$ 78.00
This spring, we made two sourcing trips to China. We brought back many favorites and several new teas. However, we also found some teas that were in extremely limited supply and/or were too pricey to carry in our regular lineup. These teas we bought small quantities of to ONLY offer in these boxes.
Introducing: the 2024 Best Of Box. Inside are 4 teas only available here. Each tea has about 5 gongfu servings, depending on how you steep it. Each tea is sealed in a biodegradable bag, with steeping recommendations and packed inside a gift box.
2008 Aged Tieguanyin | 1oz. | Crafted by Master Zhou, this organic oolong is medium roasted and has been aged 16 years. Each year, he sets aside some of his favorite tea from the year's harvest to be aged and brings out a little to share each consecutive year.
Competition Grade Longjing | 1oz. | This Pre-Ming Longjing won an award for best flavor in the Longjing category this spring. The small leaves offer a soft, yet vibrant cup of a truly spectacular Dragonwell.
Charcoal Roasted Ao Fu | 0.5oz. | This is the personal favorite of Master Lin, who crafts all of the DanCong teas we carry. Ao Fu (Barley Aroma) produces the smallest volume of all of his cultivars and the flavor is unlike any other he offers.
Dong Ding Shui Xian | 1oz. | Similar to last year's "Honey Roasted", this Shui Xian cultivar is grown on Dong Ding Mountain, heavily bug bitten to enhance the honey aroma, and roasted to perfection. Perfectly balanced and a special treat.
*We only have enough tea to make 50 boxes, so these are extremely limited*
$ 48.00
Sourced from our spring tea trip in Dehua, this gorgeous gaiwan is a beauty to view and a dream to steep with. The size is easy to handle and the thicker walls make steeping with hotter temperatures easy on the hands. The mottled patterns and lined sides make it visually stunning and a statement piece. Shown here with the matching Turquoise Cup.
Volume: 4oz. / 100ml
Material: Dehua Porcelain
$ 15.00
Here's a coupla cuties to keep you company at the tea table. These are just teapets, they are not meant to be steeped with, but do have a working spout (and I can tell you from experience they are great for using with kids!) Pick your favorite shape: Dragon Egg, Shi Piao, Xi Shi. These are the perfect little gift for your favorite Tea Nerd
$ 20.00
This shou Puerh comes from the Ai Lao Mountains and is delicious by itself, but its real treat is the herbs mixed into the leaves. The leaves of Nuo Mi Xiang (Semnostachya Menglaensis) literally translate to "Sticky Rice Aroma", and for a reason: they give off an aroma uncannily similar to sticky rice. Combined with the Puerh leaves, the combination is deep but uplifting, sweet yet earthen, and steeps over and over again. The liquor is a clean deep red which will keep you going for 8+ gongfu steeps.
Each individually-wrapped tuocha weighs 5g., making it perfect for travel and easy steeping.
Origin: Simao, Yunnan
Harvest: 2021
$ 15.00
Here's a coupla cuties to keep you company at the tea table. These are just teapets, they are not meant to be steeped with (but I can tell you from experience they are great for using with kids!) Pick your favorite glaze: Black, Celadon or Green. These are the perfect little gift for your favorite Tea Nerd
$ 24.00
Sourced from our spring tea trip in Dehua. Shiny copper colored cups with a beautiful sheen and smooth texture. Available in 2 sizes.
Volume Large: 3oz. / 75ml
Volume Short: 2oz. / 50ml
Material: Dehua Porcelain
$ 50.00
If you love matcha, but can't decide on which to start with, why not try both? This combo includes 30g tins of both of our very first Blue Willow Ceremonial Grade Matchas, grown organically and/or without pesticides.
The first is the Forest Dew Matcha from Kirishima. Made from a blend of 5 cultivars, this matcha is organically grown and stone ground. It has a robust yet smooth flavor that has made it perfect for Matcha Lattes. In fact, it is now what we use in the shop and we were just voted best tea shop in the East Bay and one of the best places for matcha in the Bay Area by the SF Chronicle. Find out why everyone is loving it...
The second is the Uji Jade Matcha from Wazuka. This is a single Samidori cultivar ceremonial grade matcha, grown without pesticides and stone ground. It is incredibly smooth and fulfilling, with a light body and invigorating energy boost. It makes perfect usucha (thin tea) and should be enjoyed by itself without additions.
$ 52.00
Sourced from our spring tea trip in Dehua, this shinoware wood-fired beauty is a perfect little solo steeper. Each pot has reacted differently to the wood firing, making the designs unique moonscapes. The interior of the pot is unglazed and should not be shared with teas that have strong flavors or spices added, as it might overshadow more delicate teas steeped later.
Volume: 3oz. / 90ml
Material: Dehua Porcelain
$ 75.00
$ 48.00
Sourced from our spring tea trip in Dehua. Rich browns and reds combine in this clay pot to create a work of art that looks like it was part of a root system. The clay handle is modeled to look like a branch growing out of the side, accentuating the natural beauty.
Shown here with the Tall and Short Earth and Root Cups
Volume: 7oz. / 200ml
Material: Dehua Clay
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Sourced from our spring tea trip in Dehua. Each of these pots has a beautiful contrast of celadon and earth tones. The celadon will develop and show off its intentional ruyao crackles in the glaze as it gets more use. The inside is unglazed with a handmade bubble filter. This pot does not need to be dedicated to one tea, but beware of steeping heavily flavored teas, as they might contaminate more delicate teas steeped afterwards.
Shown here with the Im'a Lichen This Cup
Volume: 6oz. / 175ml
Material: Dehua Porcelain
$ 48.00
For those new to steeping and seasoned pros alike, this easy gaiwan offers something for everyone. Clear glass allows you to witness the leaves unfurl and monitor the intensity of each steep. The lid fits perfectly into the petal grooves and has holes to strain the tea without needing to tilt it. It holds 175ml, roughly 6oz. of tea.
