Tea, Tea Knowledge
Top 10 World Most Expensive Teas in History!
There is a famous Chinese saying, “Tea is better than an alcoholic drink as regret once sobering up can be avoided”, one deeply embedded into the minds of Chinese tea lovers. In the 18th century, when the British and French were often drinking heavily, tea gained recognition as a substitute, and by the 19th century, it had become a well-known and widely accepted daily drink. Because of its recreational and medicinal properties, the price of tea began to change according to its quality and rarity.
The largest tea producing and exporting nations are China, India, Kenya and Sri Lanka, accounting for about 75% of global supply. Today, tea is considered a therapeutic drink and is popular in numerous countries, but most notably China, India, Japan, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Taiwan and Turkey. Whether you are a tea drinker or a tea collector, let’s take a look at the list of the most expensive tea leaves in the world.
What is the Most Expensive Tea in the World?
Top 10 Most Expensive Teas in the World
1.Chinese Da Hong Pao – Most Expensive Teas
Chinese Da Hong Pao is the most expensive tea in the world. Produced in Wuyi Mountain, Fujian Province, China, it is called a national treasure due to its rarity. The best Da Hong Pao tea comes from the “mother tree,” of which there are only six left on earth, fetching a staggering $1.2 million per kilogram.
In 2005 when about 20 grams of Da Hong Pao tea from the mother tree sold for about $30,000, an auction record was set. The economic value of Da Hong Pao is approximately 20 times the value of gold.
During the official visit to China by former US President Nixon, 200 grams was presented to him by China’s founder Mao Zedong as a symbol of peace and friendship between the two countries. Da Hong Pao is often given as a gift to important people such as celebrities and dignitaries, but the process of making Da Hong Pao remains a closely guarded secret among the Chinese.
Da Hong Pao is a type of oolong tea, and its development history can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty. The meaning of the name comes from a legend of the Ming Dynasty Emperor exchanging his robe for a pot of this oolong tea to help his sick mother, hence the name Da Hong Pao.
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2.Chinese Panda Dung – Most Expensive Teas
You read that right! Panda Dung tea is one of the most precious teas! The tea was first cultivated by An Yanshi in south western China, using panda dung from a nearby breeding centre as organic fertiliser to grow the tea. Prices for this tea sell at $3,500 per 50 grams or $70,000 per kilo.
Panda dung primarily comprises wild bamboo and tea leaves. The dung is high in antioxidants and is rich in a number of nutrients. According to the producers, 70 percent of the nutrients that cannot be absorbed by pandas, including amino acids and polyphenols, are passed through them, making for a very nutritious tea plant fertiliser!
3.Indian Silver-Tip Imperial Tea – Most Expensive Teas
The silver-tip imperial tea produced in India belongs to the Darjeeling tea category and is only picked by professional pickers during full moon nights. Silver-Tip Imperial tea has special tea buds that look like silver needles. The taste of Silver Tip Imperial Tea is complex, with subtle mango and frangipani aromas. In a 2014 auction, Silver Tip Imperial tea sold for $1,850 per kilo, making it the most expensive tea from India.
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In the realm of tea, where leaves become liquid gold, the most expensive teas are like treasures hidden within nature’s embrace, their worth measured in centuries of craftsmanship and a sip that transcends time itself.
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4.Singapore Golden Tea Buds – Most Expensive Teas
Luxurious and rare Golden Tea Buds sold in Singapore. Picked only once a year using golden scissors, the tea leaves are sun-dried and sprayed with edible 24-carat gold flakes. Golden tea buds cost around $7,800 for a kilo of tea.
True to its name, Golden Tea Buds have a distinctive metallic and floral aftertaste and are known for their anti-aging health benefits. Since the tea is sprayed with edible gold, it is no wonder that the price is high, and currently exclusively sold by TWG Tea Company.
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5.Japanese Gyokuro – Most Expensive Teas
Japanese Gyokuro is considered one of the highest grade green teas in Japan and is mainly grown in the Uji area of Kyoto, Japan. After picking Gyokuro’s tea leaves, they are left in the shade for four weeks because this increases the amino acid content of Gyokuro, giving the tea a sweeter taste and unique aroma. This process helps the plant retain the L-theanine amino acid, which enhances the tea’s umami taste, fetching around $650/kg.
6.Chinese Pu’erh Tea – Most Expensive Teas
Chinese Pu-erh tea is considered to be one of the oldest, most delicate and expensive teas, selling for as much as $10,000 per kilogram. Pu-erh tea, usually sold in tea cake form, has several health benefits, especially in correlation with the gut, weight and cholesterol. Pu-erh tea is primarily grown in Yunnan province in south western China, where some tea trees are thousands of years old.
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7.Chinese Tieguanyin Tea – Most Expensive Teas
Tieguanyin, which costs about $3,000 a kilogram, is an oolong tea which happens to be one of the world’s most popular types. The tea is grown in the high mountains of Fujian Province, and the leaves are sun-dried until they are crisp and golden, letting off a unique nutty and floral aroma. The most impressive thing about Tieguanyin tea other than the fact that it can be brewed up to seven times, is its richness in vitamins, minerals and amino acids, which can strengthen the immune system, improve metabolism and lower cholesterol levels.
8.Chinese Narcissus Wuyi Mountain Tea – Most Expensive Teas
Chinese Narcissus Wuyi tea is a rare oolong tea grown in the Wuyi Mountains in Fujian Province, China and the Pinglin tea region of Taiwan. The name of Narcissus derives from Greek legends. It has a light floral and fruity aroma, with a little woody tone and chocolate taste. Narcissus Wuyi oolong tea can fetch as much as $6,500 per kilogram.
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9.Taiwanese High Mountain Tea – Most Expensive Teas
Taiwanese high mountain tea, which can sell for as much as $4,000 a kilogram, is produced in the tea gardens of Taiwan, exceeding more than 1,000 metres above sea level. High humidity, high altitude, low oxygen, and a delicate fermentation process collectively make this unique flavour possible. It is expensive as the height and climate of the mountains limit the production of tea, but it is still very popular with tea lovers all over the world.
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10.Chinese Tianchi Scented Tea – Most Expensive Teas
Chinese Tianchi Scented Tea is a precious tea and one of the most expensive teas on the market. Tianchi Scented Tea is cultivated from the “Sanqi flower” that grows only once every three years in Yunnan Province, China. After brewing, it tastes sweet, minty, and has a ginseng-like aroma. It is said that the ancient Chinese used it to treat insomnia, dizziness and rashes. The price of Tianchi scented tea is about $170 per kilogram.
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Among the verdant hills and whispering tea gardens, the pursuit of the world’s most expensive teas unveils a journey of opulence, where leaves transform into legends, and each cup is a sip of history’s lavish essence.
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Dahongpao is the most expensive tea in the world. ABoxTik offers the most elegant Taiwanese teas!
Da Hong Pao from China has set the record for the most expensive tea in the world, but regardless of the price, every sip of good tea starts by the tea farmer’s meticulous harvest and finished off by the passion and skills of tea makers. ABoxTik strictly selects tea from local producers in Taiwan such as Dongding Oolong, Jinxuan Oolong, Honey Fragrance Red Oolong, and Dongpian Sijichun, sold in beautifully designed gift boxes. There are also Taiwan champion teas for sale, which are suitable for both gifting and personal use. We welcome you to ABoxTik’s official website to place an order and enjoy a cup of good tea!