White tea, a variety of tea, is a slightly fermented tea that has been traditionally crafted by Chinese tea farmers. It is one of the six major types of tea in China. White tea refers to a type of tea that, after picking, does not undergo the process of fixing or rolling, but is processed only through sun drying or gentle heat drying. It is characterized by its complete bud and downy appearance, with a fresh aroma, a clear yellow-green liquor, and a light, sweet aftertaste.
As a slightly fermented tea, it is a special treasure among Chinese teas. Its name comes from the fact that the finished tea is mostly bud heads covered with white down, resembling silver and snow. The main producing areas are in Fujian’s Fuding, Zhenghe, Songxi, Jianyang, and Yunnan’s Jinggu. The basic processes include withering, baking (or air-drying), sifting, and re-firing. The Yunnan white tea process mainly involves sun drying, which preserves the original fresh fragrance of the tea. Withering is the key process in forming the quality of white tea. In Chinese, white tea is also known as Moonlight White, Baihao, and Da Bai Cha. It is a plant in the plant kingdom, and its finished tea has a white appearance. Specialties are produced in Fujian, Yunnan, and other areas such as Zhejiang, Fuding, Jinggu, and Jing’an. The basic processes include sun drying, withering, baking (or air-drying). It is classified as a slightly fermented tea, with quality characteristics of clear yellow-green liquor and a light, sweet aftertaste. The English name for white tea is White tea. Varieties include Bai Hao Yin Zhen, Bai Mu Dan, and Shou Mei. Production locations include Ditou Town, Xi Mei Village, Jing’an County, and Panxi Town.Historically, white tea has been a precious tea with a long history. Records show that during the Eastern Han Dynasty, a young man named Yin Zhen, carrying homemade ‘tu’ from his hometown, visited the famous Confucian master Xu Shen. When he was harassed by the gatekeeper, he chewed ‘tu’ under the eaves, filling Xu Shen’s residence with a rich aroma. Xu Shen traced the aroma and invited Yin Zhen into his study to brew and observe his ‘tu’.
The tea was elegant in, appearance with a white leaf base resembling silver needles falling into a pot, and a bright green liquor. The taste was fresh, refreshing, mellow, and occasionally slightly bitter, immediately generating saliva in the mouth. This inspired Xu Shen to annotate the character ‘tu’ in ‘Shuowen Jiezi’, using ‘jia, ming, she’ to explain the color, aroma, and taste of ‘tu’. The name ‘white tea’ first appeared in the ‘Tea Classic’ by Lu Yu during the Tang Dynasty, which recorded: ‘Three hundred miles east of Yongjia County, there is a white tea mountain. ‘ Professor Chen Yuan pointed out in ‘A General History of Tea’ that ‘three hundred miles east of Yongjia is the sea; it is a mistake for three hundred miles south. Three hundred miles south is Fujian Fuding (under the jurisdiction of Changxi County during the Tang Dynasty), which is the birthplace of white tea.’It is evident that during the Tang Dynasty, Changxi County (Fuding, Fujian) had already cultivated the ‘white tea’ variety. However, the mere existence of its name as evidence of its origin is still subject to further debate. Some scholars believe that white tea originated during the time when Shennong tasted various herbs, a view held by Mr. Yang Wenhui from Hunan Agricultural College. In his article ‘Discussion on the Origin Period of White Tea’, he proposed that white tea predates green tea.
Emperor Huizong of Song (Zhao Ji), in his ‘Daguan Tea Treatise’ (written between 1107 and 1110 during the ‘Daguan’ era, named after the year number), dedicated a section to white tea, stating: White tea, a distinct category, differs from common tea. Its leaves are spread out and thin, occasionally growing between forests and cliffs, not something that can be achieved by human effort. There are only four or five families that have it; only one or two plants are grown; the production is limited to two or three batches. The buds are not abundant, making steaming and baking particularly challenging. If the water temperature is off, it becomes a common product. It requires exquisite craftsmanship and proper handling to be as clear as jade within and without, unmatched by any other. Light baking is also done, but the quality is not as highThe crafting process of Bai tea generally involves two main steps: withering and drying, with the key being the withering process. Withering can be categorized into indoor natural withering, complex withering, and heated withering. It is crucial to adapt to the climate flexibly, opting for indoor withering or complex withering during clear spring, autumn days, or summer days that are not stuffy. The refining process involves removing stems, flakes, wax leaves, red leaves, and dark leaves, followed by slow-fire baking until fully dry, with the fire’s aroma complementing the tea’s fragrance.
