Verdant Tea

2022 Update from the Tea Fields

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2022 Update from the Tea Fields

2022 Update from the Tea Fields

Dragonwell green teas are picked and on the way!

March 22, 2022

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Spring is here!

Li Xiaoping in Dragonwell picked her first tea on March 8th this year, several weeks earlier than usual thanks to a warm and early spring coming to the mountains of Shi Feng. Typically the prized pre-Qingming picking doesn’t happen until mid to late March, so this is a remarkable year, with unique weather that Li Xiaoping says made for sweet, rich, aromatic tea.

photos courtesy of Li Xiaoping, March 2022

Li Xiaoping’s daughter and granddaughter came to help this year, bringing the whole family together, while Shui Huaimin hand-pressed and fired the fresh tea on his wok, relying on decades of experience to lock in the vibrant flavor without applying too much heat.

Classic Dragonwell harvests followed the first pickings around March 17th and 18th, making them incredibly early pre-Qingming pickings, packed with classic Dragonwell minerality and fresh flavor.

With the Dragonwell harvest complete, Li Xiaoping and her family get to enjoy a well-deserved break. Mrs. Li is adamant on only picking her plants in early spring and allowing them to rest for the whole summer and autumn, ensuring the richest most flavorful harvests, but keeping her yield preciously low.

We’ve reserved as much Dragonwell as possible, and we are getting it packed up and shipped from our office in Laoshan to the US asap. We hope to be sipping it here no later than May.

Historically, early season Dragonwell tends to sell out on pre-order before arrival, so if you want to taste it fresh, be sure to reserve your portion of the harvest! We’ll prep your box and forward it on the day it arrives.

Wondering about Laoshan spring teas?

The He Family started picking their earliest season tea on March 16th, and as their harvest progresses, we will be able to estimate timing and confirm what pickings they can make available this year. So far, Mr. He reports lower yields than usual but very sweet and aromatic tea.