{"title":"For Formula Fig","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"chrysanthemum","title":"Emperor's Chrysanthemum","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e黄山贡菊\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHarvest\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNovember 2024\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHuangshan, Anhui\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is an absolutely stunning year for these chrysanthemum flowers: they smell sweet, deep, and look perfectly orb-like when dry. The blossoms open quickly in water, expanding into incredibly fluffy flowers that look buoyant and alive. They brew an electric looking liquor that has taken on the lemonade colour of the flower’s robust inner petals. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe taste the symmetry we see in these flowers in the tea they brew. It is very well balanced between the medicinal qualities and the saccharine sweetness chrysanthemum tea can have. Drinking it is calming to us, as its slightly weighty liquor presses down on our palate before settling warmly into our chest. The density of the liquor is unique in this year’s harvest: while we know it is still whitening our eyes and cooling heat in our bodies, the experience of drinking it is hydrating, soothing, and even a bit stilling.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e. . .\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eOn the first sourcing trip I took for Cultivate, back in 2014, I traveled to the Huangshan Mountains to visit a green tea farm famous for their Huangshan Maofeng. The Chen family ran this farm, and they welcomed me to this majestic region very kindly. After our visit, when I parted with them, Mrs. Chen tucked a small package into my bag, telling me, “Huangshan is also famous for our chrysanthemum tea.” I didn’t think much of it at the time; I was so taken by everything else I had encountered, and these flowers were not exactly\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e tea\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDespite having dismissed them, the chrysanthemums traveled back to Vancouver with me. Much later, on an evening that I was heading out to meet a friend, I came across the package from Mrs. Chen. Wanting something without caffeine, I hurriedly threw a few of the flowers into a thermos and added hot water to take with me. When I took my first sip I was surprised, surely in part because my expectations were so uninformed, but also because the tea I had made was so beautiful – unlike any herbal tea I had tried before! The tea tasted impossibly sweet and refreshing. I looked at the flowers that had opened in the water: they were very vivid – these frayed, semi-translucent orbs that slowly drifted towards and away from one another. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eI’ve carried this chrysanthemum tea at Cultivate since then. Reflecting on my encounter with these flowers, they seem like a perfect example of how sourcing tea can be at the best of times: you unintentionally find a tea so special that it captivates you immediately, and by way of curiosity it brings you closer to both it, and your own presence. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eEmperor’s Chrysanthemum are an ancient varietal of chrysanthemum flowers, indigenous to Huangshan Mountain. In the Song Dynasty they were tribute teas for the Emperor. Every November, as soon as the flowers were harvested and dried, they were sent by the fastest horses to the Emperor’s Palace to be enjoyed by the Emperor and his family. They are understood as a restorative tea for the end of winter and early spring. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis is my 10th year receiving these chrysanthemums from Huangshan. As the highest grade of the Emperor’s Chrysanthemum, they have gotten progressively harder to procure. This is for several reasons: the weather in the region has become increasingly unpredictable, there have been severe droughts, or too much rain;  this indigenous varietal has a much lower yield than modern chrysanthemum varietals, and requires more field work as they are grown without the use of fertilizers or chemicals; the standards for such a high grade of flower are very high and any weather damage will render them unsuitable for tea. For all of these reasons, the availability of the highest grade of Emperor’s Chrysanthemum has dropped significantly, (at least 70% from when I first sourced them). Every year, as my appreciation for them deepens, these flowers very literally grow more precious. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e. . .\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBrewing guide\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTea\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e10- 12 flowers\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTemperature\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e100\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e°C\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWater\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e250 ml\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSteep time\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2-5 min\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNo. of infusions\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e3\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Cultivate","offers":[{"title":"25g","offer_id":32102990282857,"sku":"","price":24.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50g","offer_id":32102990315625,"sku":"","price":48.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100g","offer_id":32102990348393,"sku":"","price":90.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/products\/615A9047.jpg?v=1675879758"},{"product_id":"matcha-kakegawa-for-matcha-latte","title":"Matcha \"Kakegawa\"","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e掛川抹茶\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHarvest\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMay 2025\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShizuoka, Japan \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis matcha is from the Kakegawa region in Shizuoka, one of the key producing regions of tea in Shizuoka. Compared to Yame, the mountains in Shizuoka are bigger and the region is more expansive. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMatcha Kakegawa makes a truly delicious latte, and one that is very different from our Yamabuki matcha. It stands out at first for how bright, fresh smelling, and luminous the tea powder itself is. It whisks into a smooth suspension very easily, gathering a substantial foam on top of its liquor. Pouring it into milk softens its rich green colour into a vibrant pastel. We can tell that the matcha is inherently creamy, as its taste blends inseparably with the taste of the milk. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWhile it has a strong and captivating aftertaste, its mouthfeel and character is very light and weightless. We think this is the perfect matcha for summer – it's refreshing and, in all ways, uplifting. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/files\/matcha-kakegawa-chart.jpg?v=1727236608\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlease \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cultivatetea.com\/blogs\/news\/making-iced-matcha-latte-at-home\"\u003esee here\u003c\/a\u003e for our blog post on how to make a delicious matcha latte at home!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e. . .\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"color: #888888;\"\u003eThe 100g Bag is our most enjoyed size — about a month of daily lattes, and 21% more matcha per dollar compared to the 50g Tin.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"50g Tin","offer_id":48275486507288,"sku":null,"price":58.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50g Refill","offer_id":48275486540056,"sku":null,"price":48.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100g Bag","offer_id":48275486605592,"sku":null,"price":92.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200g Bag","offer_id":49234479644952,"sku":null,"price":172.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/files\/20251202_Cultivate_12677_WEB.jpg?v=1764955641"}],"url":"https:\/\/cultivatetea.com\/collections\/for-formula-fig.oembed","provider":"Cultivate Tea","version":"1.0","type":"link"}