The moisture content should be controlled between 4-5%, and the tea should be packed while still warm. Bai tea production is characterized by not destroying enzyme activity, not promoting oxidation, and preserving the distinct aroma and fresh taste. Picking Bai tea involves selecting tender, jade-white, one-bud-one-leaf shoots based on temperature, adhering to early, tender, frequent, and clean picking. The buds and leaves should be uniform in size, with short stems, picked and placed gently. They are carried in bamboo baskets and transported in bamboo crates. Fresh leaves for withering are spread evenly on bamboo trays without disturbance. After spreading, withering methods are chosen based on climate conditions and leaf grade, using indoor natural withering, complex withering, or heated withering. When the tea leaves are 70-80% dry, sifting is required for both indoor natural withering and complex withering. Drying involves primary baking at 100-120°C for 10 minutes, followed by cooling for 15 minutes. Secondary baking is done at 80-90°C, with low-temperature long baking around 70°C. The moisture content of the dried tea is controlled within 5% and stored in a cold room at 1-5°C. Tea taken out of the cold room is left for three hours before packaging. The quality characteristics of Bai tea include a full coat of white down, light-colored infusion, fresh and mellow taste, and a distinct aroma. The most prominent feature is the white silver down, often referred to as the ‘green dress with plain wrap’, with plump buds, bright yellow infusion, fresh and mellow taste, and tender, even leaves. After brewing, the taste is fresh and palatable, and it has medicinal effects. Bai tea is cool in nature and has the function of reducing fever and fire. The main varieties of Bai tea are differentiated by tea plant varieties, raw material (fresh leaves) picking standards, and raw material types, including Bai Hao Yin Zhen, Bai Mu Dan, Quan Cheng Hong, Quan Cheng Lv, Gong Mei, Shou Mei, and new Bai tea, totaling 5 types. Bai Hao Yin Zhen, also known as Silver Needle, is named for its dense white down, silver-white color, and needle-like shape. It has a fresh aroma, light yellow infusion, and fresh taste, making it a premium Bai tea, often referred to as the ‘beauty’ or ‘king’ of teas. Bai Mu Dan gets its name from its green leaves with silver-white down hearts, resembling flowers. After brewing, the green leaves support tender buds, like buds just beginning to bloom, hence its beautiful name. Bai Mu Dan is made from the short shoots of one bud and one or two leaves from Da Bai tea trees or Narcissus varieties, making it a superior grade of Bai tea. Gong Mei, sometimes called Shou Mei, is the most produced variety of Bai tea, accounting for more than half of the total Bai tea production.Made from the buds and leaves of the Cai Cha tea plant, the rough tea made from Cai Cha buds and leaves is called ‘Xiao Bai’, to distinguish it from the ‘Da Bai’ rough tea made from the buds and leaves of the Fuding Da Bai Cha and Zhenghe Da Bai Cha tea plants. Previously, Cai Cha tea buds were used to make varieties such as Bai Hao Yin Zhen, but later ‘Da Bai’ was used to make Bai Hao Yin Zhen and Bai Mu Dan, while Xiao Bai was used to make Gong Mei.
