2021 is the Chinese New Year of the Ox. In the Chinese lunisolar calendar, which is used for marking holidays and traditional festivals, Chinese New Year begins when the new moon appears between 21 January and 20 February - which in 2021 is February 12th. As the largest tea producing country in the world, we stock a variety of Chinese leaf teas, from cooked Pu-Erh teas to delicate white teas.

Tea piles in Jingmai, Yunnan

Here is a selection we recommend for ringing in the Chinese New Year:

1. Yunnan Golden Tips Black Tea

Jon and Esther visited Yunnan province in 2013 and wrote about their visits to traditional tea estates and growers, which you can read more about here.

Yunnan Golden Tips refers to the bright golden colours the leaves take on during pile fermentation, which also gives the tea its rich flavour. Harvested in the early spring, Yunnan Golden Tips is an easy drinking tea with a smooth finish.  It is worth trying brewed Gong Fu style to experience some of the best flavours.

2. Jing Mai Ancient Trees Raw Pu-Erh

Jing Mai Ancient Trees Cooked Pu Erh is made from trees that grow wild in the high mountains of Jing Mai in Yunnan province. Some of these trees are hundreds of years old and are cultivated completely organically and bio-dynamically. There are two types of Pu-Erh tea, 'Raw' and 'Ripe', but both are made from sun-dried Saiqing Mao Cha tea leaves and traditionally produced in Yunnan province. Raw Pu-Erh, known as shēng, undergoes a longer process of production, the fresh picked leaves are left to fermet slowly and naturally developing a rich, earthy flavour. Learn more about Pu-Erh tea here!

3. Fujian Dong Ding Oolong Tea

The name of this green oolong refers to Dong Ding (Frozen Summit) mountain - the first place oolong was planted in Taiwan. Our Dong Ding has made a round trip, however, as it is now hand-crafted by a Taiwanese tea master in its original home, Fujian. Dong Ding tea presents as a tightly-rolled leaf the size of small peas, the flavours are toasty and woody. 

4. Jasmine Silver Needle White Tea

If you've never tried white tea before, we've compiled a small guide! Baihao Yinzhen as silver needle tea is known in China, is one of the country's most celebrated and finest teas with a beautiful jasmine scent. Jasmine Silver Needle white tea is famous for its sweet and delicate flavour. The Silver Needle buds undergo a traditional scenting process in which they are placed between layers of fresh jasmine blossoms. This process takes place in the evening, when the blossoms naturally open, and is repeated for several days. 

5. Zhou Family Handmade Wuyi Shui Xian 

We stock a range of teas by the Zhou Family from whom we buy directly, as with all our teas. The Zhou family are traditional teamakers from Guangdong province who have been cultivating and producing tea for many generations. The Wuyi Shui Xian  we currently stock was harvested on the 9th May 2018, this tea has been carefully roasted over charcoal four times. The flavours are complex and fruity with a sensation of boiled sweets. Try re-infusing it several times.