Wild Lily Tea Blooms

More Info

If you happen to live in Yunnan’s Tengchong County, you owe a debt of gratitude to the creator of this magical tea. Why? The County is home to Tengchong volcano, which last erupted during the Ming Dynasty in 1609. There was a lot going on at the time of the eruption. The emperor of the day was a man called Wanli whose rule ended up being the longest of any Ming Emperor, 48 years to be exact. The first Jesuit missionary, Matteo Ricci, moved to the country and was granted access to the Forbidden City. Wars were successfully being waged against the Mongols and Japanese. The famous Wanli Shipwreck occurred, scattering pottery all over the bottom of the ocean. Was the mythic power of the Volcano responsible for all these things? One thing is certain: the mythical power of mighty Tengchong led to this tea. An artisan who lived near the volcano, feeling a tremor, decided to appease the universal forces in order to save his skin and his business. He wisely began working with what local produce was available, selecting the blooms of Amaranth, Hibiscus and Lavender, believing their roots in the region’s volcanic soil would lend power to his creation. These he tied in with an exceptional, wiry leafed green tea grown in one of Yunnan’s finest gardens. His technique was to tie the flowers into the tea while it was still damp, so that as the leaves dried, the blooms would become trapped. The artisan believed that concealing the floral burst within the tea would spiritually represent his hope that the volcano’s lava would be forever trapped within the mountain’s rocky shell. And you know what? It worked. The Volcano has never erupted since.

Brewing Notes

Place 1 ball in your teapot (ideally a clear glass for maximum visual effect) and add freshly boiled water that has cooled slightly to approx. 86c. Do not use boiling water as this may scald the leaves and prevent them from releasing all their flavour

Ingredients

1st grade White Tea, Marigold blossoms & Rose Petals These tea blooms are hand made & hand tied.

Country/Region

China /Anhui Province

Grade Type/Growing Altitudes

Artisan Handcrafted /1500 – 4900 feet above sea level

Infusion Colour

Very light green

Flavour

White tea character with delicate rose hint