Brief info about Fuding White Tea and Tea wares to choose

There are three types of white tea:

1. Silver Needle (Bai Hao Yin Zhen): Made exclusively from the buds of the white tea plant, it has a fresh, smooth, and delicate flavor.
2. White Peony (Bai Mu Dan): Made from one bud and one to two leaves of the white tea plant. In addition to the freshness of Silver Needle, it also carries a floral aroma.
3. Shou Mei: Harvested with a standard of one bud and three or four leaves, it mainly consists of mature leaves, some of which are relatively coarse and old. Its flavor is rich, mellow, and has a unique, grounding taste.
   

Pricing:

• Silver Needle is naturally the most expensive, with market prices generally exceeding 1,000 yuan per 500 grams.
• White Peony is priced based on the quality of the tea leaves.
• Shou Mei is valued by its age: fresh Shou Mei is quite inexpensive, while those aged over three years see a rise in price.

Choosing Tea Ware:

It is recommended to use different tea wares for new white tea and aged white tea, for the following reasons:

   1. New White Tea:
New white tea is best brewed using glass cups, white porcelain gaiwan (including blue-and-white porcelain), or porcelain teapots. The processing of white tea is unique—it involves no frying or rolling, only withering and drying, allowing the tea buds to undergo a natural and gradual transformation that creates the distinctive quality of white tea. The brewing process is visually captivating, so transparent glass tea ware or white porcelain is typically chosen to observe it.

  2.Aged White Tea:
Aged white tea is better suited for brewing with highly breathable Yixing clay teapots (Zisha), which enhance the tea’s rich and mellow flavor. Another option is a tea kettle for boiling the tea, as this method allows the essence of aged white tea to be fully released, resulting in a more concentrated and robust tea liquor.