangta Village. That July the two of them traveled to Jinggu in Yangta and leased 11 acres of forested area from Li's niece.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe area they leased was wild growth, at about 6500 ft elevation. This is where they would eventually plant 70,000 Jinggu Big White tea trees. However, Tang found out, somewhat far into the process of planting, that one cannot harvest newly planted tea trees until they have stood in the ground for 3 years. Confronted with this, he leased another tea garden in the mountain; a highly regarded area that was home to ancient pu'erh trees. And so, while he waited for his Jinggu Big Whites, Tang began making pu'erh from these very old trees.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAncient Spring Orchid is from a very old tea garden, made up of trees that were planted by the great-grandfather of a local villager and are now between 100 and 150 years old. Fewer than 200 trees of the Mengku varietal grow together here, in a garden that sits at 6,000 ft elevation, (slightly above the grove where Tang harvests his tea for Ancient Spring). It is deep in the woods on the West facing side of the mountain, and is only accessible by a steep trek through a dense pine forest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTang crafts Ancient Spring Orchid exclusively from first harvest leaves. These trees are only harvested once a year, in the spring, so that all their energy concentrates in their first flush. The leaves of the Mengku trees are blended with leaves from the local, indigenous Jinggu Dabai varietal. The result is an outstanding pu'erh that expresses the strength and character of the trees it was made from.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe would say that this tea has a strong \u003cem\u003echa qi\u003c\/em\u003e or \"tea energy.\" It is full-bodied, and the energy from the deep-rooted trees builds in you as you drink it. It has distinct floral notes, referenced in its name, and their complexity increases through infusions. We drink this tea to feel enlivened, to move energy within ourselves, and to encounter the orchid-like characteristics of old grove Mengku.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"25g","offer_id":39638640754793,"sku":"","price":30.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50g","offer_id":52415779012888,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100g cake","offer_id":52415779045656,"sku":null,"price":116.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/files\/615A1335.jpg?v=1688017696"},{"product_id":"wild-keemun-red","title":"Wild Keemun Red","description":"\u003cp\u003eTo most people, Keemun black tea is elusive and mysterious. It’s a tea that is so famous that everyone’s heard of it, but few have seen or tried.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eKeemun black tea comes exclusively from Qimen County \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e祁门县\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e in Anhui Province. Qimen, uniquely situated in the vicinity of the famous Yellow Mountain \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e黄山\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e and the Yangtze River, is a mountainous region 2000 ft above sea level. They have been crafting tea here since the ancient times.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKeemun Black’s colorful heritage goes back to 1875. It was once the most beloved tea for the British Royal Family. Keemun is famous for having a very unique aroma and taste, referred to as the “Qimen Fragrance”—a combination of floral, honey and orchid fragrances with a sweet and malty taste. Keemun was the original tea of inspiration for Earl Grey tea, named after the British Prime Minister Earl Grey II in the 19th century. It is said that Grey was given a high quality Keemun tea and when it was depleted, he tried to replicate it with the addition of bergamot oil. At the time, it was not uncommon for cheaper teas in England to be flavored with bergamot in an attempt to imitate the more expensive Buddha’s Hand and Keemun teas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe geographical origin and the traditional craftsmanship is what makes Keemun extremely unique and special.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThe core producing region of Keemun is Likou \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e历口\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e, located in the mountainous region northwest of Qimen County. The concept of core producing region for Chinese teas is similar to the appellation systems used throughout Europe for wine, cheese and specialty agricultural products.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eOur Wild Keemun Red originates from the extraordinary Guniujiang National Nature Reserve \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e牯牛降国家级自然保护区\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e in Likou of Qimen County. It is the most prestigious core producing area for Keemun tea with the longest history dating back to 1875. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe main body of the Guniujiang Mountains were formed 850 million years ago and integrated to form the mountain range after the Himalayas movement around 200 million years ago. As the Guniujiang Mountains have a long history of land formation and complex topographical changes, a large number of ancient animal and plant species that lived 70 million to 2 million years ago can be found there. There are over 1600 species of plants and 320 species of vertebrates in this protected area, and the forest coverage is greater than 97%.