The tea that
carried a plateau
For six centuries, dark tea travelled west by yak and by hand until it became something no household on the plateau could live without. GADINAL makes that tea — whole-plant, slow-fermented, pressed and aged — for the rest of the world.
- Whole plantLeaf, stem and bud fermented together for a fuller compound profile
- Four ways to drinkSteep, infuse, stew or simmer — each yields a different cup
- Takes anythingMilk, salt, butter, sesame, sugar — additions only add
- Ages in the tinCompressed dark tea keeps fermenting slowly and quietly improves
A cultural symbol carved in taste memory
On the plateau, vegetables are scarce and winters are long. Tea is not a luxury there — it is how vitamins and minerals reach the table. That is why Tibetan tea became a daily necessity rather than an indulgence, and why it is called the tea of nearly six million people.
In June 2008, the craft of Southern Route border tea — Ya'an Tibetan tea — was inscribed on China's second national list of intangible cultural heritage. GADINAL works inside that tradition, and pushes it toward a cup that a contemporary drinker anywhere would recognise.
Six caskets, one lineage
Take me back along the Tea Horse Road — through everything it was, and everything it is becoming.Gadinal brand promise
Nothing is discarded, nothing is hurried
- 01
Whole-plant harvest
Bud, leaf and stem are taken together from high-mountain Sichuan gardens — the stem is what carries the sweetness.
- 02
Mixed fermentation
Piled and turned together so the compounds develop as one body rather than as separate grades.
- 03
Pressing
Compressed into bricks scored for easy breaking, or left loose for the porcelain jars.
- 04
Resting
Held in controlled air and humidity, where fermentation continues for years. Our aged casket has rested seven.
Four vessels, four teas
- 01
Cup
3–4 g, boiling water, 8–9 infusions. When it thins, move the leaves to the pot.
- 02
Gaiwan
5–6 g. Pour in a slow, fixed stream. Fast in, fast out — then let it slow.
- 03
Steeped
3.5–5 g held for 20–30 minutes in a sealed vessel. The gentlest cup.
- 04
Simmered
5–8 g per litre. Boil 2–3 min, simmer 5. Keep the base, add water, repeat.