Yunnan - Ying Ming

Yunnan Province in southwestern China is widely recognised as the birthplace of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis — home to ancient tea trees over 2,700 years old, and the origin point from which tea spread across the world. It was here, in the 1930s, that black tea production began in earnest, when the Sino-Japanese War disrupted traditional growing regions and prompted a shift to Yunnan's safer, high-altitude highlands.

Ying Ming is one of the finest results of that history. Harvested exclusively in March and April, when the mountain air is moist and cool, this rare seasonal tea is grown at 4,000 feet above sea level. Graded as Flowery Tippy Orange Pekoe (FTOP), its hand-picked leaves are rich in golden buds — the source of its full-bodied, smooth character, with notes of caramel and a natural, delicate sweetness quite unlike any standard black tea.

Delicious any time of day, plain or with a splash of milk.