Introducing the latest addition to our Louisiana-grown tea, Thé Vert, a celebration of tradition and flavor that echoes the illustrious heritage of the Qing Dynasty’s prized Long Jing green tea.
Why not treat yourself like dynasty?
Our green tea is prepared in the style of Long Jing, a roasted and pressed tea. The Qing Dynasty regarded Long Jing as the most prestigious of Chinese green teas, giving it the status of "Imperial Tea." Grown, harvested and processed to exacting standards.
Centuries later, our tea farm adheres to those same standards to bring you a green tea like theirs. Maybe better.
How do we do it?
First, green teas must be plucked in the morning because the flavor compounds are only present at that time in the tea's circadian rhythm.
Next, after a short wither, green teas undergo a cooking step, which defines them, called the "killgreen" step. This ensures that the enzyme that facilitates oxidation is denatured (or destroyed). There are two main ways in which tea producers accomplish this: steaming the tea or roasting the tea. Steamed greens generally have more of a vegetal flavor profile while roasted greens tend to have a toasty and roasted nut flavor profile.
Our tea is roasted and pressed into a flat shape. This is what unlocks flavor profiles like roasted nuts and releases aromas reminiscent of fresh-cut hay. This process is also what helps define the tea liquor, which will range in color from clear to green.
One major distinction between Thé Vert and a typical Long Jing is our differing plucking standard. A Long Jing will have one bud and one leaf, whereas Thé Vert has one bud and two leaves.
After the roasting process, Thé Vert is finished off in the dryer for a very short period and is ready to enjoy! Green tea will slowly oxidize so it is best enjoyed within a year of the processing.
"Centuries later, our tea farm adheres to those same standards to bring you a green tea like theirs. Maybe better."
Hans Marchese our Tea Production Manager is responsible for meticulously crafting each of our premium teas.
When we asked Hans about Thé Vert, he had this to say:
"I am VERY excited about Thé Vert. Making a green tea that was up to the standards of our Big Easy and Tea Blossom teas has been a long journey! Beverly Wainwright and I started to develop this tea in early 2023, but I didn't crack the code for consistent high-quality batches until April 2024. Hundreds of hours and dozens of experiment batches went into the final product. Now, every time I taste a batch, I am delighted by its roasty honey-nut flavor. I am thrilled to now share Thé Vert with our patrons and hope it brings them as much joy as it does me. "
Amazingly, long after the Qing Dynasty, we still celebrate the many benefits we've all come to know about green tea and why it was deemed their "Imperial Tea." Why not treat yourself like dynasty?
Get your hands on some Louisiana-grown tea today!
A large amount of tea is imported into the United States, in fact, the majority of it is. We are so excited to join a growing number of small tea businesses in the US that are bringing tea closer to home. We are Louisiana's only commercial tea grower and we are thrilled to bring tea, to this great state and beyond.