Lĩnh Nam War Elephant

1.7 oz. (15-20 cups) or 6 oz. (60-75 cups)

Lĩnh Nam War Elephant is a rare wild green tea with bold and distinctive vegetal characteristics. Notable flavors include asparagus, mushrooms and aromas which are evocative of damp, subtropical forest. The tea is sweet on the tongue but with a background bitterness that is expected in wild green teas.

It’s produced entirely by H’mong families in a district of Lào Cai at an altitude of 5,000 feet on the Vietnam-China border. Leaves are harvested during the morning by climbing trees that have grown particularly tall over several hundred years. The leaves are then processed by hand in a small workshop on the edge of the village.

Lĩnh Nam War Elephant is named in recognition of Vietnam’s history of repelling foreign armies with war elephants throughout the centuries, from the Han Chinese more than 2,000 years ago to the 2nd Mongol invasion nearly 800 years ago.

Brewing instructions
Amount: 2 grams of loose tea per cup of water (a pinch)
Temperature: 175 ̊ (When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pot)
Steep time: 2 – 3 minutes

About Our Vietnamese Tea

Vietnamese tea trees are some of the oldest in the world. While tea farming in Vietnam has existed for hundreds of years, 20th century conflict badly harmed the industry and prevented it from reaching Western consumers. Only in the last generation has the political climate in Vietnam improved.

Our Vietnamese tea comes from wild trees growing in the pristine, ancient forests of the far northern provinces of Hà Giang, Yên Bái and Lào Cai. The tea is grown on mountain sides at an altitude between 4,300 and 5,500 feet. Tended by families on small farms, each tea selection exudes superior character and is ethically and sustainably produced. Our wild Vietnamese teas are organically produced and comply with international standards.