If you have never used a gaiwan before, it is an excellent method for making a multitude of different teas, mostly Chinese and Taiwanese greens, reds, blacks, oolongs, and some younger or sheng puerhs.
$ 30.00
$ 26.00
$ 32.00
$ 62.00
Everything you need to gongfu on the go. These molded cases are sturdy and are a perfect fit to hold your teaware snug on all your travels. The 100ml gaiwan and three cups are smooth porcelain and nest inside each other with a tea towel to fold between the layers. The gaiwan fills the cups exactly, but there's a pitcher in case you travel solo or in pairs.
Choose between black, red or grey cases. Each one has a keychain attachment so you'll never lose it.
$ 15.00
Teapets are great companions on the tea table and who doesn't love a cute lil puffer fish?
$ 15.00
Are you freaking kidding me? How cute it this little chicky tea pet! They will be a constant reminder of how sweet life can be while you're making tea
$ 24.00
For the tea drinker on the go! This simple design will fit easily with anyone's style preferences. The separated pockets inside make it easy to keep your pot and cups safe while on the move, and the handle feature is so easy to use. Fits a gaiwan or pot, plus 2-4 cups! (if you're stacking cups, definitely wrap them in a tea towel for extra protection)
$ 16.00
Strain your tea in style. Sure, you could use a run-of-the-mill mesh strainer (which we have also) or you could use a handmade tin strainer that will filter out any leaves with love. Literally, the holes make a heart shape <3
This will last forever and will fit any receptacle with its stem.
$ 34.00
There is up to a 2 week ship time for the Shohaku currently due to an increased in demand. We get our matcha ground and shipped fresh each month and have had to place additional orders to keep up with orders. Thank you for being patient.
Shohaku is a great everyday matcha that is excellent prepared traditionally and still has a slight tannin characteristic so it won't get lost if you add it to a latte or smoothie. The color is vivid green with a deep seaweed-like base and bright grassy finish.
Both of our ceremonial grade matcha offerings are produced and stone-ground by Marukyu Koyamaen, a family tea business that has been growing and producing tea in Uji for over 300 years.
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Kinrin is a flavorful matcha that can be used for making Usucha (thin tea) or Koicha (thick tea). The Kinrin whisks to a velvety-smooth bowl of matcha with robust umami flavor and offers rich notes of steamed kombu and a light sweetness. To prepare this as Koicha, use three times as much tea with less water and whisk with a chasen at least 200 times!
Currently all of our ceremonial grade matcha offerings are produced and stone-ground by Marukyu Koyamaen, a family tea business that has been growing and producing tea in Uji for over 300 years.
$ 28.00
We are so pleased to offer our first private label matcha! After spending years traveling Japan and searching for a high quality, organic, ceremonial grade matcha, up to our standards, we finally sourced our first one from an organic, woman-run tea farm.
Introducing Uji Jade: an incredibly smooth and satisfying ceremonial grade matcha from Wazuka. This is harvested from the Samidori cultivar, a lesser-known cultivar developed in Uji for matcha production. The flavor is rich yet smooth, with a perfect balance between bright/peppy and sweet/umami. The color is vivid and pure and the energy it provides is clean and uplifting without making your brain too busy.
I've been personally drinking this every morning and it leaves me feeling invigorated, satisfied and motivated, without any jitters. It's been the perfect morning companion for me and I'm so happy to share it with you.
We recommend this matcha for usucha (thin tea). You can experiment with the thickness you desire as well. While you can use this for lattes, the flavor is so smooth it can get overshadowed when adding other ingredients. Try it straight up and go from there!
Process: pesticide-free
Region: Uji, Japan
Harvest: 2024
$ 26.00
There is up to a 2 week ship time for the Forest Dew currently due to an increased in demand. We get our matcha ground and shipped fresh each month and have had to place additional orders to keep up with orders. Thank you for being patient.
We are so pleased to offer Blue Willow private label matcha! After spending years traveling Japan and searching for a high quality, organic, ceremonial grade matcha, up to our standards, we finally sourced an exceptional organic Matcha, which we now use for lattes in our shop.
Introducing Forest Dew: a robust, yet smooth ceremonial grade matcha stone ground from five cultivars in Kirishima, Kyushu. This matcha can be made into usucha for a lively, grassy matcha bowl, or can be made into a latte. The flavor is strong enough to stand up to the addition of milk and/or sweeteners without getting overpowered, and has very little astringency.
We switched to this for matcha lattes in our shop and were just featured on the cover of the SF Chronicle Food and Drink newspaper for best Bay Area Matcha!
We recommend this matcha for usucha (thin tea) or lattes. You can experiment with the thickness you desire as well.
Process: Organic
Region: Kagoshima, Japan
Harvest: 2023
$ 50.00
If you love matcha, but can't decide on which to start with, why not try both? This combo includes 30g tins of both of our very first Blue Willow Ceremonial Grade Matchas, grown organically and/or without pesticides.
The first is the Forest Dew Matcha from Kirishima. Made from a blend of 5 cultivars, this matcha is organically grown and stone ground. It has a robust yet smooth flavor that has made it perfect for Matcha Lattes. In fact, it is now what we use in the shop and we were just voted best tea shop in the East Bay and one of the best places for matcha in the Bay Area by the SF Chronicle. Find out why everyone is loving it...
The second is the Uji Jade Matcha from Wazuka. This is a single Samidori cultivar ceremonial grade matcha, grown without pesticides and stone ground. It is incredibly smooth and fulfilling, with a light body and invigorating energy boost. It makes perfect usucha (thin tea) and should be enjoyed by itself without additions.
Sold Out
$ 46.00
