Embodying the righteousness of heaven and earth, capturing the essence of the sun and moon, the misty mountains and vast seas in the distance, with the silhouette of tea leaves swaying in the wind. Bai tea, a natural sprite of the deep mountains, is a beautiful part of the rural scenery. As recorded in the Ming Dynasty’s ‘Brewing Tea Essays’, ‘Tea made with fire is secondary; tea that is air-dried is superior, as it is closer to nature and free from the smell of smoke.
‘ The beauty of Bai tea lies in its natural state, with a simple process that involves no frying or kneading, simple and unadorned, naturally uncarved, yet shining with a silvery glow. It is tea from the moment of its birth, maintaining its natural form from beginning to end. No artificial processing is needed; humans only need to maintain the most suitable temperature and provide the purest space for it. Bai tea contains a rich array of flavors and aromatic substances. With each infusion, they are evenly released into the tea soup, presenting an excellent taste. Observing the vitality and the impartiality of nature, today, let’s understand Bai tea from seven perspectives!What type of tea is Bai tea? Bai tea is a slightly fermented tea, a traditional famous tea created by Chinese tea farmers. It is one of the six major types of Chinese tea. It refers to a tea that, after picking, does not undergo fixing or rolling, but is processed only by sun drying or gentle fire drying. It is characterized by intact bud hairs, covered with fine hairs, fresh and fragrant, with a yellow-green clear soup, and a light, sweet aftertaste. Due to different tree varieties and standards for picking raw materials (fresh leaves), the main varieties of Bai tea are: Bai Hao Yin Zhen, Bai Mu Dan, and Shou Mei (Gong Mei).
Is Bai tea ‘cooling’ or ‘mild’? Bai tea is a relatively special type among all tea categories, with a low degree of fermentation in the finished tea leaves and a longer storage time. When distinguishing by tea nature, the nature of new Bai tea is relatively cooling, while the old Bai tea, which has been stored for a long time, is the opposite. The tea’s internal quality is fully precipitated over time, making its nature mild. Bai tea includes both cooling new Bai tea and mild old Bai tea, with different tea categories requiring different brewing methods, and there are certain differences in the seasons for drinking. The cooling nature of new Bai tea is very suitable for brewing and drinking in the hot summer, which can have a heat-clearing and summer-relieving effect; the mild nature of old Bai tea has no restrictions on the drinking season and can be brewed and drunk all year round. If you want to drink Bai tea in winter, it is recommended to choose old Bai tea that has been stored for 5 years. Why is Bai tea called ‘one-year tea, three-year aged, seven-year treasure’? Bai tea is considered ‘one-year tea, three-year medicine, seven-year treasure’ mainly because, during the aging process, it transforms into more substances beneficial to the human body, such as ‘flavonoids’. The content of ‘flavonoids’ in Bai tea is the highest among the six major types of tea. Compared with other types of tea, Bai tea has the lowest content of free radicals, the highest content of flavonoid compounds, and the average content of amino acids is higher than the other five types of tea, possessing excellent pharmacological and health benefits.According to the report ‘Analysis of Main Biochemical Components in White Tea of Different Years’, the content of flavonoids in aged white tea is higher than that in the same year’s white tea. Specifically, the flavonoid content in white tea aged for 20 years is significantly higher than in other years, being 2.34 times that of the new white tea of the same year. The higher flavonoid content in aged white tea provides a scientific basis and theoretical support for the better health benefits of old white tea compared to the new white tea of the same year.