Shou Mei: Shou Mei is a type of white tea made from short bud leaves and large Bai Cha leaves harvested from the Cai Cha (a local name for common shrub tea plants in Fujian tea regions) variety. Typically, ‘Gong Mei’ indicates a superior quality, better than Shou Mei, and is generally referred to as Gong Mei without Shou Mei. The main production area for Gong Mei is Jianyang County in Fujian Province, with production also in Jian’ou and Pucheng. The picking standard for fresh leaves used to make Gong Mei is one bud with two to three leaves, requiring the tea buds to contain tender and robust buds. The production process of Gong Mei is divided into primary and refined processes, and its production method is essentially the same as that of Bai Mu Dan tea. High-quality Gong Mei finished tea has a distinct heart of downy hairs, with a white and abundant color, and the dried tea has a green color. After brewing, the tea soup appears orange-yellow or dark yellow, with even, soft, and bright leaves. When viewed against the light, the main vein appears red, and the taste is mellow and refreshing, with a pure aroma. New Process White Tea [Origin] New process white tea is a specialty of Fujian, mainly produced in areas such as Fuding, Zhenghe, Songxi, and Jianyang. New process white tea, also known as new white tea, is made by adding light rubbing after withering according to the white tea processing technique. Originally developed by the Fuzhou branch of the former China Tea Corporation (now Fujian Tea Import and Export Co. , Ltd.) and related tea factories in Fuding to meet the needs of the Hong Kong and Macao markets in 1968, it is now sold in the EU, Southeast Asia, Japan, and other countries and regions. [Characteristics] The appearance of new process white tea leaves is slightly folded and semi-rolled, with a dark green and brown color, clear fragrance, and strong taste. The tea soup color and taste resemble green tea but without the fragrance, and it resembles black tea without fermentation, with rich, clear, and sweet characteristics. Due to the tighter rolling of the tea leaves and stronger soup taste and color, it is popular with consumers. [Process] The production process of new process white tea includes withering, light rubbing, drying, sorting, sieving, stacking, baking, and boxing. [Benefits] New process white tea has benefits such as cancer prevention, anti-cancer, heat prevention, detoxification, and toothache treatment. Particularly, aged Bai Hao Yin Zhen process tea can be used as a fever-reducing medicine for children with measles, with better effects than antibiotics. [History] New process white tea, also known as new white tea, was a new product developed in 1968. The new process white tea products have been sold in the EU and Southeast Asian countries and regions. Official production began in 1969, and the production technology is only mastered by a few technicians in Fuding City.In 2002, medical research institutions in the United States found that Bai Hao Yin Zhen white tea exhibits the most significant ‘three resistances and three reductions’ effects among white teas, with new process white teas being more effective than other white tea products, particularly in cancer prevention. Therefore, new process Bai Hao Yin Zhen white tea is set to become one of the most popular white tea products.
The medicinal properties of Bai Hao Yin Zhen white tea are highly effective. It possesses benefits such as alcohol detoxification, heat-clearing and lung-nourishing, liver-balancing and blood-nourishing, anti-inflammatory and detoxifying, blood pressure reduction and fat reduction, and fatigue elimination. It is particularly unique and effective for health issues caused by excessive alcohol and tobacco consumption, greasy foods, and liver inflammation, such as discomfort and digestive dysfunction. Bai Hao Yin Zhen white tea has been used to prevent and treat measles, cancer, heatstroke, detoxification, and toothache. Notably, aged Bai Hao Yin Zhen white tea can be used as a fever-reducing medicine for children with measles, with退烧 effects superior to antibiotics. In North China and Fujian, it is widely regarded as a good medicine for treating and nursing patients with measles. As the Qing Dynasty celebrity Zhou Lianggong recorded in ‘Min Xiao Ji’: ‘Bai Hao Yin Zhen, produced in Hongxue Cave of Taimu Mountain, has a cold nature and is as effective as rhinoceros horn, making it a sacred medicine for measles.’ Bai Hao Yin Zhen white tea promotes blood sugar balance. In addition to the inherent nutritional components of other teas, it also contains essential active enzymes. Long-term consumption of Bai Hao Yin Zhen white tea can significantly increase the activity of lipoprotein lipase in the body, promote fat decomposition and metabolism, effectively control insulin secretion, delay the intestinal absorption of glucose, decompose excess blood sugar in the body, and promote blood sugar balance. Bai Hao Yin Zhen white tea is rich in various amino acids, which have a cold nature and are effective in reducing fever, dispelling heat, and detoxifying. As the storage time of Bai Hao Yin Zhen white tea increases, its medicinal value becomes higher. It also contains a rich amount of vitamin A precursor, which, once absorbed by the human body, quickly converts into vitamin A. Vitamin A can synthesize rhodopsin, enabling the eyes to see more clearly in low light, preventing night blindness and dry eye disease. Additionally, Bai Hao Yin Zhen white tea contains anti-radiation substances that significantly protect the human hematopoietic function and reduce the harm of television radiation. Bai Hao Yin Zhen white tea leaves are rich in natural substances such as dihydroxymyricetin, which can protect the liver, accelerate the rapid decomposition of acetaldehyde, a metabolite of ethanol, into non-toxic substances, reducing damage to liver cells. On the other hand, dihydroxymyricetin can improve the increased serum lactate dehydrogenase activity caused by liver cell damage, inhibit the formation of collagen fibers in hepatic M cells, thus playing a role in liver protection and liver nourishment, significantly reducing the damage of ethanol to the liver and quickly restoring the liver to a normal state. At the same time, dihydroxymyricetin acts quickly and has a long-lasting effect, making it an excellent product for liver protection, liver nourishment, and alcohol detoxification and awakening. Brewing Guide: To brew Bai Hao Yin Zhen white tea, certain techniques must be mastered to ensure the brewed tea soup is fresh, sweet, mellow, and richly fragrant.Control of Quantity: Bai tea is best enjoyed when brewed lightly. Generally, use 3 to 5 grams of tea leaves for 150 milliliters of water.
Control of Temperature: The water temperature should be between 90 to 100 degrees Celsius. Brewing Time: The first infusion should last about 5 minutes. After straining, pour the tea soup into a tea bowl for drinking. The second infusion only requires 3 minutes, which means brewing should be done as you drink. Typically, a cup of Bai tea can be brewed four to five times. Tasting Methods: 1. Observing the Color: The fresher and fuller the Bai tea leaves, the stronger the whiteness, and the more golden the dry tea appears, the higher the quality, and the more distinguished it is. 2. Smelling the Aroma: The tender fragrance is one of the characteristics of Dashanwu Bai tea. The stronger and more lasting the fragrance, whether in the dry tea or the brewed tea soup, the higher the quality. 3. Appreciating the Uniqueness: Brew with water around 95 degrees Celsius and do not cover it. After three minutes, observe the Bai tea leaves unfurling, returning to a jade white color, with thin and transparent leaves, emerald green veins, and a complete and uniform leaf base, resembling dancing jade pieces and resting white jade, with a tender green and bright tea soup. At this moment, the unique characteristics of Bai tea reach their purest and most beautiful form. 4. Tasting: When the tea soup cools to a drinkable temperature, savor it slowly. The taste is fresh and refreshing, with a sweet aftertaste that stimulates saliva, leaving a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth, entering the highest state of enjoyment. 5. Adding Water: When the tea soup is consumed to one-third of the teacup, add boiling water to drink again. It is generally advisable to drink it three times. Scientific Drinking Methods and Precautions for Bai Tea: Bai tea should not be too strong. Generally, 5 grams of tea leaves are enough for 150 milliliters of water. The water temperature should be above 95 degrees Celsius. The first infusion should last about 5 minutes. After straining, pour the tea soup into a tea bowl for drinking. The second infusion only requires 3 minutes, which means brewing should be done as you drink. Typically, a cup of Bai tea can be brewed four to five times. Bai tea is cool in nature, suitable for those with ‘hot’ stomachs to drink in moderation on an empty stomach. Those with neutral stomachs can drink