Purple tea
Purple tea cultivars have a particularly high content of anti-oxidants. These include anthocyanin, polyphenol and catechin. So not only do these teas taste pretty good, they are also beneficial for health. These include purple teas from China, Japan and Kenya. We offer a variety of purple teas in our shop:
‘Ye Sheng‘ (野生) purple leaf cultivar is recognised as Camellia sinensis var. dehungensis and is considered to be the ‘original’ purple tea, growing at high altitude in Yunnan Province. Very bitter when made into a sheng pu-erh, it develops flavour and complexity with age. Also makes fantastic black tea!
‘Zi Ya‘ (紫芽) is a naturally occurring mutated purple leaf version of Camellia sinensis var. assamica and accounts for only about 1-2% of cultivated assamica tea plants in Yunnan Province. It is particularly favoured in production of pu-erh but some limited black tea production also occurs.
‘Zi Juan‘ (紫娟) is an uncommon cultivar that was developed in Yunnan in the late 1990’s. It is mostly used to make green and black tea.
Kenyan purple leaf varietal was developed recently specifically for being hardy (so good for the farmers) and having particularly elevated anti-oxidant content (good for your health). Typically processed as a greed tea.
Sun Rouge (サンルージュ) Japanese purple leaf varietal that was developed in 2009 by crossing Camellia sinensis var. sinensis with Camellia sinensis var. taliensis. It has high anthocyanin content and a unique colour-changing liquor. Typically processed as a greed tea.
Showing all 11 results
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Unusual black tea made from an ancient wild purple leaf varietal. The smooth complex taste is a little malty, tangy and spicy with notes of prunes and wheat.Chinese Black
Dian Hong De Hong Ye Sheng
£4.00 – £14.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
A rare tea from a ‘Ye Sheng’ wild purple leaf varietal. The smooth taste is fruity and woody with sweet notes of pipe tobacco and sugared plums.Chinese Black
Dian Hong Feng Qing Ye Sheng
£4.30 – £15.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
This tea is made from a purple leaf varietal grown at high altitude. The amber liquor is smooth and malty with a hint of sugared plums and sweet citrus.Chinese Black
Dian Hong Jing Mai Purple Needle
£3.80 – £13.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
A 2011 vintage ‘tea head’ crafted from Zi Ya purple leaves. It produces an amber liquor with a soft creamy flavour and sweet, woody and mineral notes.Chinese Pu-erh
Jinggu Zi Ya Lao Cha Tou Shu Pu-erh
£4.00 – £14.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Plucked from wild tea plants in Northwest Vietnam. It has a very complex savoury taste of exotic mushrooms and kombu seaweed combined with vegetal and smoky notes.Vietnamese Green
Muong Khuong Purple Rain
£3.20 – £11.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Crafted from a purple Sun Rouge cultivar, this tea has a unique colour-changing liquor. The verdant flavour has savoury and peppery notes and a vegetal and mineral aftertaste.Japanese Green
Tokunoshima Sun Rouge
£3.20 – £11.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Crafted from a purple Sun Rouge cultivar, this tea has a unique colour-changing liquor. The verdant flavour has savoury and peppery notes and a vegetal and mineral aftertaste.Japanese Green
Tokunoshima Sun Rouge (2021)
Sale! £1.45 – £5.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
An unusual purple leaf tea from high up in Nandi Hills, on the edge of the Great Rift Valley. It has a refreshing taste with tangy fruity notes of sugared plums and fresh spring greens.Kenyan Green
Tumoi Nandi Hills Purple
£2.60 – £9.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
A rare wild tea picked from ancient assamica trees growing in the jungles of northern Thailand. It has sweet fruity and mellow verdant notes and a lightly woody, earthy edge.Thai Dark
Wild Jungle Assamica
£4.20 – £14.50 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
A rare black tea picked from ancient tea trees growing wild in the jungle of northern Thailand. The complex fruity profile has spicy woody notes with a long finish.Thai Black
Wild Jungle Assamica Black
£4.20 – £14.50 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
A 2020 vintage ‘sheng’ pu-erh crafted from a purple semi-wild varietal. The clean and brisk flavour has a fruity and sweet character with slightly smoky, woody notes.Chinese Pu-erh
Zi Ya Purple Bud Wild Sheng Pu-erh
£2.50 – £8.50 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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