Yes! We do ship Canadian orders via the US Postal Service. Please visit our shipping page for Canadian Shipping Rates.

Yes! To do so, please fill out our Contact form, and we will send an order quote with shipping rates to your e-mail. Alternately, you can also reach out to Customer Service or 844-467-4744 for shipping rates. Payment can be made by phone or fax. Sorry, expedited options are not available.

Contact Form

A shipping confirmation will be sent to your email when your order ships. This email includes either a FedEx or USPS tracking number. 

If you placed your order through an account on our website, you can find tracking information under “My Account” > “Past Orders / Shippments”.

Orders sent via FedEx can be tracked with the tracking number provided in your shipping confirmation email here- FedEx Tracking

Orders sent via USPS can be tracked with the tracking number provided in your shipping confirmation email here- USPS Tracking

Please note, international orders can only be tracked up to the arrival of the package in the country of origin. Packages are then transferred to the local postal service.

A Few helpful Notes on FedEx Tracking

Strange Routing
With FedEx Economy shipments, you may follow your package updates and notice that it has gone a strange way, or seemingly away from your address during its journey.

These packages must be sorted through certain facilities, and this may be why you see a strange direction on your tracking details. This process may also add additional transit days to your order. Be assured once sorted, it will arrive soon.

Pending Status
When packages enter high volume facilities, FedEx automatically updates the expected delivery date to pending. Once your package enters a lower volume facility, a new expected delivery date will be generated.

Extended Transit Times
We do our best to provide estimated times in transit, but please note transit time vary by carrier and distance, delivery may be extended past estimated days in transit. Please allow ample time for your order to arrive.

We work hard to ensure orders are filled correctly and completely, and all items are packaged carefully to prevent breakage. If you experience any problem with your order, please reach out to our Customer Service team for assistance.  We’re happy to rectify any problems to ensure your satisfaction.

E: CustomerService@Rishi-Tea.com
P: 1-844-467-4744 – M-F, 9:00am to 5:00pm (CST) 

Rishi Tea & Botanicals is dedicated to sourcing only the highest quality products and your experience is important to us. If you feel the quality of our products is less than expected, please contact our customer service within 30 days of your order date. We do not honor returns, exchanges or refunds if the issue is a matter of personal taste but do honor replacements for quality issues.   We reserve the right to evaluate situations on a case by case basis as other restrictions may apply.

Please note, as an agricultural product, some seasonal variance is to be expected in the flavor profiles of tea. For this reason, we recommend purchasing smaller quantities such as our “Teaser” sample size, ensuring the tea is to your liking before committing to larger bags. For insight into the most recent crop tasting notes, our Customer Service team can help.

If you purchased your tea from a third party such as Amazon or Wholefoods, please note we lack access to your purchase history with these retailers, we kindly ask you to contact the retailer at which you purchased the items for the resolution of all product-related issues. We apologize that we can’t assist you directly with these purchases.

Similar to spices and coffee beans, dried tea leaves and powders will not “go bad” or spoil but can lose freshness over time.  To maintain your tea’s quality, we recommend storing in a resealable container (they can stay in your Rishi resealable bag!) away from direct sunlight, heat , moisture and strong smells.  Tea is hygroscopic—meaning it absorbs moisture and nearby aroma—so it is best to store teas away from other highly fragrant products like coffee, spices, or herbs.   

A cool pantry or cupboard is perfect. Remember to gently push out any excess air when resealing the bag after use!  

Our test results continually confirm that Rishi’s Japanese teas are completely safe.

On March 11, 2011 the Tohoku tsunami and earthquake off of the northeast coast of Japan caused the devastating Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident, releasing radioactivity into the environment.

Since then and to this day, Rishi has maintained a stringent program to verify the safety of the teas we source from Japan by conducting radioactivity tests at an independent third-party laboratory in the USA. The lab uses a testing method called gamma ray spectrometry to measure radioactive isotopes Cesium-134, Cesium-137, and Iodine-131 in units of becquerel per kilogram. We continue to test samples of our Japanese teas for these isotopes prior to import.

Our latest test results are as follows:

Isotope, Unit, Result, US FDA Maximum Allowable Limits for Tea

Cesium-134, Bq/kg, Non-detect, 1,200

Cesium-137, Bq/kg, Non-detect, 1,200

Cesium-131, Bq/kg, Non-detect, 170

Most of the teas we source in Japan are grown in the tea regions of Kagoshima and Miyazaki, located on the southern island of Kyushu at a distance of about 700 miles from Fukushima. Of all the Japanese tea regions, Kagoshima and Miyazaki are situated at the farthest distance from the Fukushima area, and so pose the lowest risk for radiation contamination.

