Cultivate Tea
2280 Main St. V5T 06B Vancouver, BC, Canada

Introducing Snow Flake , an oolong that transports us to the painting Returning Home ca. 1695 by the renowned Buddhist monk and painter Shi Tao . Beautiful and poetic, yet sparse with only mountain peaks high above and wild grass far below, the empty space in between allows the mind to wonder and contemplate. Snow Flake is a phoenix dancong oolong from Phoenix Mountain of the city of Chaozhou, in Guangdong province. Phoenix Mountain consists of several mountains an...d peaks, most of which extend into the clouds at the high altitudes of 800m above sea level. Most of the villages, at more than 1000m altitude, are immersed in the cloud and mist for two-thirds of the year. This Snow Flake comes from Qipan Village on Dazhi Mountain, one of the peaks of Phoenix Mountain. It is from tea craftsman Lin Zhifu, whose family have been crafting tea for three generations. Elegantly named Snow Flake, only a small amount is harvested in the depths of winter. The cooler temperatures result in a unique tea that is exceptionally aromatic with an airy texture. It has notes of milk custard and cotton candy on the nose. On the palate, notes of muscat raisins, sugar tangerine and macadamia nuts, with a long lingering sweet aftertaste. Available online and in-store now!

Calming and relaxing start of Sunday

Spring in Wuyishan , where some of the most intriguing oolongs come from. These cliffs were formed hundreds of thousands years ago and are of black granite and clay slate. The true-cliff rock oolong tea trees grow underneath these majestic cliffs and the roots absorb minerals through erosion of the cliffs.

Launching our newest limited and experimental tea: one of the most beautiful teas we have seen, just in time for spring : Jasmine Wild White. Zhenghe County in Fujian is not only the most unique land and microclimate where the best white teas originate from, it is also where some of the most elegant and delicate jasmine flowers are grown and harvested. The ephemeral blossoms are handpicked each day from the break of dawn and ends before noon, when the sun becomes too inten...se. The tea is a semi-wild shou mei from the autumn harvest. The trees were planted in the 1970’s and have been left to grow in the wild with minimal human intervention due to the high altitude and remoteness of its location. The tea is made in the traditional Zhenghe white tea processing method, following the principle of low intervention: natural withering and then air-dried for a minimum of 14 days. The long and natural drying process allows the leaves to go through the full process of gentle oxidation, transforming them from astringent and grassy to a tea that is bright, gentle, sweet with floral and earthy undertones. The jasmine blossoms and semi-wild shou mei were then compressed into mini 100g cakes. The result is a sophisticated tea that is bright, gentle and delicate. It has notes of fresh jasmine blossoms and almond milk, with an earthy finish. Available now in extremely limited quantities online and in-store!

Introducing Pu Erh Ripe 2018 Bulangshan . We visited the Bulangshan area near Menghai, Yunnan last year during our sourcing trip. The remoteness and high elevation of the mountainous region left a strong impression on us. This pu erh is from a small co-op of local farmers of the Dai ethnicity in Bulangshan who are committed to natural and biodynamic farming methods and traditional craftsmanship. The trees are around 100 years old, the leaves were harvested in the spring, ...fermentation was done in small batches over a four month period. The mouthfeel is clean with clarity. It is rich, smooth, sweet and earthy. Come try it at the bar, available online soon!

Imperial Shou Mei in Red Mandarin Peel drinking this white tea feels like the comfort of seeing an old friend..familiar, comforting, warmth. It’s sweet and gentle, with just the right amount of citrus notes. Try it at the bar, available online as well.

One-of-a-kind tea cups made by local ceramicist Danny Kostyshin now up on the website! The collection consists of thirty one pieces of Danny’s earlier works. Each one is unique with its own character. Link to the full collection in our bio.

Osmanthus Laoshan Black keeping us warm on this cold fall day the notes of dark chocolate, buttered pecan and hot cocoa is like a comforting treat.

New 2020 Harvest Baiya Qilan Oolong, just landed at the tea bar. One of our most popular oolongs, it offers taste of nostalgia associated with a darker roasted oolong, yet it also has layers of stone fruit and floral flavors. It is balanced and complex, with a depth and richness that speaks of the age and vitality of the trees and masterful processing. This Baiya Qilan is from a grove of semi-wild tea trees at 900m elevation. Planted back in the 1970’s, they have sinc...e been abandoned and left untended, no pesticides or fertilizers are used. It is roasted slowly, over longan charcoal, for 20 hours; bringing out notes of toasted rice, sugarcane molasses, and ripe apricots. Lingering notes of fresh lychee and longan on the palate. See more

Green Peony; one bud and one leaf, first harvest of the spring. Honeysuckle, fresh apricots and mountain flower honey on the palate.

