“Chelidon” is the Greek word for “swallow bird,” the beautiful passerine whose arrival home each March signals the end of deep winter and the beginning of spring. The swallow is an ancient symbol of hope and renewal, particularly to farmers. However, swallows often return home to find their nests ravaged and destroyed by fierce winter storms, and they must quickly set to the task of repairing and rebuilding.
To weary sailors, the swallow is a celebratory sight, signaling that dry land and safety are, at long last, near.
Chelidon blend is built upon a unique and captivating handmade oolong by an award-winning Master Tea Craftsman and teacher in Anxi, Fujian who practices a zero-impact farming that is beyond organic. He cultivates a huge variety of tea plants in order to increase biodiversity on his land, and preserves native tree cover, ensuring his land along with the land of his neighbors upstream remains free of pesticides and fertilizers. This particular Tieguanyin is a greener, more modern style oolong, grown at an elevation of 1000 ft. in a complex ecosystem that imparts completely unique flavors and textures to the tea plants.
Tieguanyin requires complicated artistry to produce, and is therefore one of the most sought after tea varietals in the world. It is also known as “Iron Goddess of Mercy,” after the Goddess Kuan Yin—“The One Who Sees and Hears the Cries of the World". Kuan Yin has a thousand loving arms to better stop the suffering of those around the world; and eyes, placed in the palms of her hands, help her to better see all those who may be in need.
Chelidon blends this rare Tieguanyin oolong with healing botanicals: white mulberry, strawberry leaf, osmanthus flower, Saint John’s Wort . . . . White mulberry helps to slow the breakdown of sugars in the gut so that they are absorbed more slowly into the blood, and is used to treat and prevent Type 2 Diabetes. Strawberry leaf is nutrient-dense, and gently tones the digestive tract. Saint John’s Wort gently wakes the liver and lifts the mood from the depressing dregs of winter; and Osmanthus flower tones the stomach while encouraging the loss of winter-accumulated body-fat. Chelidon is rich with vitamins and minerals, particularly Vitamin C, Selenium, Zinc, Iron, Calcium, and Manganese.
Dominate healing properties: weight loss, detox, digestive health, bone-fortifying, liver and kidney health.
Dominate taste notes: Strawberry, orchid, and ambrosia honey, with tender notes of sweet grass, jasmine, and savory cashew milk. Delicious hot or iced.
Text and Photography Copyright © 2024, Andrea Lawse. All Rights Reserved.