Snow Orchid

雪春兰

Harvest
March 2026

Origin
Chaozhou, Guangdong

These tea buds are famous for sprouting right at the moment winter begins its shift to spring. For this reason, they are said to grow "as fiercely as a tiger," and are even referred to as "tea tigers" among growers. This tea is of the Honey Orchid varietal, but because it has the intense fragrance of a winter harvest, combined with the mellow, rich undertone of spring tea, it is called "Snow Orchid."

These transitional harvests do not happen every year. The prerequisite for high-quality Snow Orchid is that the winter must be cold enough or dry enough for the tea trees to enter full dormancy. Once they receive the signal of spring's rising earth energy, the winter buds, having accumulated nutrients, sprout rapidly. The buds are harvested right at the moment this happens.

Snow Orchid teas will only turn out balanced if they have come from high mountains; Low mountain versions are fragrant, but thin, and have very high caffeine content. This one comes from Baishuihu village, on the southern foothills of Wudong and the main peak of Phoenix Mountain, at an elevation of 2500ft. It is the recognized birthplace of the Honey Orchid varietal, and continues to produce the finest Honey Orchid oolongs in the world.

Baishuihu village is just off the main road that leads to Wudong's summit; the path into the village remains a rugged trail, and the remote ecological environment is excellent for tea trees. The south-facing foothills of Wudong are considered the finest tea-growing terrain outside the main peak. They are shrouded in fog, with dense vegetation. The temperature variation and diffused light here are key factors in producing a successful Snow Orchid.

Even in perfect terrain, Baishuihu Snow Orchid is not available every year, as it depends entirely on the weather. At the end of 2025, the high Phoenix mountains were extremely cold and dry. At the beginning of spring there was a great deal of fog, so temperatures warmed quickly without a cold snap. This fleeting stretch of weather provided excellent conditions for early spring varietals.

This Snow Orchid was picked in early March, slow-roasted twice over gentle charcoal fire, and finished by early April. After resting for a month its fragrance is crisp and complex, its honey notes are prominent, and it actively draws saliva from under the tongue.

This seasonal phenomenon grants us a delicate experience of the Honey Orchid varietal. It is more austere and less weighty than traditional winter or spring harvests, and is fascinatingly warming and refreshing, at once. This is exactly what we would want a tea to be during transit, or through fluctuating conditions.

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Brewing guide