Taking in the warmth of the sun, the breathtaking colors of the leaves, and drinking our gentle and earthy White Moonlight. Have a calming Sunday everyone.

ODEN + OCHAZUKE by Kensaku Tanaka We are teaming up with Kensaku Tanaka @kensa_ku for an ODEN + OCHAZUKE pop up from November 6 to 8. The ODEN will showcase local fall harvest vegetables grown in Agassiz by Yoshi of Cedar Isle Farms, simmered in a house made dashi broth. The OCHAZUKE will be our take on the iconic dish: rice cooked in local leek and seasonal mushrooms, grilled and poured over with our fresh harvest Laoshan Green tea. Kensaku Tanaka is originally from Shizuo...ka, he has worked at many Japanese restaurants in Vancouver including Guu Otokomae in Gastown. He is now working at the acclaimed Stem Japanese Eatery. ODEN + OCHAZUKE will be available from 12 - 5 pm on November 6 to 8, for dine-in and take out, on a first come first served basis. In addition, pre-orders through DM and email ([email protected]) will be accepted, to ensure availability.

The stunning colors of fall and the crisp and cooler breeze has us drinking the Green Peony, an elegant white tea made by our favorite artisan Mr. Tang in Jinggu Yunnan. The leaves are the first harvest in March, from trees that he planted himself 17 years ago in his tiny organic tea farm. The tea tastes extremely pure and has exceptional clarity, with a warmth and texture that comforts the soul. On the nose, it has a creamy sweetness with aromatics of honeysuckle and... calla lily. On the palate, notes of apricots, plum blossoms and wildflower honey. Available in store and online, or try it in our tasting flight with the White Moonlight. See more

Baiya Qilan oolong on a crisp autumn day

Sunday oolong time, trying our new harvest Baiya Qilan, amazed by the extremely long aftertaste notes of fresh lychee and longan, and excited to offer this on our tasting flight for our menu next week!

Silver Needle made by the special Mr. Tang in Jinggu, Yunnan. They are some of the most elegant silver needle leaves, each with silvery down like rabbit ears. The trees were planted 17 years ago by Mr. Tang himself, and farmed organically ever since. He treats his tea plants with the utmost care and patience. The tea is extremely pure, clean, warming, and it touches and satisfy the soul. It has notes of honey, sweet nectar, and alpine flowers. Now available in-store and online!

Gardenia Birds Tongue. First Harvest Birds Tongue green tea, seven rounds of scenting with foraged gardenia flowers from the mystic Mengding Mountains, a multi-sensory experience like no other tea. One serving of it consist of 290 delicate tender buds.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone so many things, big and small, to be thankful for this year. Thank you for all of your support during these times, we are truly grateful

Hope everyone have a relaxing long weekend. We have some exciting news: we have just received the tea that we’ve been waiting for since last summer: Gardenia Bird’s Tongue. We have received this year’s harvest in extremely limited quantities and it’s just amazing. The tea was made on June 10, 2020 in the ancient Mengding Mountain in Ya’an, Sichuan. Using first harvest Bird’s Tongue green tea as the base, the tea is scented 7 rounds with wild foraged gardenia flowers. The scenting process took two weeks to complete, and the result is simply amazing. On the nose, the tea has notes of cotton candy, coconut and pandan. On the palpate, the tea is extremely smooth yet full bodied and naturally creamy, with notes of tropical fruits. Come in to the bar to try it before it’s gone!

We’ve just received the 2020 pu erh mini cakes from Tang Wang, harvested the beautiful arbor trees that are at least 200 years old. For a fresh new Pu erh, the smell and taste already is full bodied, the energy and vitality’s of the trees comes through beautifully. Drinking this tea this morning took me back to last year, when we were deep in this forest; watching as the tea leaves were being picked and the birds chirping in the background.

We are re-opening the seating at our tea bar and shop on Thursday Sept 17, with expanded hours and safety precautions. We look forward to sharing and serving teas with all of you again and seeing familiar faces! Starting from next week, we will be open from Thursday - Sunday, 12-6 pm. See you soon

September mood: Tea and courtyard. Painting by Pu Sheng. Looking forward to the cooler days of fall and more tea.

Saturday shop corners...

New mini 100g pu erh cakes from the most beautiful farm in Jinggu, Yunnan. The pu erh raw made from 200 years old arbor trees is one of my personal favorite pu erh to drink in the summer time. Available in store now and online soon! @ Cultivate Tea