We’ve been in search of an organically grown Gold Dragonwell for over five years without luck. So we made our own.

The leaves of our Huang Mudan offer the perfect scaffolding for play, and with a bit of tenacity, we turned these naturally chartreuse spears into something completely new, coaxing forth the warm nuttiness of a classic Dragonwell layered atop round, herbacious notes of sunflower, bamboo shoot, and rosemary.

We mention this tenacity as Dragonwells require special equipment to craft, and the region home to Huang Mudan has no tradition of making pan-roasted teas. A bit of sleuthing led us to one single roasting machine located an hour and a half drive north of the garden, and so these leaves whisked quickly away after the morning harvest and processed one small batch at a time. The process is slow but worthwhile, we think, offering a clean brew emboldened with distinctive tasting notes, and creating a new Song classic.