Sometime around 2002, three years after we started Numi, we stumbled upon a new art form in tea. My brother who travelled frequently to tea gardens in China had a box he pulled out from under his desk. They were tea leaves curled up into circular spirals or twisted into cones. I found them fascinating. A new tradition in tea, Chinese farmers were experimenting with shaping tea leaves while moist. After about a year, they were making much more elaborate designs, scenting the leaves and sewing them around flowers. We launched them as a new innovation and worked with our farmers to create our own flavors and designs. We coined the name Flowering Tea
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In 2003, we launched a Flowering Tea gift box in our signature bamboo with a teapot and 6 flowering tea bundles and printed 500 labels on our office printer. I projected we’ll sell those in no time, but the rest of the team were less optimistic. Low and behold, by 2004 we won Most Innovative Product and Best Packaging at the Natural Products Expo and in 2005, we won the prestigious Gold Medal for Outstanding Food Gift from the Specialty Foods Trade Association. Since then, we have sold tens of thousands of these beautiful gift sets, updated the packaging, and have been in the top 10 Amazon food gifts. View our Flowering Tea offerings on our online store or Amazon.
Flowering Tea is an art form in loose leaf tea. Organic white, green, oolong and black tea leaves are handsewn around fragrant flowers by Chinese artisans. It can take up to 10 minutes to sew one bundle.
When steeped in hot water, these rare Flowering Tea blossom into a bouquet of breathtaking shapes and exquisite flavors. From mellow white tea to buttery oolong, the chocolatey molasses of golden tipped black tea to floral scents of lily and jasmine, these beautiful blossoms offer a delightful experience and premium taste. A wonderful gift for any tea lover. Watch our award-winning video that explains the cultivation and sewing process of Flowering Tea.
– Reem Hassani
Co-founder & Chief Brand Officer, Numi
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