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White Tea

White tea is one of the six major types of Chinese tea, belonging to the category of minimally fermented tea. Its production process is simple, mainly consisting of withering and drying, which preserves the natural flavor of the tea leaves to the greatest extent. Based on different picking standards and tea tree varieties, white tea can be divided into the following main types:

Silver Needle White Tea: This is the top-grade white tea, made from the single buds of the Da Bai tea or Narcissus tea plant. It has a needle-like shape with a dense covering of white hairs, giving it a silvery-white color. It has a fresh aroma and a light yellow infusion with a fresh taste. Silver Needle White Tea is graded as special grade and first grade, with the special grade having a plump and straight shape, dense white hairs, and a shiny silver-white color.

White Peony: White Peony is made from one bud and one or two leaves. It has a plump leaf with a back covered with white downy hairs, a silvery-white bud heart, and an overall color of grey-green or iron green. White Peony is graded as special grade, first grade, second grade, and third grade, with the special grade having more and fatter bud hearts and tender leaves, with a fresh aroma.

Gong Mei (also known as Shou Mei): Gongmei is made from the buds and leaves of the Cai Cha tea plant, with a picking standard of one bud and two to three leaves. Gongmei is characterized by its larger leaves, thick stems, and small buds. Spring Gongmei is mainly green leaves, while autumn Gongmei has a rich color mix of yellow, brown, and green.

Shou Mei: Shou Mei is usually referred to as the lower-grade tea of Gongmei, made from short bud pieces and large white tea leaves from the Cai Cha tea plant. The characteristics of Shou Mei are larger leaves, obvious stems, and small buds, with a darker color.

In addition to the above common types of white tea, there are other classification methods, such as new white tea and aged white tea according to storage years, loose tea and cake tea according to form, and Xiao Bai, Da Bai, and Narcissus White according to tea tree varieties. Each type of white tea has its unique flavor and characteristics, suitable for different people and occasions.