Related Posts. Silver Needle is the most famous white tea in the world; ours is sweet, mellow and refreshing and perfect for drinking on hot, long afternoons. Organic silver needle white tea is the most sought after white tea. While most teas are made from both the bud AND the leaves of the tea plant, Silver Needle is made just with the buds. Silver Needle White Tea. [2] Genuine Silver Needles are made from cultivars of the Da Bai (Large White) tea tree family. Don gives his tips for anyone buying Silver Needle (Bai Hao Yinzhen). Where does it come from? Choose vendors who also carry other aged white teas, since this is a sign that they are paying attention to storage. [5], A genuine Silver Needle is a white tea. If the temperature falls to be in a specific range, the taste of Baihao Yinzhen will lose its unique taste.[9]. Golden Eyebrow Black Tea. It's one of those "why is this so dang expensive?" They highlight that high elevation character in their processing style: Fuding white teas are less oxidized, resulting in a fresh, creamy flavor with more high notes. Silver Needle is just one of China’s many white teas, but it’s considered to be the “highest grade”. As such, it is only lightly oxidized. They can take it: use hot water, at least 90°C (195°F). We don’t want wonky tea, now do we? If you don’t have a scale, use twice the amount you think is needed, but this is really a tea that rewards having a scale on hand when you’re getting to know it, so you can start learning to eyeball how much you need when brewing. Which one would you choose to serve in? It’s known for another famous white tea, Moonlight White (Yue Guang Bai), which is made with both buds and leaves. If you’re used to subtle white teas, these Yunnan Silver Needles can be a bit of a surprise. OK, so you have some Silver Needle to brew. Many thanks to white tea specialist Ross Allman for peer-reviewing this article. Everyone loves a cup of herbal tea before bed but Silver Needle White Tea actually relaxes the body. However, the two years of aging of 2018 Baihaoyinzhen tone down the natural astringency of the buds, leaving in the palate a gentle mellowness, and a creamy aftertaste. Baihao Yinzhen should be stored in dry and clean containers and a ventilated area. Just try drinking a Silver Needle late at night and see what happens.). The tea can be light but it definitely shouldn’t be unsatisfying! Aren’t white teas supposed to be like…, Why would the buds, which are basically supposed to be the young whippersnapper parts of the plant, be, So the idea here is that the young buds are so delicate and fragile that they’d be, To the contrary though. Health And Silver Needle White Tea White teas are unfermented teas made from very young tea leaves and immature flower buds that are steamed, as opposed to fermented or … The cultivar used in those days yielded a product that was only half of the size of the present version and not as downy. I think of it as the most “classic” example. History. I find that super porous clay pots (with a super rough surface) don’t do so well for Silver Needle. They’re often cheaper and more reliable than aged Silver Needle as well since they’re just more commonly stored and aged. The most sought after productions are from the first flushes, which generally take place between late March to early April, when the year's first new buds "flush". In nature, these white hairs protect the buds from physical damage and bug bites, so they’re actually pretty resilient. The process has a strict requirement of temperature and workers’ skills. The most sought after productions are from the first flushes, which generally take place between late March to early April, when the year's first new buds "flush". Congrats! White Tea | White Teas - Silver Needle & Peony Tea, Premium Chinese Tea Supplier Online For many centuries, White Tea has been one of the luxury drinks consumed by the upper class in China. [8] Tea planters pick the leaves straight from the tea bush and put them into the baskets in dry sunny days. It looks like a LOT of Silver Needle, but in reality it’s just enough! And, whole-leaf is made up of unbroken and whole leaves. That’s going to lead to uneven extraction — kinda like a wonky stir-fry with one burnt area and one undercooked area. Nowadays, there are many regions that produce “Silver Needle” teas: basically any bud-only white tea is often named Silver Needle. Also called 'Bai Hao Yinzhen' or 白毫銀針, it is produced predominantly in Fuding and Zhenghe city in the Fujian province of China. Pick vendors who are willing to share lots of information about the tea — it shows that they’ve probably done their homework! The top-quality Silver Needle Ceylon Tea has a silvery-white appearance. And you know that those buds are tougher than they seem, and the quicker we can accept that, the better we’ll be able to work with them (and extract maximum flavor!). It’s a gorgeous experience, and you can imagine how that might change with a different cup. The two regions both use the small leaf Chinese tea plant, Fuding needles are often a little more plump, with even buds and a brighter, pale green color. They’re probably a fair guide. From the Fujian province of China. Check out the tea liquor. How is it made? In China, some folks will store white tea specifically for medicinal purposes: you may have heard the saying “one year tea, three year medicine, seven year treasure” floating around lately. the leaf buds before opening, are plucked. The highest grade of White tea, Bai Hao Yin Zhen, should be fleshy, bright colored and covered with tiny white hairs. Use these tell-tale signs and land a good one! The Bai Hao Yinzhen produced in Fuding is usually of the very best quality. It’s a good starting point to learn what to expect from Silver Needle in general, and its long history with, Yunnan Province is known primarily for pu’erh, and a decidedly warmer, more diverse and often tropical landscape. Yes: other regions DO produce bud-only white teas. All you need to know about Silver Needle White Tea. These pots often do better with teas that need some chillin’ out: like roasted oolongs with too much roast, or pu’erh with a bit of an edge. Yunnan’s hotter climate means that the buds are more prone to oxidation, and the local da ye zhong plants tend to make for darker-colored leaves in general. Jinggu County is a mountainous region with a more temperate climate, and while Yunnan does have lots of mountainous regions, Jinggu is particularly well-suited for Silver Needle. Baihao Yinzhen (simplified Chinese: 白毫银针; traditional Chinese: 白毫銀針; pinyin: báiháo yínzhēn; Wade–Giles: pai2-hao2 yin2-chên3; pronounced [pǎi.xǎu ǐn.ʈʂə́n]), also known as White Hair Silver Needle, is a white tea produced in Fujian Province in China. [3] The two major cultivars employed by these regions are Fuding Da Bai and Zhenghe Da Bai, named after their origins. White tea comes from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, the same one that produces green, black and oolong teas. I love the look of Silver Needle served in thin porcelain and glass, but you should experiment with your cups and have fun with it. Finally, round out the experience by choosing lighter colored cups to brew Silver Needle. Superfoodly September 11, 2017. The color should still be nice and even, though! 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