{"title":"For Todd","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"laoshan-green","title":"Laoshan Green 2026","description":"\u003cp\u003eMr. Tang's family are generational tea farmers in Laoshan Mountain of Qingdao, Shandong. Shandong is located in Northeastern China. It is named after Mount Lao, a magnificent mountain range recognized by its striking, slim, elongated cliffs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe many small plots that make up Mr. Tang's tea farm are scattered along the coastline at the foot of Mount Lao. Some are distributed right along the beaches, exposed to the salty wind that blows off of the water, while others are tucked slightly up into the forested hills, protected by the pine trees and the mountain behind them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mountain minerals and the constriction that comes with cooler temperatures give these teas a great richness, and the wet air coming off of the ocean gives them an unmistakable salinity. Because of the colder climate, the first harvest of Laoshan green tea is almost a month later than the first harvest of green teas from tea regions in Southern China. These leaves are hand harvested by Mr. Tang's mother and grandmother then pan fried in a charcoal-fired wok by Mr. Tang's father and uncles, all generational craftsmen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe impeccable quality of this tea is noticeable at first glance and the smell of the delicate, uniform leaves is very enjoyable, even before you add water. This harvest is very balanced in its qualities: it is as refreshing as it is rich, and as salty as it is sweet. Its champagne colour liquor has a rich, nutty aroma and a soft, oceanic taste. On the finish we find a light, uplifting astringency with a honeyed cereal undertone. This balancing act gives this tea a very satisfying fullness. It will be especially enjoyed by those who prefer a green tea that isn't too cooling.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate","offers":[{"title":"25g","offer_id":45429601304856,"sku":"","price":22.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50g","offer_id":45596074672408,"sku":"","price":44.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/files\/615A1058.jpg?v=1688016930"},{"product_id":"emei-high-mountain-green-first-harvest","title":"High Mountain Green 2026","description":"\u003cp\u003eThere is a mythical mountain in Sichuan province. For many people, it is a household name that, when spoken, evokes an air of the otherworldly. This place is called \u003cem\u003eE'Mei\u003c\/em\u003e 峨眉.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are four sacred buddhist mountains in China, E'Mei being one of them, and the highest peak. It is home to more than seventy ancient temples and is regarded by Buddhists as \u003cem\u003ethe place of enlightenment\u003c\/em\u003e. Many people will know it for the well established community of monkeys that reside amongst the temples and engage with visitors of the mountain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTea cultivation on E'Mei dates back to the Tang Dynasty, when fresh teas from its peak were delivered to the imperial palace as Tribute Teas to the Emperor. Our High Mountain Green comes from Heibao Mountain, near Haulong Village at 3200 ft above sea level. This area, central to E'Mei, is the primary area for producing tea on this mountain, and almost all the tea gardens here were planted generations ago.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe soil on Heibao Mountain is formed from porous volcanic ash, providing ideal minerals and drainage for tea trees. The elevation means that Haulong Village is almost always covered in rain or fog. It is a place that, while feeling quite unchanged, has some enchanting adaptations. Around 20 years ago many fruit trees were planted in and around the tea gardens here. Now the tea grows in the dappled shade of fragrant loquat and peach trees. However unusual this is, the tea benefits from their proximity, and is said to smell like flowers on account of it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis tea is made from leaves from the first picking of the season, consisting of one bud and two leaves. This results in a richer taste, which is in line with local preference. Regionally, this tea is simply referred to as 炒青 or \"pan-fried green.\" Its tiny, coiled leaves rich in mottled shades of green are unmistakable: it's as though the palate of an entire rainforest has pooled at the bottom of the gaiwan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile full bodied and rich in flavours reminiscent of flowers and seeds, this tea is remarkably refreshing. Its luminous liquor smells warm and feels both cleansing and hydrating to the body. Its clarity inducing salinity leaves a hint of saltiness at the back of the palate on the finish.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"25g","offer_id":39968756596841,"sku":"","price":22.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50g","offer_id":48399873343768,"sku":"","price":44.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/files\/cultivate-may-2025-tea-3-3608.jpg?v=1747585465"},{"product_id":"purple-cloud","title":"Purple Cloud","description":"\u003cp\u003eCrafted from leaves of the Zi Ya 紫芽, or \"Purple Bud,\" a varietal of pu'erh known to contain significantly higher anthocyanin in their leaves than other varietals. This compound causes their buds to emerge a deep purple colour, before turning green as they mature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the past it was most common for the leaves of Purple Bud to be made into black tea. It is unusual, and very captivating, to see them crafted as a white tea as they are here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese trees were planted by Mr. Tang in his personal tea garden. He harvests them early in the spring, when the buds and leaves are soft and rich in substance. They are spread thinly on bamboo mats and naturally withered indoors. The density of the leaves extends the withering process, causing active enzymes in the leaves to undergo gradual oxidation and hydrolysis without being damaged. When the leaves are almost dry Mr. Tang roasts them over charcoal for 6 hours. Then the tea is left to sit for 2 weeks, before being pressed into a cake.