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eFrom a small grove situated on the highest peaks in the Nature Reserve, a soaring 3900 feet above sea level, the wild tea trees, many over 100 years old, are indigenous to the area; beautiful heirloom trees of the \u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e槠叶种\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\"zhuye varietal\". \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThe leaves are foraged at the end of April, and painstakingly crafted by hand following the traditional processing method which consisting of more than 20 stages.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe resulting tea is stunning. The liquor is a shimmering golden color, so clear and crisp that it appears iridescent. Extremely full-bodied and complex, it has notes of orchids, crimson rose, and manuka honey.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"25g","offer_id":39521197719657,"sku":"","price":50.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50g","offer_id":52823079682328,"sku":null,"price":100.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/products\/IMG_4871.jpg?v=1625615114"},{"product_id":"rougui","title":"Rougui 2018","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe magnificent Wuyi Mountains, a protected Nature Reserve in Fujian, is home to some of the most treasured and highly sought after oolongs in China. An UNESCO World Heritage site, it famously consists of 36 peaks, 72 caves and 99 cliffs. Tea from this area is called yancha 岩茶, \"cliff or rock oolong.\" True yanchas are rare, as they come from the limited number of tea trees located within the Nature Reserve that are harvested according to ancestral rites.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Shuilian Cave is the largest cave in the Wuyi Mountain Area. The cliff that the cave is located in is more than 300 feet tall, with two springs at the top casting over its edge. Clear water runs from these springs, passing over the mouth of the cave, year-round. From below, they appear like two floating dragons spraying ambergris over the mountains.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe name of this cliff, Shuiliandong 水帘洞, is made up of three characters: \u003cem\u003eshui\u003c\/em\u003e is water, \u003cem\u003elian\u003c\/em\u003e means curtain or bead, and \u003cem\u003edong\u003c\/em\u003e is cave. And so the cliff is named for this falling water which hangs, like a beaded curtain, over the mouth of the cave. With the constant streams of water filtering through the cliff, continually feeding into the vibrant foliage below, we can imagine the mineral available to the roots of the tea trees there.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis rich soil is well matched by the more robust varietal of oolong, rougui, that grows here. These rougui trees are around 25 years old. They grow on a small plot of land that belongs to the family of Pei Liyan; generational tea farmers who have ancestral rites to their land inside the Nature Reserve. The tea was crafted by her father, who has been crafting Rock oolongs for over 4 decades. It is made following traditional techniques, which includes being roasted in 5 rounds over the course of 4 months.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis tea has the distinct delineating architecture of all rouguis. It seems to open on the palate like a structure built inside a cave. Inside of this mineral construction we taste purple flowers and peach notes. Its subtle complexities appear one after another, in a string of references, and continue for a long time, much like the beads of water that make up Shuilian's curtain.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"25g","offer_id":39537288577129,"sku":"","price":45.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50g","offer_id":39537288609897,"sku":"","price":90.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100g","offer_id":39537288642665,"sku":"","price":170.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/files\/rougui_6e627039-fd20-468d-9b9c-c060a0693593.jpg?v=1774101723"},{"product_id":"pine-moon","title":"Pine \u0026 Moon","description":"\u003cp\u003eFor the past few years Tang Wang has been looking for abandoned pu'erh tea trees in the mountains and jungles by his tea farm in Yunnan. He has experimented with harvesting their leaves and crafting them into various pu'erh raws.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe trees for Pine \u0026amp; Moon are 5 km away from Mr. Tang's tea farm. They grow in a tea garden situated within a state-owned forest, where they were abandoned a very long time ago. The trees are only accessible on foot, by way of a very rugged road. He named this tea Pine \u0026amp; Moon because of the towering khasi pine trees that make up this dense forest; these tea trees have grown amongst the pines for over a century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery spring the leaves of these trees are collected by people from the nearest village. Their 20 km hike into the forest takes them 3 hours, and they are only able to collect a few pounds of fresh leaves each day. They rarely encounter any people this deep in the forest, and step gently in the presence of the birds and the mountain trees.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce gathered, the fresh buds and leaves are handed off to Mr. Tang who spreads them out on bamboo mats to dry until they develop a floral, honeyed fragrance. Then they are pan-fried in a charcoal-fired iron work. After sitting for a few hours they are kneaded and shaped, and then finally, dried in the sun.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 2026 harvest is a bright and refined harvest of Pine and Moon. It has some extra sparkle and lightness in its energetics. We feel its cooling properties circulating upwards, behind the eyes. The taste of this harvest is less forested -- we feel more of the moonlight coming through. This is a wonderful tea for daily drinking, and a pu'erh raw that feels particularly refreshing and peaceful.