The Craft
Tea made the slow way,
leaf by whole leaf.
Orthodox tea is rolled, not torn. Where CTC tea is cut for strength and speed, orthodox craft keeps the leaf intact — preserving the delicate oils, aromatics and nuance that let each garden and each season speak for themselves.
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01
Plucking
Two leaves and a bud, hand-picked at first light from high Himalayan bushes.
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02
Withering
Moisture is drawn out over long hours, softening the leaf and concentrating flavour.
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03
Rolling
The defining orthodox step — leaves are traditionally rolled to release their juices, whole.
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04
Oxidation
Carefully timed exposure builds the character — from delicate green to deep amber.
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05
Firing
A final gentle dry locks in aroma, before sorting and grading to FTGFOP1 and above.
Why It Matters
The whole leaf keeps the whole story.
A crushed leaf gives everything at once — fast colour, flat strength, and nothing on the second steep. A whole leaf unfurls. It releases its oils slowly, holds the garden's aromatics intact, and rewards patience with a second and third infusion, each different from the first. That is why we grade only to FTGFOP1 and above, and why every tea in the collection is orthodox without exception.
Tea Rituals
A cup of HOA is not made quickly.
It should not be.
Three things decide the cup: the heat of the water, the weight of the leaf, and the patience of the steep. Get these right, and the garden arrives on its own.
The Heat
85–95°C
First flush, green and white at 85–90°. Second flush and autumn a touch hotter. Never a rolling boil.
The Measure
2g · one tsp
One generous teaspoon — about two grams — to a 150ml cup. Whole leaf is slow to give: add time, not more leaf.
The Patience
2–5 min
Two to three minutes for spring; four for autumn. Decant fully — then steep the same leaf again.