Bai Hao Yin Zhen White tea

Bai Hao Yin Zhen is also known by the name: Silver Needle. The most well-known tea in China is this white tea, which is grown in the province of Fujian. Since they only utilize the top buds (leaf sprouts) to manufacture it, this tea is among the most costly and desirable of all white teas. The true silver needles are made from varieties of the da Bai (big white) tea tree family. Similarly to the green teas, it is created from very young buds, however its processing technique results in entirely different biological consequences. Nonetheless, the Silver Needle, the authentic white tea is only minimally oxidized. The most sought-after products are the ones from the very first picking, which take place towards the end of March and the beginning of October, when the first buds of the year blossom. During the production of the silver needle, they only trim off and collect the leaf sprouts before any of the leaf buds have blossomed.

White tea must be picked on a sunny morning when the sun is high in the sky so that it can evaporate any lingering moisture on the buds. Conventionally, the buds are collected and placed inside an almost flat basket and left out in the sun for a long period of time, so they can wilt. The best quality white tea still undergoes this exact procedure. Many farmers however place the harvested buds to dry inside a chamber that has artificial warm air circulating throughout its interior.
They do this to avoid losses that could be caused by sudden rain and gusts of wind, or any other accidents. Afterwards, the now tender buds undertake a necessary enzyme oxidation (often mistakenly referred to as fermentation) at a low temperature.

For the making of the tea, use a gaiwan cup or simply a glass! Like with all white teas, it’s best to not use boiling water, but water at around 75 – 80 °C. The infusion will appear as a bright, pale-yellow colour with shimmering fuzzy white hairs floating on its surface that gleam in the light. It is said that Baihao Yinzhen has an aroma reminiscent of freshly cut hay. It has a mildly floral taste that is pleasantly sweet and exceptionally delicious. It is highly recommended you kick off your morning with this white tea as it is a great substitute for coffee for its high content of caffeine! Give the Baihao Yinzhen more time to soak than you would other white teas; based on my personal experience, it may even take up to 2 – 3 minutes. Naturally, this is a matter of personal preference.