Joshua Kaiser, founder of Rishi Tea Company in Milwaukee, and Sean O’Leary, art director and tea buyer for the company, recently left on a trip to Yunnan, China. The birthplace of tea.
The two are making their annual spring visit to the Fair Trade ancient tea tree villages of Mannong and Manmai.
In 2007 Rishi Tea partnered with the Mannong Manmai Tea Association to initiate the Mannong Manmai Ancient Tree Tea Organic Fair Trade Project. The tea region was planted about 1,500 years ago, one of the oldest tea cultivation areas in China. The tea trees of Mannong produce pu-erh, Dian Hong, green and white teas.
Rishi teas from the Mannong Project include: Ancient Emerald Lily, Ancient Moonlight White, Snow Sprout (Bai Ya), Yunnan black tea (Dian Hong), Sheng Pu-erh Tuo Cha, Shu Pu-erh, Wild Berry Black, Earl Grey, Vanilla Black, Lemongrass Black, Classic Iced Tea, Summer Lemon Iced, Rishi’s blended Chai, and several other blends that contain black teas originating from the Mannong Project.
Read more/see more on the Rishi Tea blog or follow their live updates on Twitter @seanofdesign.