As you discover more tea companies you will notice that many travel under the radar. Some, such as Verileaf, cater to a select group of tea drinkers, wholesalers, retailers, and packers. You will notice while looking on their website that the order process is different from your usual tea website. You can’t order tea as you would at your hometown shop but don’t let that stop you from looking. Ms. Kung has over 30 years of experience working with tea and through her company continues to share tea knowledge with her customers. If you own a tea business be sure to send her an e-mail!

Website: https://www.verileaf.com/ E-mail: verileafteas@gmail.com

Location Headquarters: San Marino, CA, USA

Company Focus:

• Verileaf is a direct importer of specialty teas from Sri Lanka, India, China, Japan, Taiwan, and Germany. Verileaf has enjoyed many years of trust and support from vetted suppliers, whose management practices and certifications are reviewed and documented. We source widely and offer several grades for many teas, allowing for breadth as well as depth, and always with flavor and safe practices as priorities.

Most popular company tea(s)?

• Not easy to pin down: early spring Green teas are well received each season, and other categories (White, Oolongs, Black teas, Puer) do consistently well. What is heartening to see is the elevation of standards among our wholesale customers: we have seen a move towards very place-specific teas, not always high-end teas, but ones that truly express the region and its local tea tradition.

Does the company name have a meaning?

• The “veri” in Verileaf refers to verity and authentic teas from origins.

Do you participate in any charities?

• The Zigen Fund (based in NY), now in its 34th year, provides access to education for children in poorer, remote areas in China, primary health care in villages, and environmental education for farmers.

What is your favorite tea?  

• Single Trunk Oolongs & 1^st flush Darjeelings

What are your thoughts on transparency in the tea industry?

• Transparency is part of traceability, which I think is paramount. The chance discovery of a tea from a farmer may perhaps provide some short-term satisfaction, but a documented and certified trail showing safety measures is crucial. Beyond what the FDA requires, knowledge about and monitoring risks and corrective actions, from pluck to transport, are essential.

What role does tea play in our lives?

• With so many teas coming from a single plant, we have a wide variety of choices, for an everyday cup or for a special occasion. Simply brewing a cup can bring a moment of reflection, about the tradition that each tea represents: craft, knowledge, skill, and an image of those specific places that yield distinctive teas.
• This becomes most evident when one has time to brew tea in a covered bowl or small pot: the bloom of aroma and taste from one infusion to the next signifies how much the leaves can yield.

Social Media:

• We keep a low profile, leaving our customers the opportunity to share their enthusiasm. Verileaf is committed to product knowledge, and posts to our wholesale customers are an important part of our work. We find that tea consumers are eager for education, which in turn motivates them to try more varieties.

Anything else you’d like to add?

• Having served as a judge for many years at the N. American Tea Championships, Verileaf’s teas were not eligible for submission to the contests, but I have had the opportunity to taste many prize-worthy teas and am confident Verileaf’s teas offer high quality and good value.

TeaTiff Picks: Everything? I seriously can’t pick just one. She has sourced so many amazing teas. A bundle of some sort is what I would need.