it at any time without concern, while those with ‘cold’ stomachs should drink it after meals. However, Bai tea generally does not irritate the stomach lining. There are no strict requirements for the utensils used to drink Bai tea; tea cups, bowls, and pots can be used. If you use the ‘Gongfu tea’ utensils and brewing method, the effect will certainly be better. The amount of Bai tea, generally, 5 grams per person per day is sufficient, and the elderly should not consume too much. The same applies to other teas; drinking too much can lead to ‘overdoing it,’ and instead of being healthy, it may have the opposite effect. It is also important to note that those with kidney deficiency, heart patients with rapid heartbeats, severe hypertension patients, severe constipation sufferers, severe neurasthenics, and iron-deficiency anemia patients should not drink strong tea or drink tea on an empty stomach. Otherwise, it may cause ‘tea intoxication.’ Bai tea should be consumed regularly and not interrupted. The health benefits of Bai tea are gradual and should not be interrupted, otherwise, it is difficult to achieve effectiveness.Ancient medical sage Hua Tuo, in his ‘Food Theory,’ proposed the viewpoint that ‘bitter tea, when consumed over time, enhances thought and intention.’ Tea should be consumed at the right times and not blindly. As the saying goes: ‘Tea after meals aids digestion, and midday tea invigorates the spirit.’ It is not advisable to drink tea before meals or just before bedtime. When evaluating the intrinsic quality, the focus is on the color, aroma, taste, and leaf base of the tea soup. The evaluation method is as follows: steep 3 grams of tea in 150ml of boiling water for 5 minutes, then assess each evaluation item. (1) Soup Color: A good soup color is orange-yellow and bright or light apricot yellow; red, dark, or turbid colors are inferior. (2) Aroma: The aroma should be rich in downy fragrance, fresh, and pure; thin, raw, moldy, stale, or with a fermented black tea smell are considered inferior. (3) Taste: The taste of white tea is considered superior when it is fresh, fermented, and sweet; coarse, astringent, and thin are considered poor. (4) Leaf Base: The tenderness and color of the white tea leaf base are important factors in evaluating the intrinsic quality. A uniform and downy leaf base with many buds is superior; a leaf base with hard stems, broken leaves, and coarse oldness is inferior; a bright color is good, while a variegated, dark red, or scorched red edge is poor. Storage Method One: Store white tea in a tin can to prevent crushing. When choosing a tea can, a tin can is the best, followed by iron and paper cans, with the requirement of good sealing. Method Two: Charcoal Storage Method – Place an appropriate amount of charcoal in a small cloth bag, put it at the bottom of the tea can, then arrange the packaged tea in layers in the can, and seal the mouth of the jar. The charcoal should be changed once a month. Method Three: Cold Storage Method – Seal the tea in a bag or tea can and store it in the refrigerator, with the best temperature being 5 degrees Celsius. Method Four: Thermos Storage Method – Put white tea leaves into a newly bought thermos and seal it well. Method Five: White tea should be stored at low temperatures and away from light because, under high temperatures, the chemical changes of the components in the tea accelerate, leading to faster quality aging. Light causes photochemical reactions in the components of the tea, causing the quality to lose its original style. Method Six: Quicklime Storage Method – Package quicklime in a cloth bag, and also seal the tea well. The tea should be sealed and kept away from items with odors. It is important to note that the quicklime bag should be changed every two months. Legend of Chen Huan, whose full name is Chen Xuehuan (1813-1888), styled Fengwei, was born in Zhulan Head Village, Dongmen Ridge, Shi Si Du, Fuding (now Zhulan Head Natural Village, Guojiao Village, Diantou Town). There are many legends about Chen Huan, all of which are inseparable from Fuding white tea. It is said that there was a filial son named Chen Huan in Zhulan Head Natural Village, Fuding. He was extremely filial, but due to the poor land, he worked hard all year round and still found it difficult to provide for his parents, feeling deeply ashamed. When the New Year passed, Chen Huan held a vegetarian fast for three days, took dry food to Taimu Mountain to pray to the Goddess Taimu for a ‘dream’ to guide him on how to make a living.
