Jasmine Tibetan Tea

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.

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.

This Tibetan tea is from Ya'an, Sichuan and is crafted from younger leaves that were harvested on Mengding Mountain. It was traditionally fermented, slow roasted, and then scented with fresh jasmine flowers that were harvested in Sichuan.

As we would expect from such high quality jasmine flowers, the scent of this tea is very striking: enticing, baked, sweet, and intoxicatingly floral.

The intense jasmine aroma overlaid on this otherwise very gentle fermented tea feels heady and nostalgic. The flowers also sweeten its taste, bringing out the tea's jujube date and cakey qualities. The tea is consistent through several infusions, gradually transporting us to the fields of flowers that Sichuan is known for.