From the hills of Ilam
Nepali Tea from the Himalayas
Nepali tea grows on steep hillsides in eastern Nepal, where cool nights, misty mornings and high gardens slow the leaf down. Small farms pick by hand, and makers turn the leaves into white, black, green and oolong teas with a character of their own.
The collection
Shop Nepali tea by type
Loose leaf teas from YETIKØ ApS. Pick one here; you complete your order on yetiko.dk.
White tea 2 teas
The least processed style: young buds and leaves, gently withered and dried. Light, soft and delicate in the cup.
149,99 kr
Explore Silver Needle White Tea from Nepal. Discover delicate Himalayan white tea from Ilam, perfect for specialty tea lovers. Shop YETIKØ.
135 kr
Discover Himalayan Hyggee White Tea from Nepal. Explore premium Nepali loose leaf white tea inspired by Himalayan traditions and Scandinavian hygge.
Black tea 11 teas
Fully oxidised leaves give a deeper colour and a rounder, richer taste. Nepal's best-known style and the base of chiya.
Golden Needle Tea
50 g · 149,99 kr
Ruby Gold Black Tea
100 g · 134,99 kr
Honey Gold Black Tea
100 g · 134,99 kr
Pearl Black Tea
100 g · 134,99 kr
Autumn Ruby Black Tea
100 g · 134,99 kr
Roasted Black Tea
100 g · 134,99 kr
Red Panda Black Tea
134,99 kr
Golden Black Tea
134,99 kr
KTM Black Tea
100 g · 59,99 kr
Sunrise Black Tea
100 g · 59,99 kr
Spring Black Tea
100 g · 135,99 kr
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Green tea 4 teas
Heated soon after picking to stop oxidation, so the leaf keeps a fresh, bright and often grassy character.
Oolong tea 1 tea
Partly oxidised, between green and black. Layered aromas that change from one infusion to the next.
Spotlight
Aama Oolong Tea100 g · 159,99 kr
Explore Aama Oolong Tea from Nepal. Discover premium Himalayan oolong tea from Ilam and experience the rich heritage of Nepalese tea.
Herbal tea 4 teas
Infusions of flowers, herbs and spices rather than tea leaves, such as chamomile, hibiscus and butterfly pea flower.
More Himalayan teas 1 tea
Other loose leaf teas from Nepal's tea gardens.
Origin
Why Nepali tea tastes different
Altitude is the big difference. Tea bushes on high, cool slopes grow slowly, and slow growth gives the leaf time to build aroma. Add seasonal rain, mountain soil and gardens at very different heights, and each harvest ends up with its own taste.
Many Nepali gardens also make orthodox tea: whole leaves plucked by hand, rolled and dried with care, instead of being cut into small pieces for tea bags. That is why the leaves look whole in the tin and open up in the pot.
High gardens
Cool slopes slow the leaf down and build aroma.
Hand plucked
Young shoots are picked by hand, harvest by harvest.
Whole leaf
Orthodox processing keeps the leaf whole and rolled.
Small batches
Small farms and local makers, so lots differ by season.
Eastern Nepal
Ilam and the tea gardens of Jasbire
Ilam, in Nepal's far east, is the country's best-known tea region. Its green hills sit just across the border from Darjeeling and share much of the same misty mountain climate. In the Jasbire area of Ilam Municipality, tea gardens lie at roughly 1,700 to 2,000 metres above sea level.
Tea here is a livelihood for many farming families. Local processing close to the gardens means fresh leaves reach the makers quickly, which matters because a plucked leaf starts to change within hours. YETIKØ's Golden Needle, for example, is made from unopened buds picked in high gardens around Jasbire.
Seasons matter too. Spring pickings tend to be lighter and more floral, while later harvests often give a deeper, fuller cup.
1,700–2,000 m
garden altitude in Jasbire
23
loose leaf teas
5
styles: white to herbal
From leaf to cup
How Nepali tea is made
Every true tea starts as the same plant, Camellia sinensis. What turns it into white, green, oolong or black tea is what happens after picking, above all how much the leaf is allowed to oxidise.
01
Plucking
Tender shoots are picked by hand, often to the one-leaf-and-a-bud standard used for specialty tea.
02
Withering
The fresh leaves are spread out to lose some moisture, which makes them soft enough to shape.
03
Rolling
Gentle rolling shapes the leaf and starts the changes that build aroma and body.
04
Oxidation (or not)
Black tea is left to oxidise fully, oolong only partly. Green tea is heated early so it hardly oxidises at all.
05
Drying and sorting
Heat stops the process and removes moisture. The dry leaf is then sorted and packed.