After offering incense and paying respects, Chen Huan closed his eyes and drifted into a dream. In his hazy vision, he saw the ‘Goddess of Taimu’ pointing to a tree and saying, ‘This fine tree in the mountains was planted by me, and if you plant it, you will prosper. ‘ The next day, Chen Huan searched every peak and ridge until the sun set in the west, and indeed, he found a cluster of tea plants in the Hongxue Cave. Overjoyed, he immediately used the hoe he carried to separate one plant and brought it home to cultivate with great care. After a hundred days, the plant showed signs of life, and its tea was different from the common varieties; it is what we know today as ‘Fuding Da Bai Cha’. According to the ‘Ningde Tea Records’, during the time of Emperor Yao, a peasant girl from the foot of Taimu Mountain, fleeing from war, took refuge in the mountains and made a living by planting indigo, known for her kindness and generosity, she was called ‘Indigo Girl’. That year, measles were rampant around Taimu Mountain, and villagers in groups went up the mountain to collect herbs to treat the children, but all in vain. The disease claimed the lives of many young children, and Indigo Girl’s kind heart bled. One night, in her sleep, she saw the ‘Old Man of the South Pole’. The Old Man spoke: ‘Indigo Girl, on the top of the Hongxue Cave where you reside, there is a tree called White Tea. Its leaves, when dried and soaked in boiling water, are a good remedy for measles.’ Indigo Girl woke up and immediately climbed to the top of the Hongxue Cave under the moonlight. Indeed, she found a small tree standing out among the undergrowth, which was the inexhaustible white tea tree bestowed by the Old Man. To save the poor rural children, Indigo Girl tirelessly picked and dried the tea leaves, then delivered them to every mountain village, teaching the villagers how to brew the tea for children with measles, and finally overcoming the measles demon. Indigo Girl never stopped helping the poor, and in her later years, guided by an immortal, she ascended to heaven on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. People remembered her and revered her as the ‘Goddess of Taimu’. The origin of Taimu Mountain and Fuding White Tea dates back to Taimu Mountain in Fuding. It is said that in ancient times, Taimu Mountain was called Cai Mountain. During the time of Emperor Yao (2358-2257 BC), an old woman lived here, cultivating orchids and known for her kindness and generosity, which won the hearts of the people. She once used the ‘Lv Xue Ya’ tea she planted as a sacred medicine for measles, saving many children. The people were grateful and revered her as a deity, calling her ‘Taimu’, and the mountain was thus named ‘Taimu Mountain’. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Dongfang Shuo was sent to enfeoff famous mountains across the land, and Taimu Mountain was named the foremost among the thirty-six famous mountains and officially renamed Taimu Mountain. Today, Fuding Taimu Mountain still has the original mother tree of Fuding Da Bai Cha, known as ‘Lv Xue Ya’, the cave where the Goddess of Taimu discovered Lv Xue Ya, and the Dan Well that irrigated Lv Xue Ya. Over 150 years ago (around 1857), Chen Huan from Zhutou Village in Bailiu Township transplanted this tea and cultivated Fuding Da Bai Cha at home.
Fuding Dabaicha is a small tree-type tea plant with a height of 1.5 to 2 meters and a width of 1.6 to 2 meters. The plant has a semi-open growth habit. Branches are relatively dense with long internodes. The bark is grey in color. The leaves are elliptical, gradually pointed and slightly drooping at the tip, with a slightly blunt base and slightly upward edges. Typically, the leaves measure 12×5.4 cm, with an average length-to-width ratio of 2.
2. The leaf color is yellow-green and glossy. The lateral veins are distinct, with 7 to 11 pairs. The teeth are neat and obvious, with 27 to 38 pairs. The leaf meat is slightly thick and soft. A bud with two leaves is 5.1 cm long, and the weight of a hundred buds is 23 grams. The flower type is relatively large, with stamens lower than pistils. The blooming period is from late October to mid-November, with abundant flowers, high fruit set rate, and large, plump tea seeds. The sprouting period begins in early March, and growth ceases in mid-November. The growth period lasts for 8 months throughout the year. The plant has a vigorous growth habit, strong resistance to adverse conditions, and is both drought and cold tolerant, surviving temperatures as low as -3 to -4 degrees Celsius without frost damage. It has a strong reproductive capacity, with easy rooting from layering and cuttings, and a survival rate of over 95%. The yield is higher than that of local vegetable teas. The quality of black tea, green tea, and white tea made from it is excellent. The silver needle, characterized by its pure white, plump buds with abundant down, is particularly distinctive.
