Winter 2023 harvest of our popular, beloved? Móng Rồng Yabao! This is the first year since 2019 the producer was able to make a batch of this tea. 5kg was made this season.  
 
Móng Rồng (Dragon Claw) is a type of Ya Bao tea made from the axillary buds of non-sinensis tea tree varietals. These buds emerge in the winter and will eventually develop into branches.
 
There are currently 6 varietals that are believed to be used to produce this type of tea in Vietnam but there are probably more that are possible to use.
 
The varietal used to make this particular tea grows yellow-orange axillary buds and pink-red flowers.
 
This tea is from a high elevation area in the Quản Bạ district of Hà Giang. This is a very remote area with small numbers of this type of tree growing. Many times the producers have visited this area and there were no harvestable buds available. Due to the limited raw material and other difficulties of producing this tea, the last time the producer was able to make this tea was in 2019.
 
You may have seen other versions of Móng Rồng teas from Vietnam being sold around the world. They typically look green with a bit of purple coloration. Many areas that have that tree varietal have banned the picking of those buds due to the unsustainable harvesting practices. Picking too many of these buds too often is very harmful to the trees' health! Unfortunately, due to high international demand, the picking continues as usual without much intervention from local authorities.
 
This tea releases a strong fruity floral fragrance immediately after infusing with hot water. The buds of this tea are quite dense and brew up slowly. I recommend doing 2-5 minute+ steeps with 90-100 degree water. You could also lightly simmer them in a pot, as some locals do, to get a faster stronger brew. I also recommend boiling the buds after a tea session as it's hard to fully extract everything with typical gong fu style brewing. 
 
You'll notice the soup has a consistency almost like plain water with a slight green-yellow tinge. Try the tea and you'll experience the intense fragrance and flavor this tea has to offer. Floral, fruity, woody, peppery almost guava candy like flavor. Has a noticeable but different qi compared to Sinensis and Assamica teas.
 
Season: Winter 2023
Picking Standard: 1 bud
Region: Quản Bạ, Hà Giang
Elevation: 2000m