CHADO INDONESIAN SILVER NEEDLE TEA  (Available beginning 3/27/2023)

Silver Needle tea is probably one of the most time consuming teas to produce. First the plucking must be done by knowledgeable pluckers, just the tip of the growing shoot is needed. Then the tea is withered and dried quickly to retain all the young shoot flavor; then each needle is plucked from the mass of leaves so that what you get is nothing but this pale grey, sword shaped leaf. One needs nimble fingers and good eyes to perform well in producing this tea. It is not inexpensive. Selected from the Chado Tea Co. stocks.

Produced in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. The project started in 1861 by Mr. Eduard Julius Kerkhoven (1834-1915) from Sinagar Tea company in West Java. Production is at most 50 kilos of tea per month due to hand plucking and then hand refining. It is a wonderful looking tea leaf and a delicious pale liquor in the cup. The tea cultivar is unique: Camelia sinensis Gambung. Brewing can be done either short or long steeping, depending on your taste. Silver Needle is also perfect as an accompaniment to food.