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Winter is here, and it is time for many tea friends to cook white tea degrees.
white tea, as one of the most popular teas in recent years, continues to rise in the market, and market prices are also soaring year by year. Many tea friends are learning the same way as Pu'er +white tea . I usually drink some white tea and change the taste. Regarding white tea, especially many new tea friends, they only buy white tea because it is more popular, but they don’t understand some basic common sense of white tea, which makes them a little confused when purchasing. Today, I will talk in detail about some basic knowledge about white tea from the eight aspects of .
[Statement]: Chinese tea culture is profound and profound. The knowledge involved in a major tea category is far beyond what a short article can cover. This article is limited to the sharing of some basic common sense of white tea, and does not involve personal likes and dislikes or specific purchasing opinions. If you think what I said is wrong, your perception shall prevail. Welcome to discuss in the comment section friendly.
This article is a little longer, with a total of nearly 12,000 words , and has a lot of information. It is recommended to collect first, so as to review and review it at any time in the future.
1. Concept
1. Historical records
Among the many tea-related classics in ancient my country, there are many related records about "white tea", but the meaning of "white tea" is not the same. In general, there are roughly three:
. White leaf tea (i.e., white tea that causes chlorophyll deficiency and appears white, also known as yellow leaf tea, albino tea, etc.), for example, today's Anji white tea belongs to this category. Tea Sheng Lu Yu in " Tea Classic " said in " Yongjia County there is a white tea mountain in the east of 300 miles" refers to "white tea". The finished product should be "steamed green tea" made by the tea making process at that time.
2. Tree species called "white tea" , such as today's Fuding Dabai, Jinggu Dabai, etc. Song Huizong Zhao Ji said in "Daguan Tea Theory": "White tea is a kind of one, different from regular tea. Its strips are expounded and its leaves are thin. Its accidental growth between cliff forests is not something that can be caused by human power..." The "white tea" mentioned here is generally believed by industry experts to refer to the "white leaf tea" mentioned in the previous article, or to refer to the white tea tree species with buds and leaves covered with white hairs.
3. The "white tea" in the current general tea classification (not stir-frying or kneading, only processed withering, drying and other production processes). In the Ming Dynasty Tian Yiheng's "Burning Spring Sketch": "Burning tea is the second best, and raw and drying is the best, which is closer to nature, and it is broken. Moreover, it is unclean and the heat is not suitable, which can all damage its fragrance. If the raw and dry tea falls into a cup, then the flag gun is comfortable, clear and bright, and especially cute." What is described is basically close to the "white tea" mentioned in the six major tea categories today. This description is also widely regarded by the industry as the earliest written record about white tea.
2, ancient white tea
There are many statements about the origin of "white tea technology". One with a higher acceptance is that white tea originated in ancient times and was also the first tea , which was invented by ancient Chinese ancestors, earlier than green tea. Because the white tea is the simplest process, it collects fresh leaves and dried and collected, and becomes the most primitive "tea", which is what we call "white tea". Green tea is based on white tea, adding processes such as finishing and rolling, which can be regarded as an evolution, and this view is more in line with the basic laws of the development of things. It is also a point I personally agree with.
Ancient white tea is similar to modern white tea technology, but there are no more strict process requirements, and naturally there is no strict product process system (even if there is currently no historical material to be found).
3, modern white tea
In the tea industry, there is no clear deterministic view of the birthplace of modern white tea. The statement that the high degree of recognition is that it originated in Jianyang, Fujian. It was created during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty (about 1772-1782 AD). The white tea prepared at that time was made from the tender buds and leaves of local vegetable tea as raw materials, which is equivalent to today's "tribute Mei".
, and in the early years of Jiaqing in the Qing Dynasty (1796 AD), Fuding tea, the turbulent buds of agricultural vegetable tea were made into "silver needle white hair". In 1889, Zhenghe County began to use Zhenghe Dabai Tea to make silver needles as raw materials. The above can be seen as several key time nodes in the development of modern white tea.
Historically, since 1891, white tea has existed as a "exported tea", and its popularity in China has not been high. Until the early 1990s, the main sales of white tea were still in Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, Japan and the EU region. It mainly uses white peony and gongmei as the main products, with a small amount of silver needles and new craft white tea. It was not until around 2007 that white tea gradually became popular among domestic tea customers with its characteristics of "simple technology, healthy and healthy", and thus entered a period of rapid development of the domestic white tea market.
Modern development history of Fujian white tea (online picture infringement)
4, national standards and definition
In the current national white tea standard GB/T 22291-2017, the definition of white tea is: white tea made from the buds, leaves and tender stems of the tea tree Camellia sinensis (Linnaeus.) O.Kuntze as raw materials, and through specific processes such as withering, drying, and picking. It is also stipulated that white tea is divided into four products: white black silver needle , white peony, gongmei, and longevity according to the different types and raw material requirements of tea trees.
