At Full Moon Tea Company, we believe a great cup of tea begins long before it hits your kettle. It starts with mindful sourcing, respectful relationships, and exceptional tea gardens around the world. That’s why we partner with Royal NY, our tea broker and importer, to bring you teas with real provenance, quality, and character.
Why We Choose Royal NY
Royal NY (short for Royal New York) is a family-owned specialty importer and wholesale tea supplier that has been doing what they do since 1995. They are known for:
- Worldwide sourcing of pure teas and herbs from trusted regions and growers.
- Deep knowledge and experience in tea grading, quality, and consistency.
- A focus on building long-term relationships with estates and producers so the teas you sip are stable in quality and supply.
In short, they take care of the behind-the-scenes work so we can focus on crafting blends and experiences for you.
Now let’s take a little globe-trotting and explore where some of your favorite Full Moon teas originate.
Ceylon Tea: Sri Lanka’s Highland Beauty
Ceylon tea comes from Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon. It grows at various altitudes - from misty highlands to rolling midlands - and each elevation brings its own flavor profile, from bright and citrusy to rich and bold.
What makes Ceylon teas stand out is their clarity and brightness in the cup. They are commonly used in classic black tea blends because they can hold up to milk and sweeteners without losing complexity. Royal NY sources excellent Ceylon leaves that serve as the backbone for some of our bold black teas.
Assam: Bold Brisk Black from India
Assam tea comes from the lush valley of the Brahmaputra River in northeast India. It’s one of the world’s most prolific tea-growing regions and is known for producing rich, malty black teas with a deep amber liquor and brisk character.
This robust flavor makes Assam teas a favorite for everyday sips and for forming the base of breakfast blends like English Breakfast or Irish Breakfast. We love it for teas that are hearty, strong, and satisfying with a touch of milk.
Lapsang Souchong: Smoky Black Tea from China
Lapsang Souchong is a unique black tea tradition that comes from the Fujian province of China, especially around the Wuyi Mountains. What sets it apart is smoke-drying over pinewood fires, which gives it that unmistakable bold, smoky aroma lovers either adore or are curious to try.
Royal NY partners with suppliers who understand this traditional process and bring us leaves that carry that campfire-like character while still maintaining a true tea profile.
Sencha: Green Tea from Japan
Sencha is the most typical green tea in Japan, made from the upper leaves of the tea plant.
Unlike matcha, which is stone-ground powder, sencha is whole leaf. It’s steamed shortly after picking, which preserves a vibrant green color and fresh vegetal flavor - think grassy, bright, and a little seaweed-like in the best way.
Royal NY selects sencha that reflects its regional identity while being smooth and approachable for everyday drinking.
Rooibos: South Africa’s Red Bush Tea
Rooibos is not technically a tea from Camellia sinensis. It is an herbal infusion made from the Aspalathus linearis plant, native to the Cederberg Mountains of South Africa.
This caffeine-free brew bears a deep reddish color and a soft, naturally sweet flavor that makes it ideal for herbal blends. Because rooibos thrives only in this small region of South Africa, it has a very particular character that you just cannot replicate anywhere else.
Royal NY sources rooibos that captures the essence of this environment so we can include it in our caffeine-free collections with confidence.
Why We Think This Matters
Every tea has a story - an origin, a landscape, a climate, and a community behind it. We choose Royal NY not because it’s convenient but because they care about those stories and help us honor them in the leaves that end up in your cup.
So when you brew your next mug of Ceylon black, sip a smoky lapsang, or relax with sweet rooibos, you’re tasting the earth, history, and hands that brought it to you. And that, to us, feels like the most wholesome kind of magic.
