• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Life is Better with Tea
  • Learn Tea
  • Recipes
  • Buyer Guides
  • eBooks
  • Newsletter
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Learn Tea
  • Recipes
  • Buyer Guides
  • eBooks
  • Newsletter
    • Email
    • Instagram
    • Substack
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Learn Tea
    • Recipes
    • Buyer Guides
    • eBooks
    • Newsletter
    • Email
    • Instagram
    • Substack
  • ×
    Home » Learning About Tea » What Is Black Dragon Pearl Tea?

    What Is Black Dragon Pearl Tea?

    Published: Oct 24, 2018 · Modified: Sep 28, 2022 by Mary Ann Rollano · 3 Comments I independently review all recommendations. Some links may earn commissions to support this publication.

    95 shares

    Black Dragon Pearl Tea is a rare tightly hand-rolled black tea from the Yunnan province of China. Exquisite and naturally sweet, with a hint of cocoa, this tea is simply divine.

    Black Dragon Pearl Tea dry pearls in a white bowl
    Black Dragon Pearl

    While the voluminous harvest moon graces our skies above, I'm reminded of the full-bodied brew from the little Black Dragon Pearl. I am in awe of their perfect spherical beauty.

    Black Dragon Pearl is one of my favorite teas. This is the tea I drink every morning. Each day I sip my tea and slowly awaken to the day before me.

    What makes this tea so special?

    Black Dragon Pearl tea comes from the southern Yunnan province in China, this black tea version of the popular Dragon Pearl is naturally sweet and smooth with a touch of earthiness.

    Only the highest quality leaves and buds are selected and expertly hand rolled into a large pearl-like shape before the leaves can dry. I love watching this amazing golden-tipped large-leaf tea steep, as each pearl gently unfurls delivering a superb tea experience.

    You can infuse this tea in a tea sack of sorts, but please don't. You will get much more flavor out of the leaves if you let them fully open without constraint, as in a large infuser.

    Black Dragon Pearl is a full-bodied infusion with subtle cocoa notes, producing a beautiful coppery-amber color. It's smooth and sweet on its own. It's also very forgiving since it doesn't turn bitter if you accidentally over steep it.

    As you can see here, after infusing, these beautiful little pearls unfurl to reveal large tea leaves.

    Black Dragon Pearl tea wet leaves

    How To Brew Black Dragon Pearl

    • Amount: For a western brewing method, use 3-4 pearls per 8 ounces.
    • Water Temperature: 212° F (100°C) of boiling point water.
    • First infusion: 3-5 minutes. Second infusion 3- 5 minutes. Subsequent infusions can be longer depending on how strong you like your tea.
    • Recommended brewing in a small teapot.
    • Pour water over tea leaves in a circular motion so the heat of the water will be even over the tea leaves. Tea leaves can be reused multiple times.
    • The liquor becomes a rich amber color.

    If you want to make it stronger wait until the color is richer. If your pot has a filter you can remove it when your tea is strong enough for you.

    Related:

    • Top 5 Best Black Tea Selections
    • 15 Best Online Tea Shops
    • 6 Types of Tea: The Ultimate Guide
    • 10 Best Chinese Black Teas You've Never Heard About

    How Black Dragon Pearl Tea Is Made

    The tightly rolled nuggets of the Black Dragon Pearl contain their own mystery, aroma, texture, and hue as intriguing as its name. I decided to find out more about the origins of this delightful tea.

    The Leaf Chief/Master Taster Cynthia at Adagio Tea gave me some information on the background of Black Dragon Pearls.

    Our Black Dragon Pearls are from Yunnan, where they get their smooth, sweet, and rich character. The leaves are plucked and go through the black tea making process. After oxidation and while still pliable, they are kept warm on a heating pad of sorts to keep them supple. This fills the room with a wonderful aroma of the leaves.”

    Black tea is fully oxidized, producing a hearty rich flavor. This means that once the first two leaves and bud are plucked they are then allowed to "wither" to reduce the moisture in the leaf.

    Once withered to satisfactory moisture content, the leaves are rolled. The rolling releases the flavonoids setting up the enzymatic process for oxidation. Once fully oxidized the leaves are set out to dry and cool.

    Cynthia adds,

    They are hand rolled into the pearl shape and twisted into nylon mesh to keep their shape while they dry. It looks kind of like a bunch of grapes when a bunch of them are twisted into the mesh. When completely dry, the pearls are released from the nylon.”

    Just the idea that each pearl comes from hand-picked tea and is then hand-rolled adds to the beauty of the Black Dragon Pearl. Slowly savor it.

    Black Dragon Pearl Tea and Cup

    The Birthplace of Tea

    The Yunnan province of China is thought to be the birthplace of tea. Some of the wild-growing tea trees are purported to be about 1,700 years old. That's simply amazing to me. These trees are still giving after all these years.

    The old-growth Camellia sinensis trees are never pruned. Yunnan produces some of the very best black tea than any other part of China.

    What The Dragon Means to The Chinese

    I'm not sure why they added the "dragon" descriptor when they named this tea Black Dragon Pearl so I can only speculate.

    The dragon is the symbol of the Chinese nation and represents authority and good fortune. Many emperors used this symbol during their dynasties.

    The ancient Chinese dragons symbolize Chi – which is energy. The dragon stands for new beginnings. Because the dragon represents success and prosperity, it is one of the most popular Asian symbols.

    The dragon is said to bring power, strength, and good luck to people who are worthy of it.

    The pearl is associated with spiritual energy, wisdom, prosperity, power, immortality, thunder, or the moon.

