This is the highest grade of white tea available before one enters the stratosphere in pricing for white teas such as Peony White Needle Tea. You will see on this Bai Mu Dan that the tea maker struck the perfect balance between solar and indoor withering resulting in a perfect white tea.
Bai Mu Dan leaves are plucked from a special varietal tea bush called Narcissus or chaicha bushes. Secondly the leaves are not steamed or pan-fired (the process used in green teas). The leaves are naturally withered and dried in the sun. If mechanical drying is required it is a baking process at temperatures less that 40°C. Thirdly only special 'two leaves and a bud' are selected. These leaves must show a very light green almost gray white color and be covered with velvet peach fuzz down. White teas that are withered in conditions that are too hot with become reddish and in conditions that are too cold they will become blackish.
Origin: Fujian Province, China
Ingredients: Artisan white tea
Brewing Instructions
Water Temperature: 175-195 degrees
Water Quality: Best with Spring Water
Amount of Leaf (per 6 fl oz water): 2 Tbl. (rounded)(2.5 grams)
Steep Time: 2-3 minutes
Number of Infusions: 3-4
Our White Tea can be prepared in a standard teapot, or in your favorite mug or lidded gaiwan. For best results, we recommend that you pre-warm your vessel, and place 2.5-3 grams of leaf per 6 oz of liquid, before infusing with 175-195 degree water for 2-3 minutes. White Tea can be infused at least three times. Increase the time and temperature slightly with each subsequent infusion. Experimenting with your own temperatures and steeping times is encouraged, especially with such a forgiving tea. Cooler temperatures and shorter times yield more mellow, fruity elements, while hotter water and longer times produce more floral and full-bodied complexities. Always use the best-tasting water you can find, and adjust steeping times, quantity of leaves, and water temperature to your personal preferences.
We highly recommend brewing your tea in a teapot or mug with a removable infuser so that you can remove the leaves at the end of the steeping time. Whole leaf teas of this quality need room to unfurl and expand in the water in order to perform their "magic." If you don't have a removable infuser, you can brew the loose leaves directly in the pot. At the end of the steeping time, pour all of the tea into a warm serving pitcher or pot.