All Rishi Tea products are free from ingredients containing gluten or dairy. Additionally, we do not work with ingredients containing or exposed to eggs, wheat, corn, soy, shellfish or peanuts. We do use coconut and ramon nut in several blends but follow a strict allergen control procedure to separate these ingredients from our allergen-free ingredients. 

Natural flavors are concentrated liquid extracts made from real food ingredients. We use natural flavors to complement dried fruits, herbs, and other botanicals in some blends to create a complex depth of flavor that infuses deeply into the tea leaves. We use our natural flavors in compliance with USDA NOP organic standards.

All Rishi teas are free of GMOs. Fortunately, GMOs are not as significant an issue in the tea industry as they are in grain or produce markets. The tea plant, Camellia sinensis, is grown without genetic modification. Instead, hundreds of tea plant strains known as cultivars, or “cultivated varieties,” are bred and planted through traditional botanical methods like crossing. GMOs are explicitly forbidden under the USDA’s organic program, so any Rishi tea bearing the USDA Organic logo is free of GMOs. 

The aim of the organic agriculture movement is to promote environmental sustainability by encouraging biodiversity, enhancing soil fertility and protecting the health of farm workers and consumers. In the US, organic agriculture and product labeling standards are regulated by a USDA certification program called the National Organic Program (NOP). The NOP certification prohibits the use of banned pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, growth hormones, GMOs, irradiation, sewage sludge, and artificial preservatives, flavors and dyes in crops, livestock and foods. Third-party certifying agencies make annual inspections to verify that an organic farmer, manufacturer, or product satisfies these standards. Compliant businesses are awarded the right to use the USDA Organic logo.  You can look for this logo on over 95% of our tea and botanicals.

Rishi believes organic agriculture is an important part of leading a healthy, natural lifestyles and for restoring ecological balance to world in an age of global environmental degradation. One of Rishi’s founding principles was to help create and expand the demand for organic tea internationally.  We have specialized in sourcing organically grown tea since we were founded in 1997—five years before the NOP standards were developed for tea in 2002. Today, we’re proud to be a leader in this market!  

Beyond the USDA Organic certification, Rishi adheres to a robust quality control program that begins in the field.  Our buyers spend months traveling to the tea farms each year to taste and evaluate quality during the peak crop seasons. This also allows us to experience our organic tea cultivation firsthand. Throughout the year, our Compliance team performs additional spot-testing on select teas to ensure our organic teas are free of pesticides and other contaminants.

What about your conventional (not organic certified) teas? 

We celebrate the fact that organic tea is gaining popularity in tea markets worldwide, and farms across many growing regions are converting to organic cultivation to meet that demand. However, there are several classical tea growing regions where organic tea farms simply do not exist yet. The major oolong tea regions—Fujian, Guangdong, and Taiwan—are notable examples. Many oolong tea farms in those areas produce exclusive micro-lots of top shelf conventional teas for premium markets worldwide. Phoenix Dancong oolongs from Guangdong and High Mountain oolongs from Taiwan are some of the most expensive teas in the world. With such strong demand and high-end marketing, the farms have little incentive to seek organic certification. The same can be said for several of the tea regions in Japan that specialize in growing gyokuro or tencha for making matcha.     

The good news is many of the farms in those areas—including our suppliers there—practice a range of “Integrated Pest Management” techniques to minimize their use of pesticides. The install solar-powered insect zappers, pheromone sticky paper traps and plant buffer zones to that effect. Since these are some of the most treasured and sought-after styles of tea in the world, we import these as specialty items for tea connoisseurs. These are some of the favorite teas enjoyed by our staff, and we would never sell a tea we would not drink ourselves. 

Similar to spices and coffee beans, dried tea leaves and powders will not “go bad” but can lose complexity of aroma and taste over time.  Each category of tea has a unique level of oxidation and freshness window: 

Green and White teas will lose their freshness most quickly. We recommend consuming these teas within 2 months from the time you first open the package.  

Matcha powders should be enjoyed within 2 weeks upon opening because the powder will undergo “post-oxidation” when exposed to air, transforming its bright green color into a stale shade of pea-green or yellow.  This can be minimized by using proper storage method.   

We recommend using Oolong, Black and Botanical teas within 4 months of opening, for the best flavor.  

Lastly, roasted Oolong and Pu’er teas have the unique ability to ripen and develop complexity with age over several years if stored properly.   

Good rule of thumb: know the category of tea, order what you need, employ proper tea storage practices and enjoy your offerings!  

