Hon Yama: Shincha from Japan’s ‘Shizuoka Alps’The Hon Yama tea growing region is located...
Origins of Tea
As practitioners of direct trade we take pride in the personal relationships we have built with tea and botanical growers around the world. Our team of buyers travels extensively each year in order to select the very best micro-lots of tea and botanicals. Our hands-on approach allows us to verify how our organic teas are grown and offers complete traceability back to the source.
Darjeeling First Flush 2023
Darjeeling First Flush Harvest 2023Darjeeling is one of most celebrated tea origins in...
The Story of Ancient Tea in Thailand and the Old Tea Trees Found in Doi Wawee
The village of Doi Wawee is revered by the tea lovers and is known as Cha Fang Cun 茶房村 or “Tea House Village.”
Chiang Rai Northern Thailand
Origin Spotlight: Chiang Rai in Northern ThailandIn 2003, Rishi’s Founder, Joshua...
Laos Forest Tea
Together Dr. Thiphavong Boupha and Rishi Tea are working to bring exquisite and rare Laos forest teas to market.
Makers Spotlight: Yamaguchi San
Yamaguchi San’s family farm was founded in 1946 in Hoshino Village. Yame has unique soil content, which creates distinct taste or “terroir”.
Makers Spotlight: Tsuji-san
Seicha Tsujiki, Tsuji San’s family farm name, is located in Uji Shirakawa, Kyoto, Japan. Tsuji San’s father was the first generation to focus primarily on tencha for matcha production.
Makers Spotlight: Nakanishi San
Nakanishi San has more than 60 years of experience growing tea, in the Fushimi District, Kyoto, Japan where his family has over 250 years of tea farming history.
Snow Shan Teas
Snow Shan teas are not inherently named for their processing method and plucking standard but are better defined by the ancient tea trees, high elevation and how they grow.
2021 Spring Harvest : Follow Along
Follow The 2021 Spring HarvestThis article will provide updates, photos and...
What is Garden Direct?
Garden Direct is a carefully curated selection of single-origin seasonal teas. They are packaged fresh at origin and sent via air freight to our warehouse in Milwaukee, WI so we can share these most cherished teas at their peak freshness.
Mingjian Village, Nantou, Taiwan
Mingjian Village, Nantou, TaiwanOver the last 20 years I've made countless trips to...
Phoenix Mountain Dancong – The Art of Tea Making
2020 is unquestionably the year of altered travel plans, rescheduling and cancellations. At Rishi Tea & Botanicals, we are fortunate to have amazing relationships with our tea farmers, which ensures we are able to access the same high quality and exceptional teas even during this chaotic time.
Gyokuro: a Flight and Look Into Terroir
Gyokuro, “jade dew”, is a rare shade-grown green tea from Japan. Shaded in a similar style to matcha, Gyokuro has a deep emerald color, rich taste, and high caffeine
Rishi Welcomes: Dr. Turmeric
We are proud to announce an exclusive partnership with “Dr. Turmeric” artisan foods from Taiwan. The “Dr. Turmeric” line ranges from turmeric noodles, sauces, condiments and cold-pressed oolong tea seed oil. It also features several different varietals of turmeric, ginger and galangal root powders.
Tokoname Clay
Tokoname was the location of one of the Six Ancient Kilns of Japan and is also famed for Buddhist and Shinto shrine statue artisans. Tokoname is often considered to be the sister city of Yixing.
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.
The Wild Maqui and Murta Harvest in Chilean Patagonia
We source two main components of many blends from the Chilean Patagonia territory: Murta and Maqui Berries. We work with collectors, who in turn work with regional landowners to pinpoint where these fruits are growing.
Second to None: Darjeeling 2nd Flush Harvest
In March and then again in June of 2019, our buyers embarked on the journey into the...
A Focused Look: Cultivars & Terroir in Taiwan
Rishi’s tea partners in Taiwan are amazing tea masters in Mingjian Village. The matriarch is Mrs. Yan Ying Tsao and is a significant supplier for Rishi tea. Mrs. Yan Ying 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.
EXPLORE OUR GARDEN DIRECT TEA
Rishi Tea & Botanicals travels extensively each year, following the peak harvest to select the very best micro-lots just days after production. This practices allows us to offer unique and delicious teas that capture the essence of their origin and are not available anywhere else in North America.