Tea Collection

Types of Tea

origins

All our teas grow in the forest or in biodiverse, partially or deeply shaded tea gardens, as part of rich, functioning ecosystems.

These traditional tea wildcrafting and production methods used in Nyot Ou have much lower yields than others, as the shoots grow much slower and are more difficult to pick. The level of quality, however, is exceptional. This is one of the reasons why we call these teas “premium” – nature’s contribution. The second aspect is the human know-how: our refined methods of tea manufacturing, drawing on centuries of tea knowledge and artistry of the Yiwu region – one of the oldest and most renowned tea terroirs in China, to which this part of Nyot Ou and its people are intimately linked. All teas are handmade with care by our farmer families who are members of the Nyot Ou Tea cooperative. They hand pick the fresh leaf, use wood-fired woks to process the puerh teas, and village elders sort the old leaves manually.

Forest tea: wild or ancient tea trees which were not planted by the farmers, some of them up to 15 meters high. They are left to grow undisturbed in their natural state, only removing some dead branches or diseased parts.

Forestry garden tea: planted from seeds of those wild/ancient trees following agroforestry principles. The tea trees are not cut to low bushes as is common elsewhere, but allowed to develop into tall arbor shapes with minimal trimming.

seasons

In our tea gardens, tea is harvested from about mid-March to early November. In winter, the evergreen tea trees “hibernate” – they go into a period of dormancy where no new leaves are produced; the plants’ activity is shifted underground, where its roots grow and develop. During this time, the trees are allowed to rest and concentrate their juices, to flush again with vigor in spring.

Spring tea
Spring tea is the most sought-after of all harvests. The young shoots have had time to develop powerful phytochemicals over the wintertime and are packed with nutrients and aromatic compounds. Spring tea can be quite bitter and astringent due to the high concentrations of polyphenols. These teas can be infused many times and are well-suited for aging. Spring harvest season lasts until the end of May, before the bigger rains set in. Generally, prices are highest before Pi Mai (Lao New Year) or Qinming festival in China, and drop a little through late May.

Forest tea is generally only harvested once in spring. The wild and ancient trees sprout several weeks later than their younger cousins, depending on the altitude and variety around mid- to late April. Forest tea yields are low, with a single big tree yielding about 2-3 kg of fresh leaf only.

Summer tea
From about the end of May, the monsoon rains usually become stronger and more frequent. The tea plants absorb this abundance of water and produce more leaf material, diluting the aromatic compounds and substances which give the tea its body and character. Monsoon season ends mid-September to early October.

Forest tea is generally not picked in summer. The trees are more sensitive, and furthermore, the forest areas are generally too remote and difficult to access during the big rains.

Autumn tea
From late September to early November, the rains gradually subside and give way to cooler and drier weather. The warm days and cool, misty nights and mornings are perfect for the tea trees which absorb the dew collecting on their leaves and on the soil. Autumn tea leaves and stems are somewhat more leathery and dry than in spring, resulting in more Huangpian/old leaf during processing, and often slightly more oxidation as the leaves are more difficult to process evenly. Autumn teas have a very special warm and sweet aroma which is appreciated by many tea drinkers.

The forest tea trees are usually picked once more in October.

Tea Collection

Types of Tea

Raw Puerh Tea (5)

White Tea (4)

origins

seasons

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