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White Tea

Organic Kumaon White Tea Bags | Aged

$15.99

An organic white tea with a juicy body and fresh, lingering finish. Made from ancient tea bushes in the early spring, this tea straddles the line between traditional white and green. We’re working with Kumaon tea farmers to launch their region’s first farmer-owned tea factory to make this tea, which is also available as a loose-leaf tea. 

Preparation

xSteep 1    8 oz  |  180 F  |  3 min
Steep 2   8 oz  | 210 F  |  4 min

Tasting Notes

Peeled cucumber & honeydew melon

Origin

Kumaon, North Indian Himalayas

Tea Makers

Champawat Tea Makers

Certifications

USDA Organic

Flavor & Aroma

As the least processed tea type, many white teas end up so delicate that they are almost flavorless. Thankfully, not this tea! Our organic Kumaon White has juicy notes of honeydew melon with a bright body that makes it shine. Made in spring, the tea captures the floral, clean aromas of new growth. As it steeps, the leaf releases vegetal notes of peeled cucumber, blurring the line between traditional green and white teas. While the tea ages, it gains a smooth depth, so as long as it’s stored well, you can enjoy this tea for years to come! Drinkers of White Peony (Bai Mudan) or Green Jasmine Pearls will enjoy this tea.

Origin Story

Tucked in the Himalayan foothills, Kumaon sits just on the border of Nepal, making it one of the most isolated Indian tea regions. When the British introduced tea to India in the 1830s, they were drawn to Kumaon because of its well-drained, acidic soils. The plant thrived on the adopted slopes, but the region’s remoteness prevented the British from moving the tea from the mountains to the port. By the 1920s, the British began to abandon or sell the promising-but-isolated Kumaon tea gardens. The Birkbeck family bought a garden, and for several decades, they were the sole torchbearer of Kumaon tea. In the 1990s, the local government joined forces with the Birkbecks to help other local communities grow tea, and sold the Kumaon teas in the auction. Then in 2015, we brought over the first lot of Kumaon teas to the US, making us the first US importer of Kumaon teas. Today we’re excited to continue the work of introducing Kumaon teas across the globe. 

  • Origin Story
  • Production

Tea Makers

Desmond Birkbeck comes from the only family that stayed in tea after the British pulled out in the 1920s. Desmond grew up on his family’s tea garden named Chirapani, which means “split water” and is named for the waterfall at the top of their tea garden. Desmond proudly tells the story of writing to the Tea Board of India when he was 14 years old, requesting that his family’s tea garden be able to sell into the Kolkata auctions. Now he is a leading force in his village and the Kumaon region, working to use tea to uplift local tea farmers.

Impact

In Kumaon, our relationship runs deepest. For more than a decade, we’ve worked side-by-side with Himalayan farmers to build a new model of tea, rooted in shared ownership, regenerative agriculture, and community leadership.

Together, Young Mountain Tea and local farmers co-own India’s first farmer-led specialty tea factory, launched in 2025. It’s the result of years of joint capacity building including training in organic cultivation, small-batch processing, and leadership development. Today, ~500 farmers in the Champawat region produce 30,000 lb of certified organic tea each year, and 90% of them are women earning their first-ever independent income through tea.

Our Packaging

Our commitment to sustainability means we offer our teas in several types of packaging:

Tins

Durable and reusable, made from 100% recyclable steel. Labels are not recyclable but made from 50% hemp and 50% post-consumer waste.

Bulk Bags

Tough, resealable stand-up pouches with storing moisture and oxygen barriers. Not recyclable due to a 3-layer structure that serves as a food-safe barrier to keep your tea fresh as long as possible.

Pyramid Tea Bag

Recyclable stand-up pouches with tea bags, strings, and tags made from 100% sugarcane PLA, commercially compostable and degrades into organic matter. For best results, use a commercial compost facility.