Farm to cup
The perfect cup
How to brew Nepali tea
Each style likes a different water temperature and steeping time. Use this as a starting point and adjust to taste; if the pack gives other instructions, follow those.
white tea
- Water
- 75–85 °C
- Steep
- 4–5 min
- Amount
- 2 tsp (2–3 g) per 200 ml
- Infusions
- 2–3
Cooler water keeps the soft, floral taste from turning flat.
black tea
- Water
- 90–95 °C
- Steep
- 3–5 min
- Amount
- 1 tsp (2–3 g) per 200 ml
- Infusions
- 1–2
Taste at 3 minutes; a longer steep makes it stronger but can add bitterness.
green tea
- Water
- 70–80 °C
- Steep
- 2–3 min
- Amount
- 1 tsp (2 g) per 200 ml
- Infusions
- 2–3
Let boiled water rest for a few minutes first; boiling water can make green tea bitter.
oolong tea
- Water
- 85–95 °C
- Steep
- 3–4 min
- Amount
- 1–2 tsp (3 g) per 200 ml
- Infusions
- 3–4
Keep the leaves for another round: oolong often tastes different on the second and third infusion.
herbal tea
- Water
- 95–100 °C
- Steep
- 5–7 min
- Amount
- 1–2 tsp per 200 ml
- Infusions
- 1–2
Flowers and herbs need hot water and a longer steep to release their flavour.
- Fresh water. Start with freshly drawn water; reboiled water tastes flat.
- Watch the heat. Green and white teas turn bitter in boiling water.
- Give leaves room. A roomy pot or infuser lets whole leaves open fully.
- Stronger, not longer. For a bolder cup, add more leaf rather than steeping much longer.
Choosing your cup
Caffeine in Nepali tea
All true teas contain caffeine, but how much ends up in your cup depends on the leaf, the amount you use, the water temperature and the steeping time. As a rough guide:
Black tea
Highest of these
A popular choice for a morning cup.
Oolong tea
Medium
Usually between green and black tea.
Green tea
Lower to medium
Varies with the leaf and how it is brewed.
White tea
Lower to medium
Bud-heavy teas can contain more than people expect.
Herbal tea
None
Infusions without tea leaves (chamomile, hibiscus, butterfly pea) contain no caffeine; check blends for tea leaves.
Tea culture
Tea in everyday Nepal
In Nepal, tea usually means chiya: black tea simmered with milk and sugar, often with cardamom or ginger. It is poured at roadside tea shops, offered to every guest and shared through long conversations. Turning down a cup can feel almost impolite.
Whole-leaf orthodox teas from Ilam are a different, quieter tradition, made for drinking plain so the taste of the garden comes through. Both have a place, and both start with the same hillside leaves.
Enjoy tea as part of a varied diet
We describe our teas by origin, taste and how they are made. We don't make health claims: tea does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition. If you are pregnant, sensitive to caffeine, taking medication or managing a health condition, ask a doctor how much tea and caffeine suits you.
Questions
Nepali tea FAQ
What is Nepali tea?+
Nepali tea is tea (Camellia sinensis) grown in Nepal, mostly in the eastern hills around Ilam. Much of the specialty tea is orthodox, whole-leaf tea that is rolled rather than cut, and it is made as black, green, white and oolong tea.
Where is Nepali tea grown?+
Most of Nepal's specialty tea comes from the eastern districts, with Ilam the best known. In the Jasbire area of Ilam Municipality, tea gardens lie at roughly 1,700–2,000 metres above sea level.
Is Nepali tea the same as Darjeeling tea?+
No. Ilam lies close to Darjeeling, just across the border, and the hills share a similar climate, so the teas can be compared. But Darjeeling is a protected name for tea from that district in India; Nepali tea has its own origin, gardens and makers.
Does Nepali tea contain caffeine?+
Black, green, white and oolong teas all contain caffeine, black tea usually the most. Herbal infusions such as chamomile, hibiscus and butterfly pea flower contain no tea leaves and no caffeine. The amount in your cup also depends on how much leaf you use and how long you steep it.
Is Nepali tea good for you?+
We don't make health claims about our teas. Tea is a traditional everyday drink, and without sugar or milk it adds almost no calories. Enjoy it for its taste as part of a varied diet. If you are pregnant, sensitive to caffeine, taking medication or managing a health condition, ask a doctor how much caffeine suits you.
What is orthodox tea?+
Orthodox tea is made by plucking, withering, rolling, oxidising and drying whole leaves, keeping their shape. It differs from CTC (crush, tear, curl) tea, which is cut into small pellets for strong, quick brews and many tea bags.
Is loose leaf tea better than tea bags?+
Loose leaf tea uses whole or large pieces of leaf that have room to open up, so many tea drinkers find the flavour fuller and more layered. Good loose leaf tea can often be steeped more than once.
How many times can I steep loose leaf tea?+
Black tea usually gives one or two good cups, green and white tea two or three, and oolong three or more. Add a little time to each new infusion.
How should I store loose leaf tea?+
Keep it in an airtight container away from light, heat, moisture and strong smells such as spices or coffee. Stored like this, it keeps its aroma for many months.
What is chiya?+
Chiya is Nepal's everyday milk tea: black tea simmered with milk and sugar, often with spices such as cardamom or ginger. It is served at home, in tea shops and to guests as a sign of hospitality.
Pair your tea with something handmade from Nepal: browse our lokta paper lampshades or the full collections.
Tea is sold and shipped by YETIKØ ApS (CVR 46542142). Purchases are completed on yetiko.dk.