This tea is named for the silvery appearance of its leaves and produces a refreshingly light and fruity liquor.
Flavour
Fruity, pleasant and fresh with a light muscatel flavour
Harvest
Second flush, summer
Processing
Hand picked; Slow withering process up to 40 hours; natural chemical reactions (including light oxidation) cause aromas and flavours to deepen; when sufficiently withered, leaves are partially dried, allowed to cool completely, and then dried further.
Elevation
1,500 metres
White teas undergo the least amount of processing and because they are slightly withered, which oxidizes the leaves and buds, they can often have an undercurrent of a mild black tea flavour.
The Western brewing method listed below will result in a light, smooth and refreshing tea. We suggest experimenting with the quantity of leaves, temperature and brewing time to enjoy different flavours, such as muscatel and nuts. Try infusing the leaves at 90oC for 3 – 5 minutes.
White tea is typically too delicate to pair with strong foods so try it with a bowl of plain rice or a garden salad tossed in a light dressing. If you’re adventurous and brew the tea for longer at a higher temperature, what is the first food that comes to mind as you sip the liquor? This is likely the best food to pair with but, as with all teas, it’s also perfect on its own.
3g per 250 mls (1 cup)
First infusion: rinse leaves with 85oC water for 10 seconds and discard water; infuse for 3 minutes at 85oC
Additional infusion: gradually increase steeping time for second infusion.
4.5g per 250 mls (1 cup)
Weigh desired amount of tea leaves and place in a pitcher; add cold filtered water and stir; seal pitcher with a lid
Brew for 3 hours in the fridge
Pour through a strainer to remove tea leaves and serve cold brewed tea over ice
You may enjoy this tea more cold brewed as the muscatel and naturally sweet flavours are stronger
3g per 250mls (1 cup) of room temperature water
Brew in a tea flask at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Taste as it's brewing and strain the tea when you like the flavours.
The Himalayas and the summer monsoon influence Nepal’s climate. Ilam is sometimes known as Charkhol (area of four rivers) because of the Jogmai, Puwamai, Mai, and Deaumai rivers in the district. Ilam is subtropical and in this hilly district, as with all others, floods, landslides and – at the opposite end of the spectrum – droughts often destroy farms and villages. Tea is not the only crop affected by this. The region also produces potato, cardamom and ginger.
The Ilam district in Eastern Nepal sits next to Mt. Kangchenjunga, the third highest peak in the world, and produces almost 96% of the annual harvest in the country. Tea in Nepal is cultivated primarily by small scale farmers who work through cooperatives to sell their harvest to nearby factories.
The young tea plantations that provide leaves to the factory range between 915 metres and 1,500 metres and are regularly shrouded in a dense misty fog, perfect for concentrating flavour and aroma in the leaves. This shared interest of farming and processing has begun to create some of the finest orthodox teas we’ve tasted and has raised the level of farmer stewardship to their land.
Compared to its neighbour Darjeeling, the tea plants here are younger and are said to produce better quality leaves. At 1,500 metres above sea level the altitude and topography force the plants to do a lot of work. The root system mechanically grips the side of the hill and the plants struggle at the higher altitude because of the cold nights and grow slowly, which pushes the plants to have more character.
