Is there any tea to better Connecticut’s Harney & Sons? Or better than Jade Leaf?
Who can afford Da Hong Pao at $1.2m per kilo or Gorreana Broken leaf black tea at $4000? No one surely can drink super rare teas like Silver Tips Imperial, Tienchi Flower Tea, or Taiwanese Poo Po Pu Ern?
Rare doesn’t necessarily mean delicious, and costly doesn’t mean superior. So what are the most luxurious teas in the world?
Bala Sarad and Taha Bou Qdib are friendly rivals. Their teas vie for the title of the world’s finest
$26 doesn’t seem to be much to pay for an “Eternal summer,” a “Grand Wedding,” a “Silver Moon,” or a “Silver Flute.” In teabag form. But they are among the best.
Singapore’s TWG (The Wellness Group) boasts one of the world’s largest tea collections, featuring over a thousand single estate, fine harvest, and exclusive blends. “Gold Yin Zhen” is perhaps it’s most luxurious. It also offers tea-infused ice creams like “Bain de Roses,” “White Night Jasmine,” and “Singapore Breakfast tea.”
The luxury teahouse chain was founded by French-Moroccan tea sommelier Bou Qdib who offers the high-end loose leaf “Grand Fine Harvest ” including the 2$200 Grand Sencha), “Caviar Tin” and “Haute Couture Tea” collections with great teas like Heart of Happiness (China), Tukdah FTGFOP1 (India), Lotus Jade, Lung Ching Imperial, and Ti Kuan Yin Prestige.
Oprah Winfrey is a known fan of “Vadham” teas whose “beauteous tinctures” include Turmeric Ashwagandha tisane, Ginger Masala, Applause CTC (crush, tear and curl) Assam, Barnesburg Premium, pine-smoked Antu Valley Tippy Souchon, Anya Diamond First Flush Darjeeling, Autumnal Ruby, Castleton Moonlight White, and Himalayan Pearls.
India’s Bala Sarda represents four generations of tea knowledge and works with 150 plantations. “When I joined my family’s bulk tea export business, I noticed that most of the tea being sold across the world passes through multiple middlemen before reaching consumers. By then, most of the prime freshness and flavor of the tea is lost. That’s why I founded VAHDAM- a home-grown Indian tea and superfood brand.”
The teas are procured directly from plantations and farmers within days of harvest, packaged “garden fresh” in India, and shipped worldwide. By eliminating the middlemen, farmers get a better price for their tea. 1% of revenue is directed toward the education of farmers’ children via the company’s TEAch Me Social Initiative. The brand is climate and plastic neutral. Its name is the reserve of its founder’s father’s name – Madhav.
Of course, many tea connoisseurs believe that a truly great cup or perfect pot of tea depends on what you eat with it. TWG also offers black tea chocolate bars and Lemon Bush tea shortbread cookies!