National Standard GB/T 22291-2017 White Tea File screenshot
looks like there are a lot of words, but in fact, to summarize it briefly, from the appearance, it is:
3 white black silver needle : Single bud making
white peony : One bud, one leaf, one bud and two leaves made
Gongmei & Shoumei : One bud, three and four leaves made (different tree species)
In addition, there are differences in tree species, picking time, etc.
2. Tree species
If we only look at the production process, there are actually many types of tea trees suitable for making white tea. However, to make high-quality white tea in the traditional sense, it is necessary to choose tea tree species with high content of nitrogen-containing compounds such as . The tea leaves made from such tea trees can be full of white hair, with a prominent aroma and fresh taste.
The earliest modern white tea was picked and made of vegetable tea fresh leaves, and then gradually expanded to tea tree varieties such as Narcissus, Fuding Dabai, Zhenghe Dabai, Fuding Dahao, Fu'an Dabai, and Fuyun No. 6 . In Yunnan, there are Jinggu Dabai Tea and other tree species as traditional raw materials for Yunnan white tea. Let me briefly introduce it below.
1, vegetable tea.
is also called "small tea" or "earth tea" in the white tea production area. It refers to a sexually grown tea tree that uses seeds to reproduce . It is a shrub form and has a cultivation history of about 1,000 years. Because local people are accustomed to planting it "like growing vegetables" in front of and behind the house, it is called "vegetable tea". Due to the long-term reproduction of seeds and the result of natural variation, the traits are mixed. The tea buds of vegetable tea are relatively thin and are generally used to make tribute or longevity eyebrows. A small part is used to make white peonies, but it is not suitable to make silver needles. The white tea made from vegetable tea has fewer buds and weaker fragrance, but has high sweetness and obvious sweetness.
2, Fuding Dabai Tea (Huacha No. 1) and Fuding Dahao (Huacha No. 2).
are the two main tree species that make white tea. They are both native to Fuding City and are of the asexual small tree type.Due to its excellent quality, after the 1960s and 1970s, it was widely promoted in Fujian, Zhejiang, Hunan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Hubei, Anhui and Jiangsu provinces, and is now grown in all white tea producing areas. Compared with the two, in terms of appearance, the buds of Fuding Dahai are more plump, the fuzzy hair is more prominent, and the yield per mu is higher; in terms of taste, the proportion of substances contained in Fuding Dahai is better, the freshness (amino acid content) is higher, and the astringency ( tea polyphenols content) is lower. However, the overall quality of the two is not much different. The main difference is that the yield of Fuding Dahao is higher per mu, so tea farmers generally prefer to plant Fuding Dahao.
3, Fu'an Dabai Tea.
, also known as "Kaoling Dabai Tea", its core origin is Fu'an , Zhenghe , Songxi . Asexual small tree type, native to Kangcuo Township, Fu'an City, Fujian Province, is mainly distributed in the tea areas of eastern and northern Fujian. It is also cultivated and planted in other white tea producing areas. Compared with Fuding Dahao and Dabai, the white tea made is darker in color, but the taste is sweet, the aroma is elegant, and the tea soup is mellow.
4, Zhenghe Dabai Tea.
is also known as Zhengda, and the plants are taller and larger. The core origin is in Zhenghe and Songxi, and is native to Gaocangtou Mountain, Tieshan Township, Zhenghe County. The white-breasted silver needle made is silver-gray in color, with a fresh aroma, a sweet taste, and a mellow and sweet taste. In recent years, as the planting area of Fu'an Dabai and Fuding Dahao varieties has expanded year by year, the planting area of Zhenghe Dabai has been decreasing.
5, Narcissus Tea .
, also known as Shuiji Narcissus or Wuyi Narcissus , is the core source of Jianyang, and is a common variety for making oolong tea and white tea. Currently, it is widely planted in various tea areas in Fujian, especially in northern Fujian and southern Fujian tea areas, mainly distributed in Jianou , Jianyang, Wuyishan , Yongchun, Zhangping and other places. Narcissus is the most suitable for making oolong tea, especially the Narcissus oolong tea made in Zhangping, Fujian is very distinctive. The white tea made by Narcissus has excellent quality and is generally used to make white peony and tribute eyebrows. The tea has a darker color and a rich aroma, with a quiet flower or fruity aroma, sweet and mellow, obvious sweetness and good foam resistance.
6, Fuyun No. 6.
