I know you aren’t supposed to judge a tea by its name – but that is exactly what I have done with this tea which is Ganesha Green from Nepal Tea LLC. I couldn’t tell you why I was drawn to this tea because of its name I just was.
The company says that this tea is “A step up from our Kanchanjangha Verde, Ganesha Green is a finer pluck, medium bodied with prominent marine flavors, such as kelp and seaweed.”
I can’t say as I have tried their Kanchanjangha Verde but I can tell you what I thought of this tea based on my personal experience.
I thought it was pretty bold for a green…more on the grassy and seaweedy side of things for sure.
As you may know – brewing green tea is considered rather complicated since steeping green tea for too long or in too hot water will result in a bitter and astringent brew regardless of the quality of the leaves.
I found this to be one of the more tricky greens, too! I was able to play around with it at least 2 to 3 times. My personal preference was to steep for about 1.5 minutes. I found anything longer than that the tea turned a bit bitter to quite bitter depending on how long you over infused it for.
1.5 minutes was my HAPPY ZONE. It was just the right amount of green and the right about of savory I look for in a greener-seaweedy type green tea. Some might call it a soupy type tea or even a greener miso flavor.
Regardless…once I found my HAPPY PLACE with this tea…I was a fan!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Nepal Tea LLC
Description
A step up from our Kanchanjangha Verde, Ganesha Green is a finer pluck, medium bodied with prominent marine flavors, such as kelp and seaweed.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Rukeri Green / Rakkasan
Have you ever been drinking your cuppa and wondered to yourself, where does this tea come from? What country? What city? What are the practices of the company like? Are they sustainable? Do they have eco-friendly practices?
Many companies don’t answer these questions. Luckily Rakkasan does. This slightly astringent and grassy green tea comes from an estate that practices great eco-friendly operations and is fair trade certified. The taste is amazing like the estate. At first you may find it soft and too watery but as you drink it more the taste really develops on your palette. Fresh cut grass and slight volcanic notes. T
he smell is slightly roasty with a hint of dead leaves (that wonderful fall scent). If you are looking for a good tea and a great company to support check out this one!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Rakkasan Tea
Description:
Our Rukeri Green is a Rwandan steamed green tea, lovely to smell with a taste mildly astringent, but smooth. Grown at an elevation between 5,500 and 6,500 feet, the leaf is hand-picked and harvested only in the mornings. This green tea is rolled in traditional tea rollers using specially selected and seasoned timber tables and battens.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Ha Giang Jasmine/ Rakkasan
Jasmine in green tea is as well known as milk in coffee. And yet despite how many companies sell it, not all possess the quality that Rakkasan does. Upon opening your bag you will find beautiful tea leaves; dark green. The scent of jasmine will consume your sense of smell. Enjoy it now because the smell fades as it is brewed.
For the best jasmine flavor try it first at 2 minutes. Seems to me that after 4 minutes the jasmine flavor is somewhat diminished by the tannins. If you are a fan of honey in your tea this is a good one for it as it brings out more of the jasmine.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Rakkasan Tea Company
Description:
Harvested by ethnic Dao families at 4,600 feet in Hà Giang Province, Vietnam, this is a wild green tea infused with real jasmine blossoms. Hand-blended during the season that runs from May to August, the blossoms are layered overnight with tea during which time the flowers open and the fragrance is absorbed. The tea and flowers are separated and the process is repeated for three more nights until the tea has absorbed just the right amount of delightful jasmine fragrance.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Paksong Green/ Rakkasan Tea Co
A bit of a cold has taken hold of me. So I apologize in advance as my taste buds are a bit perplexed. This tea is reminiscent of other roasted greens with the roasted notes but the impact isn’t quite the same. It hits you like a light tap and then the entire flavor wheel just disappears. Not even an aftertaste. The light flavors are of asparagus with slight grassy undertones. The wet leaf smell, even with my nose somewhat clogged, is a wonderful wok roasted smell. You know that smell you get from a lovingly cared for, nicely aged wok? That homey vegetal scent. If you are a fan of green tea definitely give this one a try.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Rakkasan Tea Company
Description:
Paksong Green is a large-leaf, green tea grown on the Bolaven Plateau of southern Laos. This fine green tea owes its character to the careful hand-processing of artisan farmers. After plucking and withering, the tea leaves are hand-rolled. Then a short roast on a wood fire gives the tea a subtle, slightly smoky finish with notes of baby corn, young asparagus and seaweed.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
H’mong Kings Tea from Rakkasan. . . .
Generally when you think of green tea you think of Japan or China first. What about Vietnam? Wasn’t on my radar until I spotted this one. This rare wild grown tea is a true splendor to behold. The dry leaves have an incredibly unique aroma. This scent is what I think of when I think umami. It’s almost like they cooked something on the pan before they roasted it. Somewhat vegetal but nothing like the usual vegetal flavors found in tea. SMOKY! Smoky vegetal! But not like Lapsang Souchong. The wet leaves smell like passion fruit. NO I am NOT joking. They don’t taste like it though… Don’t taste the leaves. And the liquid? Awesome. Grassy sweet with just a very slight amount of bitterness. I need more.
More in my cup. The leaves slowly un-twisting in my cup are lovely. The Agony of the leaves. It is interesting how pan firing a tea can give it such a different flavor profile.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Rakkasan
Description
This is a rare wild-grown, green tea produced by Black H’mong families in Hà Giang Province, Vietnam at over 5,200 feet. It is different from other green teas in that it is fired and dried by hand in a wood-fired cast iron pan rather than a drum oven. It has a smoky aroma and earthy and woody notes reminiscent of the surrounding pine forest where it grows. Like other wild green teas, it is naturally sweet with little bitterness.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!