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recent arrivals

2017 Zhenghe
Bai Mu Dan

clean, semi-aged nectar, in waffle nug format

Nannuo Pu'er Selection

juicy Meng Hai boldness

2020 Da Hong Pao
Light Fire

exquisite light roast oolong, crisped snap pea

2020 Yiwu Manzhuan Raw Pu'er

expansive textured soup, layered flavors

recent words

Dimensions of White Tea, an Introduction

You might have heard of White Tea: "one year tea, three years medicine, seven years treasure.” But what allows white tea to transform so remarkably — into medicine, and then treasure as they say — after just a few years?

Yiwu Part I: At a Glance

Not just a township, but a larger area and even a mindset, we look at why Yiwu occupies an inimitable cornerstone of the pu'erh experience. Series by Gus

Tea as Ritual

Tea scholar, educator, and Rivers & Lakes community guest writer Miles Cramer pens an essay providing a tasteful glance at tea's journey through time as a ritual communion.

riversandlakestea

When we found out the Hé family — our supplier

When we found out the Hé family — our suppliers in Yiwu — have a handful of smaller specialty productions in fancier gardens around Mengla county we had to have a taste. 🍃
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🍃 What we found — old growth spring material from the gardens of Manzhuan and Luo Shui Dong — now comprises our most top shelf offerings in the Rivers & Lakes catalog. Have a look to see more (link in bio) Product spotlights 🕯 for these teas coming in the days following. ☁️ #manzhuan
#luoshuidong
#yiwutea
#yiwu
#rawpuerh
#shengcha
#gongfucha
#pourn

that moment right before that stellar session 💓

that moment right before that stellar session 💓 ☁️ #riversandlakestea
#工夫茶 #чай #茶 #çay #🍵 #차 #gongfucha #puerhtea #puerh #普洱 #gushucha #shengcha #tea

Our Winter Shan Lin Xi high mountain Oolong is bac

Our Winter Shan Lin Xi high mountain Oolong is back in stock 📯 Haven’t ever tried winter high mountain oolong? Think more sweet vegetal and flavor-focused rather than high pitched floral. The chill up in the higher climes of these mountains ushers more sweetness into the leaves just as fall and winter vegetables (like cabbage & broccoli) can be drastically different than their spring and summer grown iterations. This particular tea didn’t take it’s time selling out last time we stocked it in the store — the fresh, thick gao shan oolong experience at this time of year just can’t be imitated. ☁️☁️☁️❄️🍃 #riversandlakestea
#shanlinxi
#gaoshanoolong
#taiwaneseoolong
#🍵 #🫖
#高山茶
#wulongcha
#drinktea
#茶美學
#烏龍茶
#青心烏龍
#工夫茶

New navigable menu that sorts our catalog by Origi

New navigable menu that sorts our catalog by Origin! I also whipped up these handy maps that details the significant tea areas of the origin’s region. These maps can be clicked on even in mobile to be zoomed in on. Feel free to download ✔️ #teamaps
#directsourced
#farmtocup #riversandlakestea
#gongfucha #gongfu #tea #čaj #cha #чай #茶#çay#gaiwan#teadrunk#teastagram#🍵 #차 #puercha #puerhtea #xishuangbanna #普洱 #工夫茶#chinesetea #yunnanmap #taiwanmap #teaexplorer #teaadventure #teatravels

New Tea Spotlight 🕯 🍃 🍃 🍃 This 2017

New Tea Spotlight 🕯 🍃
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🍃 This 2017 Bai Mu Dan material from Zhenghe county of Fujian has reached “medicine” status in reference to the Chinese marketing line for white tea 一年茶、三年药、七年宝 “one year tea, three years medicine, seven years treasure” Indeed white tea does undergo quite the rapid transformation (much faster than pu’er — read why this is in our blog section linked in bio 👆). With precisely this in mind, we sought out this material to be pressed into this tight waffle form as to facilitate a nearly anaerobic environment (fermentation) on its interior that would stagger with the fast-moving aerobic oxidation of its exterior as it ages. The result is a complex and dignified candy that does particularly well as a lengthy gong fu companion, as the tight pressing serves as a time release of sorts; layers of flavors may only be accessed consecutively. This tea is also great for boiling — though not as old as some lao bai chas, this tea contains nearly zero astringency and is as smooth as butter. 150 gram Rivers & Lakes Tea 白牡丹 waffle bings, available now ☁️☁️☁️ #riversandlakestea
#baicha #whitetea #白牡丹 #baimudan #waffles #政和 #zhenghe #fujiantea #chinesetea #gongfucha #工夫茶 #butfirsttea #teamoment #teaculture #timefortea #teatime #teaholic #ilovetea #teamoment #tealifestyle #teagram #cha#чай#茶#çay#gaiwan #🍵 #차

Making White Tea ☁️ “There is definite virt

Making White Tea ☁️ “There is definite virtue within the type of role that human oversight plays in the production of white tea. It is one of shepherd; of advocate. From start to finish, the tea master uses intelligent receptivity and precise action to steward the leaves into white tea. Though technically complete upon drying, this may not necessarily be its final form as we will soon see. The tea master casts this skipping stone into the river as merely the first act, its path predictable but now all its own.” What goes into — and more importantly what doesn’t go into — making remarkable white tea to be aged? More about why producing white tea is an incredible feat of botanical stewardship in our blog (link in bio). #riversandlakestea
#baicha
#whitetea
#tea #白茶

Aren’t you so glad this year is coming to an arb

Aren’t you so glad this year is coming to an arbitrary numerical end?! 😮 To celebrate we just tossed two new pressed white teas from our producer in Zhenghe (Fuding’s rival) onto the site 🥂 (!) ☁️☁️☁️ #buds
#baicha
#whitetea
#牡丹王
#白牡丹
#fuding
#fudingwhitetea
#zhenghe
#2020
#2021
#gregorianaf

Merry Winter Solstice & Happy 冬至 Dong Zhi Fest

Merry Winter Solstice &
Happy 冬至 Dong Zhi Festival 🪐🥟🌗🫖☁️ May the hibernation of the longest night of the year replenish your cells and fortify your psyche.
We have lots to do!

Chilly nights call for shou pu, right? ☁️☁️☁️🫖 #riversandlakestea
#puer

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