Why is white tea considered special among the six major types of tea? White tea has always been a unique presence among the six major types of tea, which can be described as a form of minimalism compared to the other five. The main processing technique involves sun-drying or gentle heat drying and withering after picking, without the need for killing green or rolling, making it a slightly fermented tea. Nowadays, most white tea production processes prioritize sun-drying, which helps to retain the maximum amount of activity in the tea leaves. Secondly, the characteristic of white tea not being rolled or twisted also protects the cell structure of the tea leaves, making white tea more resistant to brewing. As a result, we can enjoy the original ecological health benefits of the tea. Additionally, white tea is suitable for long-term storage; if stored properly, white tea will become more fragrant and valuable over time, and it also has a certain appreciation potential. It is a rare beverage that can be used not only for drinking but also for collection. Why is white tea called the ‘medicine for all diseases’? The medicinal value of white tea was not discovered in the 21st century. In the era of scarcity of medical resources, Baihao Yinzhen in white tea was regarded as a treasure by the people in the mountainous areas of Eastern Fujian. It has an immediate effect on treating children’s measles, sore throat, cold fever, gastrointestinal discomfort, and water and soil discomfort, with magical effects that are hard to deny. Since the late Qing Dynasty, Beijing Tongrentang has been purchasing aged white tea every year for medicinal purposes. Nowadays, more and more scientific studies have shown that the health benefits of tea drinking exceed many health products. The effects and nutritional components of white tea are indeed rich, but it is not yet a medicine for all diseases. White tea is rich in tea polyphenols, vitamins, and vitamin P. Due to the special processing techniques of white tea, it retains more active enzymes that the human body needs and that are less present in other types of tea. Long-term consumption of white tea can significantly improve human immunity and has a good nurturing effect on the body. What are the common aroma types of white tea? Different types of tea have vastly different aromas. The aroma of the same variety of white tea can also vary greatly due to the difference in newness or age. Moreover, the fragrance of white tea will gradually change during the preservation process. The common aroma types mainly include the following: Downy aroma: This is more common in Baihao Yinzhen, the more downy hairs, the stronger the downy aroma. If there are fewer downy hairs, the downy aroma will be lighter. After brewing, the tea soup with downy hairs is as white as snow. The role of downy hairs is not just to emit fragrance; it also contains a rich amount of amino acids, which have various effects on the body.Fragrance in White Tea: The tea emits various scents reminiscent of fresh flowers, which can be categorized into two types based on their sweetness – green floral and sweet floral. These fragrances are long-lasting and pleasant to the nose.
Aroma: The types of aroma include purity, freshness, loftiness, innocence, and freshness. White tea, which is not pan-fried or kneaded, undergoes natural traditional withering and drying processes, removing some of the raw green aroma and emitting a subtle fresh scent. Honey Fragrance: As the name suggests, the primary scent resembles honey, which is commonly found in aged Silver Needle and top-grade Peony. White tea can maintain a honey-like fragrance over time, and this aroma is also long-lasting. The combination of honey fragrance and downy fragrance forms the distinctive feature of most Fuding white teas in their initial aging period – downy honey charm. Jujube Fragrance: Jujube fragrance is a classic scent in aged white tea, and it can be said to be a unique aroma in high-quality Shou Mei aged tea cakes. This scent is often found in more mature Shou Mei, as the overall sugar content is higher, and the pectin substances are sufficiently rich. The longer the age, the richer the jujube fragrance. Medicinal Fragrance: Medicinal fragrance is extremely rare and exclusive to aged white tea, resembling the scent of a traditional Chinese medicine shop, which is essentially the aroma of plants that have been stored for a long time. Lotus Leaf Fragrance: The scent of lotus leaves, also described as minty, is not commonly found in aged white tea. The ‘Grandma’s Tea’ in Xinyuan White Tea has a distinct lotus leaf fragrance, which requires proper storage to maintain. How to Store White Tea: According to the national standard ‘GB/T 22291-2017 White Tea’, the moisture content standard for finished white tea has been adjusted from the original 7% to 8.5%. This means that more moisture is allowed during the processing of white tea, which may affect the texture and taste of the tea. The moisture content of tea is crucial for storage and quality preservation, so storage of white tea requires more attention to these factors. When storing white tea, we need to choose a well-sealed, odor-free container. It is best to have an inner lid to effectively prevent moisture from entering the tea and provide additional protection. Choosing an iron can of appropriate capacity based on our tea consumption frequency is also important. For opened tea cakes, we can rewrap the cotton paper, place it in a tea cake bag, seal it, and store it at room temperature, avoiding refrigeration. The best storage temperature for white tea is below 35 degrees Celsius and above 10 degrees Celsius. Temperature determines the speed of various substances’ transformation, and the higher the temperature, the faster the transformation. White tea is best stored in a place away from light.Tea, when exposed to light, accelerates the progression of various substances, leading to the creation of many unpleasant flavors. White tea, a tea with memory, can also be considered a tea that looks back, earning the reputation of ‘one year as tea, three years as aged, seven years as treasure.’ The rings of time imbue it with the secret fragrance of the ages. Silently, the rings of time turn, transforming white tea into a delightful and stunning experience. The richness and depth of aged white tea store the weight of time.
