Nepal Mai Tea Golden Needles

Black tea from the autumn harvest

of the Mai Tea garden, located near the town of Ilam in eastern Nepal. Beautifully processed, loosely rolled, fully oxidized leaves consist of hairy golden tips and one leaf. The brown-gold infusion is delicate, creamy smooth, with a sweet nutty flavor and notes of forest honey, frozen rose hips, dried apricots, and a hint of cocoa.

How to brew Mai Tea

Use 5 grams of tea leaves for 0.5 litre of boiling water cooled to 85-90 °C, steep for 2–3 minutes. Feel free to experiment with steeping time, water temperature, and the amount of tea leaves. You can also read our articles on tea preparation and water quality.
 

Mai Tea Factory

was established in 2001 as a sister project to the Guranse Garden in the neighboring Dhankuta region. For a few years, local farmers had been growing tea trees here and selling the harvested tea leaves to nearby factories, of which there were not many. Often they would carry fresh tea leaves hours away before finding a suitable buyer. The long journey degraded the leaves and the farmers were forced to sell them below cost. The newly established factory has resolved this situation and now buys leaves from some 200 local farmers. They grow tea bushes on the surrounding hillsides at altitudes of 1,500 to 2,100 meters. The factory focuses on producing high quality leaf teas. In 2023, Mai Tea received certification for growing and processing organic teas. The chief tea maker of Mai Tea factory is the current manager Thribikram Subba.

Thribikram Subba alias Sanu Bhai

Known locally as Sanu Bhai (little brother), chief tea maker Thribikram Subba has been in the tea processing business for over twenty years. He has been associated with the Mai Tea project from the very beginning. He was gradually drawn to tea growing and processing, learning from many experts from neighbouring India who, especially in the early days, came to the factory as consultants. Eventually he became one of the greatest experts in the area.