Farmers' Green organic green tea leaves is a Himalayan micro-lot reserve tea. Tea lovers often refer to Farmers' Green as the most beautiful tea from Nepal. With a silver hue and a gently rolled shape, Farmers' Green from Nepal has often been compared to the gorgeous Jasmine Pearl tea from China.
However, Farmers' Green’s dry tea leaves lean towards the tender and gentle appearance of white tea which can even trick seasoned tea veterans. Once they brew and taste Farmers' Green, tea connoisseurs are taken by surprise and delight by the mellow green brew.
Farmer's Green, Jasmine Pearls, and other Green Teas: Similarities and Differences.
Jasmine Pearls are a type of rolled green tea that unfurls into tea leaf and a bud when brewed. They have the distinct fragrance of Jasmine flowers. Some Jasmine Pearls have dried Jasmine petals rolled into the tea, some are scented with Jasmine essential oils, and some are scented with fresh Jasmine flowers.
Most Jasmine Pearls are traditionally scented, meaning that the tea leaves are suffused with the scent of fresh jasmine flowers, then the flower petals themselves are removed. Because tea leaves are naturally very good sponges of fragrances — which is why most storing tips for tea leaves say that you should ideally keep your tea leaves sealed and away from your herbs and spices drawer — they can easily absorb the sweet perfume of fresh jasmines. Though this process takes longer than using oils or synthetic fragrances, this method allows the tea to retain a fine, even fragrance that also translates to the inherent flavor of the tea.
Much like Farmers’ Green, the green tea that are shaped into delicate, light-colored pearls are grown at high altitudes. This is because teas grown at higher altitudes have a full body and are sweeter. Both Farmers’ Green and Jasmine Pearl green teas offer sweetness and lightness that differ from the typical bitterness associated with green teas. Both teas are also rolled tightly and oven-dried, with a controlled circulation of hot air. This drying process helps the tea leaves retain their light, silvery appearance that tea drinkers often mistake for white tea.
Scented and Unscented Green teas:
Though Farmers’ Green and Jasmine Pearls are both deceptively light in color and flavor, and both have the typical sweetness of high altitude green teas, their aroma and flavors are completely different. This is because Farmers’ Green are not scented, but naturally have a floral sweetness lacing their aroma and flavor.
While Jasmine Pearls green tea get their name from the process of being scented with jasmine flowers, which lends to their distinct jasmine aroma and flavor, Farmers’ Green has a lingering umami aftertaste that is reminiscent of Japanese teas. Farmers’ Green is completely unscented.
Jasmine Pearls and Farmers’ Green Terroir:
The region, or terroir in which the green tea is grown has a huge effect on how the teas will taste. This is because the soil, the geographical composition and climate of the region imparts their own unique flavors and fragrances on the tea.
Though both Farmers’ Green and Jasmine Pearls are grown in high altitudes, they are grown in different terroirs, and Farmers’ Green is grown on even higher altitudes of 6000 ft. The younger mountain range that make up Nepal’s tea terroirs are incredibly mineral rich, and are watered by snow-melt rivers that bring their own freshness and mineral content downhill. Whats more, the unique Himalayan micro-climate that has snowy mountain winds mingling with warm breezes rising off the bay of bengal gives rise to a sharp, refreshing bite to the Farmers’ Green brew.
Traditional differences between Jasmine Pearls and Farmers’ Green:
Jasmine flowers have been used traditionally in scenting tea leaves or adding appeal to teas for centuries. Creating Jasmine Pearls is therefore a tradition of infusing the flavors of jasmine to beautifully rolled teas — a tradition that brings together the beauty of delicate green tea and the beloved perfume of Jasmine. Both practices of delicately rolling teas and scenting teas with flowers is a practice that has a long-standing cultural place in Chinese tea making traditions.
Farmers’ Green, however, is a completely experimental and unique tea that was crafted by one of Nepal’s most ingenious and daring tea producers, Sharad Subba. Crafted to trick tea lovers into thinking this is a white tea, and rolled gently to look like delicate Jasmine Pearls, this tea has a deceptive floral scent inherent to the leaves without any scenting required, and has an uncharacteristic umami flavor that sneaks up on the palette. This tea’s surprises unfold in layers, and is one of Nepal’s most precious yet experimental micro-lot teas.