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"25g","offer_id":45596785475864,"sku":"","price":35.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50g","offer_id":52415779111192,"sku":null,"price":70.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200g cake","offer_id":52415779143960,"sku":null,"price":250.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/files\/cultivate-june-17-2025-tea-cake-2-v1-5945.jpg?v=1752344006"},{"product_id":"matcha-seihyo-no-shiro-shincha","title":"Matcha \"Seihyo no Shiro\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eSeihyo no Shiro is an impressive new addition to our collection of matcha from Ikkoen Chaho. This bright, lime green powder whisks into a light, creamy matcha that evolves dynamically on the palate. It opens softly with a pleasing, powdery mouthfeel that eventually gives way to an astringent, electric finish. The most unassuming of the Ikkoen Chaho matcha, but no less impactful, this tea would pair wonderfully with wagashi or sweets.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIkkoen Chaho is a tiny tea shop founded in 1947 by Hiroshi Mitsuo in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. Now it is run by the son of Hiroshi and his wife, Chie Mitsuo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey are an anomaly in Cultivate's collection, mainly because they do not farm their own tea. Instead, they purchase high quality tencha from Uji, Kyoto that they use to mill their own matcha.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir shop is home to 3 traditional matcha mills that they use to make tencha from Uji into matcha. These machines have been used and maintained here since the shop opened in 1947. They are beautiful pieces of equipment, each housed in a wooden case and run by a steady conveyor belt.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor how small their shop and production is, they are surprisingly well known in the matcha industry in Japan, and a name that many Sado teachers quietly and assuredly recommend. This is all to say that the matcha from Ikkoen Chaho is very precious; the 3 stone mills produce roughly 30 grams of matcha per hour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe shop has no website, no online presence, only a single store in Nagoya. We are very proud to offer 3 ceremonial matcha from Ikkoen Chaho at Cultivate.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"20g Tin Can","offer_id":48392062337304,"sku":"","price":52.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"40g Box","offer_id":50571388682520,"sku":null,"price":98.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/files\/20251117_Cultivate_1061_WEB.jpg?v=1764293858"},{"product_id":"sencha-hatsuzumi-april-21","title":"Sencha “Hatsuzumi April 21”","description":"\u003cp\u003eMaruro-en is a very small, family-operated tea farm in Hatsukura Shizuoka, on the eastern edge of the Makinohara Plateau, overlooking the Oi River. Makinohara is Japan’s largest tea plateau, while Hatsukura sits on its quieter, higher-elevation ridge. This area has long hours of sun, fog after rain, and cool mornings, even throughout summer. The tea fields that thrive here span two distinct soil types: red clay and kuroboku, (a dark volcanic soil found in parts of Japan). \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe relatively long hours of sunlight here cause tea plants to develop particularly thick, dense leaves, which dictates how they must be steamed and processed. Maruro-en focuses on minimally processed teas with the intention of preserving the characteristics of both the varietal and terroir, much like an unfined and unfiltered wine. Their philosophy for tea making is centered around “asking the tea,” which means honouring each field, season, leaf, and what each particular harvest is asking of them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSencha Hatsuzumi is made from tender, young Yabukita 極ミル芽 shoots picked on the first day of the harvest season, which fell on April 21st this year. They come from a single tea garden, 権現 (Gongen).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is deep-steamed aracha-style, meaning it is minimally refined. This emphasizes the sweetness and body of the tender Yabukita while deliberately retaining some of the refreshing astringency characteristic of open-field tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaruro does not rely on shading to chase and accentuate this varietal’s umami notes. As per their philosophy of tea making, they embrace the characteristics of tea grown in open-field and under direct sunlight. Here, Yabukita’s innate sweetness, umami, and astringency are all meant to happily coexist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe dry, very fine cut leaves smell forested and green in a warm gaiwan. They brew a glowing liquor and a first infusion that has an incredibly soft mouthfeel, without any astringency. Yabukita’s characteristics articulate themselves and clarify through infusions, and the body of the tea increases in weight as they do, continuing to hold the flavour and the feel together as the tea develops.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is nothing savoury here. We get floral notes as it passes over the palate, and a smooth, grassy impression after it is swallowed. This tea’s unique clarity makes sense: it is from one small garden, of one single cultivar, made by the hand of one attentive person, from leaves picked on one single day.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"50g","offer_id":52741981602072,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/files\/0915_CultivateTea_0145.jpg?v=1793298283"}],"url":"https:\/\/cultivatetea.com\/collections\/for-debbie.oembed","provider":"Cultivate Tea","version":"1.0","type":"link"}