This depends on the size of the bag and the amount of tea used for each serving. In general, we recommend Rishi Loose Leaf Teas be measured at 1 tablespoon (4-5g) per 8 oz of water. A 250 gram bag yields about 50 – 60 servings and a one-pound bag (454g) yields about 90 – 120 servings. One of the joys of loose leaf tea is that you can re-infuse the tea leaves multiple times during each brewing session. Check the label and product description online for specific brewing tips for each category and type of tea. 

Similar to spices and coffee beans, dried tea leaves and powders will not “go bad” or spoil but can lose freshness over time.  To maintain your tea’s quality, we recommend storing in a resealable container (they can stay in your Rishi resealable bag!) away from direct sunlight, heat , moisture and strong smells.  Tea is hygroscopic—meaning it absorbs moisture and nearby aroma—so it is best to store teas away from other highly fragrant products like coffee, spices, or herbs.   

A cool pantry or cupboard is perfect. Remember to gently push out any excess air when resealing the bag after use!  

Our test results continually confirm that Rishi’s Japanese teas are completely safe.

On March 11, 2011 the Tohoku tsunami and earthquake off of the northeast coast of Japan caused the devastating Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident, releasing radioactivity into the environment.

Since then and to this day, Rishi has maintained a stringent program to verify the safety of the teas we source from Japan by conducting radioactivity tests at an independent third-party laboratory in the USA. The lab uses a testing method called gamma ray spectrometry to measure radioactive isotopes Cesium-134, Cesium-137, and Iodine-131 in units of becquerel per kilogram. We continue to test samples of our Japanese teas for these isotopes prior to import.

Our latest test results are as follows:

Isotope, Unit, Result, US FDA Maximum Allowable Limits for Tea

Cesium-134, Bq/kg, Non-detect, 1,200

Cesium-137, Bq/kg, Non-detect, 1,200

Cesium-131, Bq/kg, Non-detect, 170

Most of the teas we source in Japan are grown in the tea regions of Kagoshima and Miyazaki, located on the southern island of Kyushu at a distance of about 700 miles from Fukushima. Of all the Japanese tea regions, Kagoshima and Miyazaki are situated at the farthest distance from the Fukushima area, and so pose the lowest risk for radiation contamination.

All Rishi Tea products are free from ingredients containing gluten or dairy. Additionally, we do not work with ingredients containing or exposed to eggs, wheat, corn, soy, shellfish or peanuts. We do use coconut and ramon nut in several blends but follow a strict allergen control procedure to separate these ingredients from our allergen-free ingredients. 

Natural flavors are concentrated liquid extracts made from real food ingredients. We use natural flavors to complement dried fruits, herbs, and other botanicals in some blends to create a complex depth of flavor that infuses deeply into the tea leaves. We use our natural flavors in compliance with USDA NOP organic standards, and we are one of few tea companies who do not use any artificial flavors in our teas. 

All Rishi teas are free of GMOs. Fortunately, GMOs are not as significant an issue in the tea industry as they are in grain or produce markets. The tea plant, Camellia sinensis, is grown without genetic modification. Instead, hundreds of tea plant strains known as cultivars, or “cultivated varieties,” are bred and planted through traditional botanical methods like crossing. GMOs are explicitly forbidden under the USDA’s organic program, so any Rishi tea bearing the USDA Organic logo is free of GMOs. 

The aim of the organic agriculture movement is to promote environmental sustainability by encouraging biodiversity, enhancing soil fertility and protecting the health of farm workers and consumers. In the US, organic agriculture and product labeling standards are regulated by a USDA certification program called the National Organic Program (NOP). The NOP certification prohibits the use of banned pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, growth hormones, GMOs, irradiation, sewage sludge, and artificial preservatives, flavors and dyes in crops, livestock and foods. Third-party certifying agencies make annual inspections to verify that an organic farmer, manufacturer, or product satisfies these standards. Compliant businesses are awarded the right to use the USDA Organic logo.  You can look for this logo on over 95% of our tea and botanicals.

Rishi believes organic agriculture is an important part of leading a healthy, natural lifestyles and for restoring ecological balance to world in an age of global environmental degradation. One of Rishi’s founding principles was to help create and expand the demand for organic tea internationally.  We have specialized in sourcing organically grown tea since we were founded in 1997—five years before the NOP standards were developed for tea in 2002. Today, we’re proud to be a leader in this market!  

Beyond the USDA Organic certification, Rishi adheres to a robust quality control program that begins in the field.  Our buyers spend months traveling to the tea farms each year to taste and evaluate quality during the peak crop seasons. This also allows us to experience our organic tea cultivation firsthand. Throughout the year, our Compliance team performs additional spot-testing on select teas to ensure our organic teas are free of pesticides and other contaminants.

