One River Tea
Asheville-based importer founded by Zongjun Li in 2017. Specializes in Chinese teas from Hubei province — Enshi Yulu, Lichuan dark tea — that are rarely available outside China.
One River Tea is one of the most narrowly-focused direct-import operations in American specialty tea: nearly the entire catalog comes from Hubei province in central China, with particular focus on Enshi Yulu (a rare steamed Chinese green tea), Lichuan dark tea, and small-producer Hubei oolongs and blacks. Zongjun Li, a Hubei native long resident in Asheville, founded the operation in 2017 to bring Hubei teas — substantially less well-known internationally than Yunnan, Fujian, or Zhejiang teas — to international drinkers.
The single-region focus produces depth of coverage that broader importers don't reach. For drinkers interested in exploring tea-producing regions beyond the dominant export origins, One River Tea is one of the most distinctive sources operating in American specialty tea. The annual harvest cycle drives the catalog rotation; supply is limited and the small-producer lots typically sell out within months of release.
Focus areas
Tea types carried
- Green
- White
- Oolong
- Black
- Dark tea