By sharing their work of art with you today, we can help the small group of tea artisans continue to create rare teas, hire apprentices and build a more sustainable practice for the future.

Given the tremendous amount of time and efforts placed on setting up our mission, working with tea artisans and selecting our teas, we are excited. We believe that over time people will come to recognize the quality of our teas, appreciate the art of our tea artisans and support our mission.

How does Nala help tea artisans?
By bringing the rare teas created by tea artisans to U.S. consumers and stimulating demand and interest, Nala helps tea artisans hire apprentices to learn the traditional hand-based techniques to make authentic, rare teas. This increases employment in the community and helps preserve the art of making rare teas through traditional hand-based methods. We ensure that the artisans and the apprentices will get a fair wage and price for their teas.

We will also assist tea artisans in using more environmentally friendly practices to grow and make authentic, rare teas.

Why choose Nala Tea?
Our first group of teas comes from the island of Taiwan with the following focus.

Careful & thoughtful selection process: Each season we only add a unique tea to our collection when we and our growers agree that the appearance, aroma and taste of the rare tea leaves are of authentic quality and exquisite value.

Natural aroma & taste: Our teas are not artificially flavored or mixed with other floral ingredients to create a specific scent or taste. The floral aroma and fruity taste that are associated with our teas are all natural.

Cultural Preservation: These teas are made by tea artisans according to hand-based techniques and knowledge spanning several family generations. By bringing their teas to a greater audience, the knowledge and skills of these tea artisans will be preserved.

Nala Environment & Health Fund: 6 percent of our annual revenue will also be used to support environmental sustainbility and cancer research.

How's the quality of Nala's teas? Are the teas top grade? Competition grade?
All of Nala's teas come from artisans that have competed in competitions and won awards and recognition from their respective governments for their teas. Recognition of our tea artisans can range from producing the best tea of its kind in the country or being one of the top 3 tea growers of that particular tea in the country.

This correlates to the fact that our artisans carefully grow and process their teas in an authentic and traditional way. (But winning awards does not guarantee that the artisan's skills and knowledge will be permanent and learned by others. Nor does it mean that many people will have the opportunity to enjoy the artisan's tea. That's why we are on our mission.)

What's the difference between green tea and oolong tea?
The fundamental difference between green tea and oolong tea is caused by the level of fermentation the tea leaves go through. Green tea is not fermented at all whereas oolong tea is fermented at a rate that is 20 to 30 percent less than black tea. Black tea is 100 percent fermented.

Why did Nala start with teas from Taiwan?
During the 1950s, Taiwan's tea production and exports were were in great demand. Taiwan's tea produciton had reach 48,000 tons. But since the 1980s, the level of tea production in Taiwan has decreased to its current level of around 20,000 tons. The transformation of tea land into textile manufacturing and technology parks has contributed to the decline in tea production. In fact, 50 percent of the land used for tea growing in 1960 has decreased.

The economic development and transformation of Taiwan's land forced many tea artisans into early retirement. But even for those that could continue to produce tea, the economic growth of Tiwain fueled more tea artisans to stop their business when they retired as their children decided to adopt more "modern" careers.

Such developments has been unfortunate. As Taiwan produces most of the world's best oolong teas, something needed to be done to avoid further losses in tea production and the loss of the knowledge and skills in making rare teas. This is one of the main reasons why Nala was formed and we are doing our best to help the tea artisans in Taiwan today.