When I asked tea farmer Mr. He of Laoshan village his favorite thing about being a tea farmer, he didn’t hesitate for a moment. He said, “when the picking is done, nothing makes me happier than inviting people to my home and giving them my tea to enjoy. Watching them sip the fresh harvest for the first time and breath in the fresh aroma. It just makes me happy.”

Mr. He gets at an important point around the holiday season. This is a time of year when many of us have the opportunity to share gifts with others. Chances are, if you are reading this you already have an interest in tea, maybe a new discovery, or maybe a lifelong obsession. In any case, once you fall in love with teas like Mr. He’s Laoshan Green and Laoshan Black, there is a great joy in helping others discover tea as well. Fine looseleaf teas make great gifts- here are just a few of the reasons:

-Tea is an experience. For a very small amount of money, you can give a memorable and lasting impression through a simple gift.
-Tea supports families around the world. Fine loose leaf tea is hand picked on family farms, supporting families like the He family in Laoshan, the Li Family in Dragonwell, or the Wang family in Fujian.
-Tea is healthy. I love giving chocolate and baking cookies, but more and more family members are on diets, etc. Tea is embraced as part of a healthy lifestyle.
-Tea is an invitation to discovery. Give somebody their first fine tea, and you may spark a lifetime love. It is a true joy to see another person go down the path of tea after trying the real thing.
-Everyone loves tea. They might not know it yet, and they might even deny it, but there is a tea out there for everyone to fall in love with. People who don’t naturally like tea just need to find their inspirational brew.

The Verdant Tea Gift Guide for Sharing Loose Leaf Tea

The tea lover: Many people out there are already head-over-heels in love with tea. They have tried just about everything out there and looking for exposure to new and exciting things happening in the world of tea. We recommend helping your tea-loving friends by extending their education through a subscription to either our Tea of the Month Club, or space permitting, Tea of the Month Reserve Club

The tea newbie: Perhaps you have friends and family that have expressed an interest in tea. The want to know more, but they don’t want to be overwhelmed or buried in tea yet. When people are beginning their education, it is best to slowly introduce them to the vast world that is tea. We have put together The Verdant Tea Gift Set to give them a chance to try our most popular offerings with a brew basket for easy looseleaf brewing.

The pu’er geek: You know who we are talking about- when you fall for pu’er, you fall hard. For those people who have tried everything out there available from mainstream vendors, you need to find something outside the scope of what they know. We recommend the 2003 Farmer’s Cooperative Sheng from Banzhang as a great candidate. Being a small-production tea with an extremely unique numbing quality and nutty taste, it is sure to catch the attention of any pu’er fans out there.

The generally uninterested: Some people don’t know much about tea yet, and don’t have a huge interest. That doesn’t mean that you couldn’t make them huge fans given the right first impression to tea. Two teas that stop people in their tracks are the Yunnan White Jasmine and the Hand Picked Tieguanyin.

The Foodie: Everyone knows someone who loves fine food. People who seek out and appreciate the best tasting foods are sure to love interesting and unique tasting teas with stories behind them. We think the He Family in Laoshan represents some of the highest levels of innovation in tea right now. Their Laoshan Green and Laoshan Black are always well-received, both for the innovative farming techniques and the rich malty flavors.

The Coffee Lover: So many people think that tea and coffee are either / or beverages. A person can easily enjoy both. We find that many coffee drinkers appreciate the darker more roasted flavors of our Shui Xian Wuyi Oolong, or the thick rich texture of the Golden Fleece.

Still not seeing a perfect match? Our blends have become extremely popular, and provide very accessible starting points for tea gifting. The Laoshan Genmaicha and the Laoshan Village Chai are our top picks, with the Ginger Sage Spa Blend a great alternative for people sensitive to caffeine.