Loose Leaf Chinese White Tea

The history of white tea, which originated in China, is complex and controversial, due to the lack of adequate citation as much of the knowledge about tea has been passed on verbally. Perhaps first produced during the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 A.D.), white tea was the preferred tea of the Chinese royal court. It became revered during China’s Song Dynasty (960 – 1279 A.D.). By 1200 A.D., the immature silver white buds and leaves were immediately steamed, dried and ground into a powder, which was then whisked in bowls to make the delicate tea during the Song Tea Ceremony. As ruling dynasties changed, so did the production of white teas. White tea comes from the same plant (Camellia sinensis) as green, oolong and black teas (pu-erh tea is made from the large leaf variety Camellia sinensis). White tea is comprised of the delicate buds and/or young leaves and the descriptive term “white” stems from the high proportion of silvery buds harvested from the plants to produce the tea. White tea is picked then rapidly steamed and dried, no fermentation, rolling or roasting (oxidisation) occurs. The ideal time and weather for harvesting is a sunny morning when the sun is high enough to have dried any remaining moisture on the buds. No harvesting is performed on rainy days or when frosts are on the ground. Technically, white tea may be considered to be the oldest form of tea, because it is the least processed of all tea types. Other processing techniques, developed later, led to the production of other types of tea. The majority of white teas are produced in tea plantations located in south east China, in the Fujian province. Four major varieties of white tea from China are available. These four varieties are:  Bai Hao Yin Zhen (White Fur Silver Needle ), Bai Mu Dan (White Peony), and Shou Mei (Long Life Eyebrow), Gong Mei (Tribute Eyebrow), Shui Xian Bai Zhen (Lily White Needle).

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