Lavender Fields

Lavender Fileds or the Tibetan Plateau, where the Lavender used in this remarkable tea blend is grown, could easily be listed as one of the great wonders of the World. The Plateau, often called the Rooftop of the World is about 4 or 5 times the size of France or Texas and stretches out between the magnificent peaks of the Himalayas at an average elevation of over 4500 meters. The plateau is home to brackish lakes, tundra, grasslands, desert and is the third least inhabited corner of the world after Antarctica and Greenland.

From this arid vastness, nomadic tribesmen and their families have carved out a living, driving yaks from place to place under the immense sky. For generations, one of the ways the nomads have supplemented their income is by harvesting the wild Lavender that grows in and around the lakes and grasslands of the plateau. In these Lavender Fields, when the flowers bloom, it is like a flowing sea of fragrant purple. The nomad families pluck the flowers, dry them in the sun and bring them down from the mountains, usually into Lhasa. While the adults work, the children amuse themselves by trying to catch the many butterflies that are attracted to the fragrant flowers.

While it may seem hard to believe, Lavender Fields attract a species of butterflies known as Parnassius are actually native to the Himalayas and have adapted to the high altitudes. From one range to the next, various genetic mutations occur meaning that the butterflies in one area exist nowhere else. The sight of the pluckers’ children chasing after the multi-hued insects is one that makes it feel as though the entire scene is being played out in heaven. (Which, when you consider the altitude, it almost is.) We’re pleased to offer this fabulous tea that combines the sweet ethereal flavor of lavender with an exceptional Hunan green tea. The cup is exemplary with notes of sweet grass, moss and honey leading to a finish sprinkled with peach, and floral tones. It’s an amazing tea from an amazing corner of Earth.