    I gain my energy and strength every morning as I sip this lovely Black Dragon Pearl tea. And perhaps a little bit of luck and prosperity will come my way too!

    Is Black Dragon Pearl Tea Expensive?

    Some people might think this tea is a tad bit expensive, but it's helpful to know you can infuse this tea a couple of times without losing flavor.

    You can re-steep this tea at least once, so that cuts your cost by half. I haven't had much success beyond a second steep. I steep this tea for 3-4 minutes.

    How much does Black Dragon Pearl cost?

    You can buy 3 ounces of Black Dragon Pearl for $24 from Adagio Tea making this tea only 64 cents per cup. The Tea Spot sells 4 ounces of Black Dragon Pearl yielding 50 servings for $28. That's 56 cents per cup.

    So the answer is no, as special as this tea is, it is not really expensive per cup.

    Where to Buy Black Dragon Pearl Tea

    If you don't wish to buy online, check your local specialty tea shop. I first discovered Black Dragon Pearl Tea at my local Teavana tea shop and I fell in love with them. Unfortunately, they are now closed.

    What made the tea chain so great, despite all the negative rumblings of being too expensive, is that it allowed the ordinary tea enthusiast an opportunity to try specialty teas firsthand.

    So now I buy online and vet them here for you.

    I've had some excellent Black Dragon Pearl tea from the following vendors. They all sell quality high-end tea. Don't be surprised if they're out of stock, it's a popular tea.

    • TeaVivre
    • The Tea Spot
    • Adagio Tea

    Tea Runners is a subscription service but you can buy tea directly. Tea Runners has a Black Dragon in loose leaf form (not pearl form) that is excellent!

    The choice is yours, but you really shouldn't miss out on this exquisite tea. If you have a tea merchant that is a personal preference, please share it here.


    Tea for Beginners Start Here >>

    More Learning About Tea

    • chamomile flowers brewed tea in teapot and tea cup
      How Chamomile Tea Promotes Sleep, Aids Digestion, and Relieves Anxiety
    • lemon verbena brewed in a cup teapot and dried leaves
      Exploring the Richness and Benefits of Herbal Greek Lemon Verbena Tea
    • greek honey in jar with honeycomb
      Sweeten Tea With Honey From Greece For The Most Benefits
    • greek mountain tea
      Greek Mountain Tea (Sideritis): The Health Benefits of an Ancient Herbal Elixir

    About Mary Ann Rollano

    Mary Ann is a nurse turned award-winning tea specialist creating recipes and writing stories where tea, wellness, and nature meet. Newsletter

    Recent Articles

    • yogi spiced teaHow to Make The Best Authentic Yogi Spiced Tea Recipe From Scratch
      Authentic yogi tea recipe is a spiced tea made […]
    • tulipsBegin Here: This Will Change Everything!
      Why I’m Moving This Blog to Steeped Stories and […]
    • chamomile flowers brewed tea in teapot and tea cupHow Chamomile Tea Promotes Sleep, Aids Digestion, and Relieves Anxiety
      Whether you're seeking relaxation, stress relief, […]
    • the tea spot english breakfast tea loose leaf tea close up5 Best Tea Shops for Loose Leaf Tea
      Are you struggling to find a good place to buy […]

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Comment Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. wellwaytea

      January 12, 2022 at 7:46 am

      Thank You for share this food related Information...
      Well way tea is a best online tea store, located at rajkot india providing high quality branded tea and tea accessories that entirely fits to your lifestyle so shop through us!

      Reply
    2. Gabie - Tea End Blog

      October 26, 2018 at 2:41 am

      Thank you Mary for this lovely description of Black Dragon Pearl Tea. Wonderful job and keep up the great work! I may start sipping Black Dragon Pearl Tea in the mornings and see how revived I am! 😉

      Reply
      • Mary Ann Rollano

        November 07, 2018 at 9:58 pm

        Thanks Gabie! It's one of my favorites.

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Mary Ann Rollano

    I share my culinary and medicinal tea expertise as an award-winning tea specialist and registered nurse.

    I’ll show you how to choose high-quality, organic, loose-leaf teas, brew the perfect cup, and create easy, delicious, and nourishing tea recipes. My goal is to make specialty tea simple and healthy for you!

    More about Mary Ann →

    Experience a lifestyle of wellness through the beauty of tea. Steeped Stories is my Health & Wellness Newsletter —subscribe today! ↓

    Popular

    • tea sampler of dry loose leaf tea
      10 Best Tea Shops for Loose Leaf Tea Online in 2025

    • world of tea
      World of Tea Book: A Beautiful Volume On Tea Throughout The World

    • English Breakfast Tea
      7 Best English Breakfast Teas You Should Try Today

    • stacked best tea books
      10 Best Tea Books To Make You An Expert

    Trending

    • yogi spiced tea
      How to Make The Best Authentic Yogi Spiced Tea Recipe From Scratch

    • tulips
      Begin Here: This Will Change Everything!

    • the tea spot english breakfast tea loose leaf tea close up
      5 Best Tea Shops for Loose Leaf Tea

    • Sage tea brewed in blue and white cup with dry sage next to it
      Sage Herbal Tea Recipe Benefits and Uses

    Guides

    • glass teapot with teacup
      Tea Guide

    • hot tea recipes ebook cover
      eBooks

    Footer

    ↑ back to top


    Tea Guide

    Get Easy Tea Recipes, Brewing Tricks, and Special Guides to Living Well

    Subscribe Here

    Tea Education

    Tea Business

    Beginners Guide

    Recommendations

    Quick Links

    About

    Press

    Contact

    Partnerships

    Disclaimer, Privacy & Affiliate

    As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2024 Life Is Better With Tea