Have you ever been drinking your cuppa and wondered to yourself, where does this tea come from? What country? What city? What are the practices of the company like? Are they sustainable? Do they have eco-friendly practices?
Many companies don’t answer these questions. Luckily Rakkasan does. This slightly astringent and grassy green tea comes from an estate that practices great eco-friendly operations and is fair trade certified. The taste is amazing like the estate. At first you may find it soft and too watery but as you drink it more the taste really develops on your palette. Fresh cut grass and slight volcanic notes. T
he smell is slightly roasty with a hint of dead leaves (that wonderful fall scent). If you are looking for a good tea and a great company to support check out this one!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Rakkasan Tea
Description:
Our Rukeri Green is a Rwandan steamed green tea, lovely to smell with a taste mildly astringent, but smooth. Grown at an elevation between 5,500 and 6,500 feet, the leaf is hand-picked and harvested only in the mornings. This green tea is rolled in traditional tea rollers using specially selected and seasoned timber tables and battens.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Himalayan Golden Tips/Rakkasan Tea Co.
This black tea comes from tea farms in Nepal. The region they harvest is similar and close to Darjeeling but production is much lower than the famous Darjeeling due to previous wars and the fact that their tea industry is undeveloped. These days production comes from six districts: Ilam, Dhankuta, Kaski, Terhathum, Sindhulpalchok, and Panchthar. Golden Tips from Rakkasan come from the IIam district from small farms. While not true for all farms, this tea is hand-plucked resulting in the big tea leaves you see below. The color is due to the the oxidation after 10-14 hours of wilting.Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Rakkasan Tea Company
Description:
Our Himalayan Golden Tips are hand-plucked and almost entirely made up of whole leaf buds. To make the fresh and stiff tea leaves flexible for shaping, the leaves are wilted between 10-14 hours depending upon climactic conditions. After gentle shaping, the leaves are fully oxidized, which turns the leaf buds a golden brown. This tea has creamy and cocoa notes that linger long on the palate—especially without milk or sugar.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Ha Giang Jasmine/ Rakkasan
Jasmine in green tea is as well known as milk in coffee. And yet despite how many companies sell it, not all possess the quality that Rakkasan does. Upon opening your bag you will find beautiful tea leaves; dark green. The scent of jasmine will consume your sense of smell. Enjoy it now because the smell fades as it is brewed.
For the best jasmine flavor try it first at 2 minutes. Seems to me that after 4 minutes the jasmine flavor is somewhat diminished by the tannins. If you are a fan of honey in your tea this is a good one for it as it brings out more of the jasmine.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Rakkasan Tea Company
Description:
Harvested by ethnic Dao families at 4,600 feet in Hà Giang Province, Vietnam, this is a wild green tea infused with real jasmine blossoms. Hand-blended during the season that runs from May to August, the blossoms are layered overnight with tea during which time the flowers open and the fragrance is absorbed. The tea and flowers are separated and the process is repeated for three more nights until the tea has absorbed just the right amount of delightful jasmine fragrance.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Paksong Green/ Rakkasan Tea Co
A bit of a cold has taken hold of me. So I apologize in advance as my taste buds are a bit perplexed. This tea is reminiscent of other roasted greens with the roasted notes but the impact isn’t quite the same. It hits you like a light tap and then the entire flavor wheel just disappears. Not even an aftertaste. The light flavors are of asparagus with slight grassy undertones. The wet leaf smell, even with my nose somewhat clogged, is a wonderful wok roasted smell. You know that smell you get from a lovingly cared for, nicely aged wok? That homey vegetal scent. If you are a fan of green tea definitely give this one a try.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Rakkasan Tea Company
Description:
Paksong Green is a large-leaf, green tea grown on the Bolaven Plateau of southern Laos. This fine green tea owes its character to the careful hand-processing of artisan farmers. After plucking and withering, the tea leaves are hand-rolled. Then a short roast on a wood fire gives the tea a subtle, slightly smoky finish with notes of baby corn, young asparagus and seaweed.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Amba Ceylon Green / Rakkasan
Trying hard to concentrate on all the unique aspects of this tea while watching my son push our electric grill back and forth in the kitchen and screaming at it when it hits an obstacle; so forgive me if this post is a bit jumbled.
A green tea very light in flavor. With my first cup I tried to eat a cinnamon roll but the roll overpowered the tea. Unlike many green teas this one isn’t abundantly grassy. It may take a few cups of this one to truly begin to understand the flavors.
Sometimes I feel like I need to only drink one tea for awhile in order to open my palette to unique flavors. Drinking too many different teas at a time can impede this. The flavors seem to be mainly vegetal with hints of summer florals.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Rakkasan Tea
Description: This is a unique pan-fired, hand-crafted tea that is part green and part oolong due to the unusually slow wither. It is also the hardest tea for us to get. Grown at an elevation of 3,300 feet, it has buttery caramel and citrus notes that layer with soft vegetal and fruity peach accents with a hint of mint.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!