"Thunder Dragon" Himalayan Green Tea (Bhutan 🇧🇹)

In a remote monastery, wise Lao Cha poured a pale green tea into two cups. The young disciple sniffed the brew: – "Master, it smells familiar. But I can't recall what it is..."

Lao Cha nodded: – "It smells like Bhutan."

– "Have we been there?"

– "No," – Lao Cha said, sipping. – "But the tea has. It grew wild, was forgotten, then found again. Some teas are like that. They remember where they came from, even if no one else does."

This unique green tea comes from Bhutan – the last Buddhist Kingdom and a small Himalayan country known for its profound respect for nature. Nearly half of Bhutan's land is protected as national parks and wildlife preserves, keeping its forests untouched and its ecosystems thriving. The name of this tea, "Thunder Dragon", honors Druk – the mystical creature of Bhutanese Buddhism and the nation's emblem, symbolizing protection and harmony between people and nature.

Tea is not widespread in Bhutan. Unlike neighboring India or China, tea is not embedded in daily culture or rituals. Most Bhutanese people drink imported tea, often in the form of butter tea. That's what makes this green tea so rare, not just in flavor but also in context – it is the only known green tea produced in the country.

We were introduced to this tea by our friend Sebastian, who has spent many years traveling and organizing tours to Bhutan. During one of his visits to Bhutan in the mid-'90s, he heard rumors about tea plants near the royal family's former winter palace in Samcholing. It piqued Sebastian's interest. As he arrived at the site, he found the small tea plantation long forgotten, overgrown, and wild.

These tea shrubs, originally planted in the 1950s under the direction of the previous king, had long since been abandoned. No one in the village was making tea anymore. However, the plants survived, and Sebastian, being passionate about tea, began collaborating with Bhutan's Ministry of Agriculture to propagate the surviving shrubs and establish the foundation of a tea garden.

Progress was slow – processing tea turned out to be a challenge. Then, a Korean botanist arrived, living in the village for three years and teaching locals how to process green tea. In 2015, Sebastian was invited back by the Bhutanese government to help fine-tune the quality. 

Today that once-forgotten garden is thriving and hand-tended by a co-op of about 30 women, producing what remains Bhutan's only green tea. Plucked as a bud and two leaves, the tea is withered, pan-fired to halt oxidation, rolled by hand, gently pan-fired again, and finished with hot-air drying.

Thunder Dragon is a true one-of-a-kind: crafted from Chinese small-leaf tea plants of Darjeeling lineage, cultivated in Bhutan's unique terroir, and processed using Korean techniques. The dry leaves have a scent reminiscent of green tomatoes, bay leaf, and black pepper. Once steeped, the aroma turns mussels-like savory. The mouthfeel is creamy, and the taste carries notes of brussels sprouts, mussels, and asparagus. Rather surprisingly, for a Himalayan tea, it holds up well to multiple infusions.

This tea is rare. Only a small amount of premium leaves is available each year.