These are the World’s Rarest and Most Expensive Teas Available

Tea is probably the most popular beverage in the world other than water. It is easy to prepare and tastes great. It’s a satisfying warm drink for any time of day. It would beat coffee in a contest. Grown in India, China, and Sri Lanka with each region growing their own variety that has its distinct taste, tea is known for having several therapeutic qualities, as well. This makes it the drink of choice for health-conscious people and even for those who would just like to get a refreshing drink. While there are places where you can buy a cup of tea for a few dollars, there are also those that sell their teas at exorbitant prices. As tea is considered a royal drink, not just in China and London, but also in other parts of the world, there are people who strive to give it the royal treatment. So, read on below to know of the world’s most expensive teas.

Tieguanyin

This is an oolong tea named as a tribute to Guanyin, the goddess of mercy. This tea has two legends associated with it. One legends talks about a peasant devoted to Guanyin and how he was rewarded with one tea shoot. He planted and grew the shoot, then his fate changed. It brought about good fortune for the peasant and his village. The other legend talks about a scholar named Wang who found the tea shoot under the Guanyin rock. The plant was presented to Emperor Qianlong and the tea became known as the Guanyin tea. The best type of Tieguanyin can be priced at $3,000 a kilogram. That’s enough to make it to the list of the most expensive teas.

Yellow Gold Tea Buds

They call it Yellow Gold Tea Buds because the leaves are coated with 24 carat gold. It’s an extremely rare tea that is harvested on one single day a year at one particular place. When the leaves unfurl, the tea adopts a golden color. It is considered good for the health. This tea is only available in Singapore and is priced at $3,000 a kilogram.

Silver Tips Imperial Tea

This darjeeling tea is usually sold at $400 a kilogram. The tea is harvested by the Makaibari Tea Estate in Darjeeling, West Bengal. That estate is the the first tea plantation in the world. This has always been an expensive tea, but in 2014 three buyers bought the completely organic Silver Tips Imperial Tea for $1,850. The Makaibari Tea Estate especially shipped it to it’s clients in Japan, UK, and US.

Panda Dung Tea

This can be found in the Sichuan province of China. It’s called Panda Dung because they use panda excrement as fertilizer. An Yanshi holds the patent for producing this variation of tea. It sells for $70,000 per kilogram.

Tienchi Flower Tea

Tienchi Flower tea is the least expensive on this list, but it is popular worldwide. It’s one of the healthiest teas with many medicinal uses. It can cure allergies and insomnia and has strong detoxifying properties. It resembles broccoli florets. You can buy this for $170 a kilogram.

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Vintage Narcissus Wuyi Oolong Tea

This tea is cultivated in the Wuyi Mountains and is named after Narcissus. It has elaborate flavors including wood, flowers, and chocolate. It’s price tag is a whopping $6,500 per kilogram.

Dà Hóng Páo Tea

This special tea is grown in the Wuyi Mountains of China. It’s considered an oolong tea. It rose to prominence when it was used in treating a sick Ming dynasty ruler. The king had the Dà Hóng Páo bushes covered in royal red robes and it became known by the name Imperial Red Robe. It sells for $1.2 million per kilogram.

Poo Poo Pu-Erh Tea

Coming from China’s Yunnan province, this tea incorporates the feces of insects. Though the sounds weird and disgusting, the tea actually tastes good. It is famous for its healing properties. A kilogram of this tea costs $1,000.

PG Tips Diamond Tea Bag

This was introduced in 2005 by a UK based company. It contains two grams of Silver Tips Imperial Tea. Each tea bag is studded with 280 diamonds. It was launched as a fund raising campaign for a children’s organization in England. The PG Tips Diamond Tea Bag is $15,000.

Gyokuro

This type of green tea is called sencha. It’s an exotic variety that has a beautiful jade tint. This tea is from the Uji district of Japan. Unlike other varieties of tea, this is cultivated in the shade. It takes 2 to 3 weeks to be ready for harvest. With its striking flavor this tea sells for $650 per kilogram.