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePurple Cloud has all of the intense sweetness of a white tea, with the depth and downward-pull of a high quality pu'erh. If you are looking for traces of its purple origin, you'll find a violet note to this tea, floating on top of the taste of caramelized sugar.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"25g","offer_id":40402094784617,"sku":"","price":28.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50g","offer_id":40402094817385,"sku":"","price":56.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100g","offer_id":40402094850153,"sku":"","price":105.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200g cake","offer_id":40402094882921,"sku":"","price":198.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/products\/615A8851.jpg?v=1667434869"},{"product_id":"washan-2022","title":"Washan 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"Washan\" is made up of 2 characters. \"Wa\" is the name of the minority people that are native to this part of Yunnan and \"Shan\" means \"Mountain\". The locals sometimes call it \"A Washan\". It does not refer to a specific mountain, but rather, an area that is inhabited by the Wa people. This ethnic minority have traditionally been centered around Cangyuan in Yunnan, a remote area that, as recently as the 50's and 60's, the Wa people still inhabited.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBordering Myanmar, Washan is the source of the mighty Lancang River. The ancient forests here are lush and abundant with wild fruits and vegetables. The area also has many caves that serve as dwellings for wild animals, including Bengal tigers, leopards, gibbons and pythons, many of which still roam the Washan area.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis pu'erh is from 100 to 150 year old tea trees that grow in an abandoned tea garden deep in the jungle. The garden is home to a wide diversity of thriving plants, where even the weeds grow up to 5 feet tall. Thus, the tea trees, in order to compete for sunlight, must grow tall -- some of them reaching up to 16 feet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeing a young and fresh pu'erh, we appreciate this tea for being simpler and uncomplicated. It is sweet on the palette, with a bright and crisp mouthfeel, and a lingering fragrance of mountain flowers. It is well suited for mornings, as it brings simplicity and a grounding energy. It cleanses the palate and the mind, leaving us feeling refreshed and lighter in spirit.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"25g","offer_id":44559468134680,"sku":null,"price":28.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50g","offer_id":44559468167448,"sku":null,"price":56.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/products\/615A1941_7e06dc49-9ce3-4c18-ad0b-087a1f2065fc.jpg?v=1676650833"},{"product_id":"hojitate","title":"Kaga Hojitate","description":"\u003cp\u003eMaruhachi Tea Factory was founded in Kaga, Ishikawa Prefecture in 1863. This tea factory has been making the finest roasted teas for six generations, from the Edo Period to the present day. They maintain their reputation by focusing on the quality and parts of the tea plant used, the consistent blending of the tea stems, and their refined and innovative method for roasting them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat gives Maruhachi Tea Factory's teas their clean and complex fragrance is the traditional roasting method the stems go through. There are two methods of roasting tea in Japan. One is the direct-fire method, in which tea leaves and\/or stems are roasted directly on a hot iron plate. The second, and more time consuming one, is a sand-roasting method by which leaves and stems are mixed with hot sand and heated indirectly. Heat transfers gradually to the center of the tender stems, bringing out their complexity without over-roasting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith the direct-fire method, the one most commonly used for hojicha, the roasted tea has a strong aroma and taste, and brews a dark liquor. With sand-roasting, the tea liquor is lighter in colour, and has a more nuanced aroma and taste.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a lightly roasted tea made from second harvest stems. While not crafted from the highest grade stems, like we see in their kaga bocha, it has the refined characteristics imparted by Maruhachi Tea Factory's signature roasting process.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHojitate is a delicious and refreshing every-day roasted tea. It has less body and depth than first harvest stem teas, and finishes more quickly. Still, it offers a smooth, uncomplicated and high quality experience of hojicha with smoky, incensed aromatics that refresh the senses.