What about your conventional (not organic certified) teas? 

We celebrate the fact that organic tea is gaining popularity in tea markets worldwide, and farms across many growing regions are converting to organic cultivation to meet that demand. However, there are several classical tea growing regions where organic tea farms simply do not exist yet. The major oolong tea regions—Fujian, Guangdong, and Taiwan—are notable examples. Many oolong tea farms in those areas produce exclusive micro-lots of top shelf conventional teas for premium markets worldwide. Phoenix Dancong oolongs from Guangdong and High Mountain oolongs from Taiwan are some of the most expensive teas in the world. With such strong demand and high-end marketing, the farms have little incentive to seek organic certification. The same can be said for several of the tea regions in Japan that specialize in growing gyokuro or tencha for making matcha.     

The good news is many of the farms in those areas—including our suppliers there—practice a range of “Integrated Pest Management” techniques to minimize their use of pesticides. The install solar-powered insect zappers, pheromone sticky paper traps and plant buffer zones to that effect. Since these are some of the most treasured and sought-after styles of tea in the world, we import these as specialty items for tea connoisseurs. These are some of the favorite teas enjoyed by our staff, and we would never sell a tea we would not drink ourselves. 

Similar to spices and coffee beans, dried tea leaves and powders will not “go bad” but can lose complexity of aroma and taste over time.  Each category of tea has a unique level of oxidation and freshness window: 

Green and White teas will lose their freshness most quickly. We recommend consuming these teas within 2 months from the time you first open the package.  

Matcha powders should be enjoyed within 2 weeks upon opening because the powder will undergo “post-oxidation” when exposed to air, transforming its bright green color into a stale shade of pea-green or yellow.  This can be minimized by using proper storage method.   

We recommend using Oolong, Black and Botanical teas within 4 months of opening, for the best flavor.  

Lastly, roasted Oolong and Pu’er teas have the unique ability to ripen and develop complexity with age over several years if stored properly.   

Good rule of thumb: know the category of tea, order what you need, employ proper tea storage practices and enjoy your offerings!  

This depends on the size of the bag and the amount of tea used for each serving. In general, we recommend Rishi Loose Leaf Teas be measured at 1 tablespoon (4-5g) per 8 oz of water. A 250 gram bag yields about 50 – 60 servings and a one-pound bag (454g) yields about 90 – 120 servings. One of the joys of loose leaf tea is that you can re-infuse the tea leaves multiple times during each brewing session. Check the label and product description online for specific brewing tips for each category and type of tea. 

The six tea types are differentiated by their processing steps. The techniques used to process fresh tea leaves– such as rolling, firing, oxidizing, or drying– do not alter caffeine on a molecular level, and thus they do not affect the amount of caffeine contained in the fresh leaf. Teas that undergo baking or roasting in their final stages, such as Houjicha or Iron Goddess of Mercy, may lose some caffeine by pyrolysis, where the caffeine molecule is literally baked out of the tea leaves. In general, the processing methods do not affect caffeine content so various types of tea can have similar levels of caffeine. 

A greater factor influencing the amount of caffeine potential in tea is the cultivar of the tea plant. The brewing technique also plays a large role in determining how much caffeine is extracted into the final cup. 

We worked with an independent lab to measure the caffeine content of our packaged teas. The teas were brewed according to our recommended brewing instructions for temperature and infusion time, and then the caffeine content of the infusion was measured. We found that most teas registered within three tiers: 

LOW: < 20 mg / 8oz cup 
MEDIUM: 20 – 40 mg / 8oz cup 
HIGH: > 40 mg / 8oz cup 

An average cup of coffee contains about 90 – 120 mg / 8oz cup. 

A decent amount! After a first 4-5 minute infusion, most teas have only released 30-50% of their total caffeine. The tea leaves will release the remaining caffeine in subsequent infusions. 

There are some variables, of course. If a tea is made of very small leaves and leaf particles, more surface area is exposed to water, and more caffeine will come out in the cup. The water temperature also affects the extraction rate greatly. 

No. It takes several minutes to extract significant amounts of caffeine from the leaf. Using higher temperature water and a longer infusion time will yield more caffeine in the cup. By contrast, cooler water and short infusion times do not extract as much caffeine. 

Tea is known to create a more even, sustained lift compared to the buzz and crash of coffee. There are several reasons for this. 

First, the amount of caffeine in tea is about 1/3 to 1/2 that of coffee. The peak of the tea high does not spike as high as the coffee jolt. 

Secondly, there are other compounds in tea, such as l-theanine, that are attributed to relaxation.  L-theanine is thought to evoke a feeling of relaxation.