Best Sellers
Nishi-San's Organic Vintage Matcha
The Nishi family's expertly crafted, organic Vintage Matcha selection brings four unique cultivars—Saemidori, Kanayamidori, Asanoka, and Asatsuyu—aged for over a year to enhance umami depth and flavor complexity.
Yunnan Dian Hong Teas
The mellow and sweet taste of Yunnan Dian Hong is different than all other black teas.
Kuradashi: Fine Aged Japanese Green Teas
Japanese Kuradashi tea, intentionally “aged tea released for sale” is a unique and highly sought-after style of tea in Japan. Kuradashi tea are teas that have benefited from aging in the traditional method of storing and maturing green tea leaves for 1-2 years in special storage conditions, resulting in a distinctive flavor profile and enhanced quality.
Makers Spotlight: Rikio-San
Discover one of our favorite new tea farmers in the Hon Yama region of Japan.
Garden Direct 2024 Spring Harvest
The 2024 tea harvest season, though delayed due to varied weather conditions, promises exceptional quality. Delays in high elevation and organic gardens mean late delivery but heightened taste and aroma. Stay tuned for Mingqian Silver Needles and White Peony King batches. Explore the vibrant Yunnan spring tea harvest and anticipate Organic Pu’er and Silver Needles white teas. Witness the journey from Japan's mountainous regions to Thailand's old tree roots, crafting unique blends like Rishi's Earl Grey. Amid Darjeeling's drought, our tasters await the limited first flush picks, ensuring only the finest teas reach discerning buyers.
Origin Spotlight: Doi Mae Salong, Thailand
This picturesque region is renowned for its ecotourism, amazing food, rich history and as a diverse ethnic melting pot which draws in visitors from around the world.
Hon Yama: Shincha from Japan’s ‘Shizuoka Alps’
The Hon Yama tea growing region is located along the streams and valleys of the Abe and Warashina Rivers at the base of Shizuoka’s Southern Alps. It is a renowned terroir for sencha aficionados with natural micro-climates that are exclusive to the remote inner reaches of the Shizuoka Prefecture.
A Focused Look: Cultivars & Terroir in Taiwan
Rishi’s tea partners in Taiwan are amazing tea masters in Mingjian Village. The matriarch is Mrs. Yang Yin-Tsao and is a significant supplier for Rishi tea. Yang Yin-Tsao has devoted her life to tea but is also a true naturalist in her farming of tea, fruits, herbs, orchids, varieties of turmeric and ginger—you name it, she grows it.
Makers Spotlight: Tsuji San
Our friend and fellow Rishi, Ryo Iwamoto, a Urasenke Tea Master and Ambassador of Japanese Tea based in Tokyo and Shizuoka, had the opportunity to sit down with a 5th generation tea master, Tsuji San, including the distinction of producing tea for the Emperor and the Imperial Family of Japan for his unrivaled tencha tea farming practices and matcha productions.
What is Garden Direct?
Garden Direct is a carefully curated selection of single-origin teas sourced from the most esteemed growers. They are packaged fresh at origin and air freighted to us immediately so we can celebrate and share our most cherished teas with you during the prime producing seasons.
Origin Spotlight: Mingjian Village, Nantou, Taiwan
Around the world, Taiwan is well-known as a country that produces highly specialized teas. The Mingjian Village is situated in the central highlands of Nantou, Taiwan and the gardens here are incredible.
Mingqian Harvest Teas
With the change in season, we see the first crops of teas being introduced into the market. One can imagine the anticipation to the release of Beaujolais Nouveau, or other sought-after wines, and correlate the same excitement for celebrated seasons within the annual calendar of the global tea harvests.
Global Tea Harvest Timeline
The exact date a tea harvest begins depends on location, and how spring develops. Like any plant emerging from the grips of winter the intersection of daylight hours, rain and heat will determine when growth begins in the tea plant.
Second To None: Darjeeling 2nd Flush Harvest
Set high in the Himalayas, Darjeeling is regarded as the “Champagne of Tea” due to its one-of-a-kind terroir. Each garden in Darjeeling has its own signature micro-climate and terroir, which brings forth a unique fragrance and flavor characteristics.
Majestic Himalayan Teas Pt.2: Innovations in Nepal
The drive from the Tumsong Estate in Darjeeling, India through the Nepali border to Jun Chiyabari, looks like a quick 7-hour trip on a map...