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44726533488920,"sku":"","price":39.5,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/products\/615A3580.jpg?v=1678413675"},{"product_id":"roasted-black-bean-kurodamaru-copy","title":"Tamba Roasted Black Bean","description":"\u003cp\u003eOdagaki Shoten is located in Tamba Sasayama, a historic agricultural region in the Hyogo Prefecture of Japan. This 300 year old company is credited for Tamba black bean's sweeping popularity across Japan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo this day, they work directly with regional growers. Their black bean tea is hand sorted and net-roasted over direct flame with far-infrared heat; a very old technique that produces a clean taste with a deep, roasted aroma.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat makes the Tamba varietal different from other black soybeans is primarily time: a standard black soybean matures in about 70 days, whereas it takes Tamba Black around 100. Longer maturation time means that they absorb more nutrients, grow larger, and develop a richer, sweeter, more full-bodied flavour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe are honoured to be the first shop outside of Japan to carry products from Odagaki Shoten. After agreeing to work with us they spent 6 months preparing this special batch of black bean tea for Cultivate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn a final stage of crafting this tea Odagaki Shoten breaks the beans apart into pieces that are the right size for brewing, so the tea itself looks a bit like crumbled cacao. It brews a cloudy liquor that slowly turns plum colour as the pieces of bean settle in the carafe. The smell and taste of the strained liquor is incredible, and somewhat unexpected — like coffee, but without any acidity. It has a broth-like mouthfeel and a sharp, sweet finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis delicious, caffeine free tea can be enjoyed hot or chilled. Enjoy it knowing that it has many health benefits, and is even considered a beauty tonic in Japan. It is very comforting to drink in the evening, after dinner, and you will not have to worry about it affecting your sleep.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate","offers":[{"title":"100g Bag","offer_id":52017007591704,"sku":null,"price":28.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200g Bag","offer_id":52017007624472,"sku":null,"price":48.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"300g Bag","offer_id":52017007657240,"sku":null,"price":68.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/files\/20260505_Cultivate_0521_WEB.jpg?v=1778731383"},{"product_id":"enshi-yulu-jade-dew","title":"Enshi Yulu \"Jade Dew\"","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEnshi\u003c\/em\u003e is the name of an ethnic town in Hubei Province of China, and \u003cem\u003eYulu\u003c\/em\u003e translates to \"Jade Dew.\" This tea, named for its place of origin and its poetic qualities, is the only surviving traditional steam-processed tea in China. Its extreme rarity nowadays is largely on account of it being one of the most time consuming and labor intensive green teas in history to craft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe effort it takes to make Enshi Yulu is not without significant reward. Performing the \"kill-green\" by way of instantaneous steam preserves more chlorophyll, amino acids, and soluble sugars in the tea leaves, resulting in a tea with highly nutritive properties, and a prominent, fresh sweetness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe master craftsman must rise every day at 5 in the morning while this tea is being made. The leaves undergo steam kill-green and initial firing in the early hours, then they are piled onto long, rectangular cement roasting furnaces. While someone tends the wood fire and monitors its temperature, two other people work together, pushing and rolling the tea mass, gradually drying and straightening the leaves. When dryness reaches roughly 65% the leaves are spread out to cool, then repeatedly worked over with hand motions of rubbing, gathering, lifting, and pressing. Throughout this process the tea never leaves the hands of the craftsmen. For about an hour and a half it is continually moved, until it gradually takes its final form; the fine, tightly bound, dark green, pine-needle-like leaves we call \"Yulu.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach experienced tea master is able to produce just over 3kg of this tea by hand. Because of the very low yield, the vast majority of Yulu we find today comes from fully automated production lines. Completely handcrafted Enshi Yulu is extremely precious.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe greatest characteristic of Yulu's taste is its freshness. The dried leaves smell warm and deep in the gaiwan, but as soon as water hits them they transform into bright, vibrant leaves that give off a powerful \"green\" scent, as though they are still on the tree. Brewed gung-fu style the tea transforms quite noticeably through infusions, somewhat like a gyukuro, but without the broth-like density and strong umami notes. Yulu's qualities are much more light and airy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first infusion opens with a soft, nutritive taste that sweetens as it hits the back of the palate. The second infusion is smoother, and even sweeter, like sugar crystals. The soft mouthfeel and uplifting green notes are perfectly balanced, and the leaves continue to open and brighten through infusions. Yulu gets prettier the more time you spend with it. It will stay fresh and vibrant through 4 infusions, before beginning to gently fade.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cultivate Tea","offers":[{"title":"25g","offer_id":52142401978648,"sku":null,"price":48.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0091\/5737\/8153\/files\/20260602_Cultivate_0478_WEB.jpg?v=1781105381"}],"url":"https:\/\/cultivatetea.com\/collections\/for-todd.oembed","provider":"Cultivate Tea","version":"1.0","type":"link"}