Fuding Big White Tea and Yunnan Big Leaf Species are naturally cultivated. The main tea producing areas in the country are distributed, and the core production area is in the Hezhenghe area of Fu'an. Fuyun No. 6 is widely used to make green tea and black tea, and is not the first choice for making white tea. The white tea made of Fuyun No. 6 is slender in appearance, has a good color, and has a white hair, but has a slightly worse aroma and a thin taste, so the market price is relatively low. Most of the low-priced white teas on various e-commerce platforms are made by Fuyun No. 6.
7, Jinggu Dabai Tea.
One of the branches of Yunnan large leaf species, an excellent tea tree variety in Jinggu area of Pu'er City, Yunnan Province. The core production area is Xiaojingguyangta Village, Jinggu County, and it is currently widely planted in Jinggu area. The white tea made is called " Moonlight White " because of its unique appearance. It is very distinctive and has a strong fragrance and sweet charm. After storage and transformation, plum fragrance can appear.
8, others.
As white tea gradually emerges in the market, tea areas across the country use local high-quality tea varieties to trial-made white tea. For example, the "Ancient Tree White Tea" made by Yunnan large leaf species has rich content, mellow taste and unique charm; some tea areas use to make oolong tea tree to process white tea, with a strong taste and unique charm; Fujian also uses to make oolong tea tree to process white tea, with a strong taste and unique charm; Fujian also uses Fuyun 595 and Meizhan and other tea types have unique quality; Zhejiang uses Baiye No. 1 to make Anji old white tea, which has high amino acid content, fresh taste and unique aroma; Shaanxi, Hubei, Jiangxi and other regions also have many white tea trial-produced in recent years, but these small-producing areas have short time to produce white tea, lack experience, and uneven craftsmanship levels.
(Comparison of tea tree photos, you can't see anything, so I won't post pictures, save some traffic for you)
3. Classification
In terms of white tea technology, it can be divided into three categories: Traditional white tea , New technology white tea and Then process white tea .
1. Traditional white tea.
Traditional white tea, divided according to the tenderness of the raw materials, can be divided into the four major varieties of white hair silver needles, white peony, gongmei, and shoumei , which are also the most common categories when buying white tea in daily life.
Several basic classification dimensions of white tea
[White black silver needle]:
White black silver needle is made of fat single bud . The silver needle made of the first and second round of top buds in the first spring is the best quality and is the representative variety of white tea. It has excellent color, fragrance, taste and shape. It is the ultimate pursuit of white tea lovers and the most expensive white tea category. Generally speaking, it is a habit to call single buds picked after they have just sprouted and bud-like shapes called "rice needles".
head rice picking needle
If it rains during the picking of silver needles, " fish leaf " will grow on the outside of the tender buds of silver needles after the rain. At this time, tea farmers have two choices: . Pick with fish leaves, and then manually remove the fish leaves and continue to make silver needles, which are called "scaling needles", which takes time; . Let the tender buds continue to grow , and pick them at the level of " Peony King " one or two days later.
It takes about 20,000 tea buds per pound of white-haired silver needle, so the yield of white-haired silver needle is very limited. The white hair silver needle has a light and mellow taste, which highlights its "scent" and has extremely high ornamental and tasting value. According to relevant national standards, white-haired silver needles are generally divided into two types: "special grade" and "first grade". People are used to referring to the silver needles produced in Fuding area as "North Road Silver Needle", and the silver needles produced in Zhenghe are called "North Road Silver Needle".
sensory characteristics of white hair silver needle
Pinpinxiang ten years Chen Yun Bai Hai Hai Hai Silver needle
[White Peony]:
White peony is generally ", one bud, one leaf, " or ", one bud, two leaf, " are made as raw materials. The appearance is characterized by "green leaves and white hair" and has a beautiful shape. The content of the content is richer than that of the white hair silver needle. caffeine and amino acids are very high, the hair is fragrant, sweet and refreshing in the mouth, and the foam resistance is high. It has the characteristics of silver needles and longevity eyebrows. It is moderately priced, and is the first choice for most white tea lovers.
In the current relevant standards, white peony is divided into three levels: special level, first level, and second level . The super white peony is also "King of Peony" among the people. It has the freshness of silver needles and the taste of peony. It is the favorite of many senior white tea lovers.
Sensory characteristics of white peony tea
Baimudan produced in Panxi, Fuding Panxi
[Gongmei & Shoumei] :
Gongmei and Shoumei have different meanings in different periods. Zhang Tianfu wrote in "Fujian White Tea Survey Research" that "the small white raw materials with one bud, two and three leaves are used as tribute eyebrows and longevity eyebrows, and must contain bud core." Yuan Dishun "Chinese White Tea" also agrees with this statement, but now there are less and less vegetables and tea, and many gongmeishoumeis are also made of big white raw materials. In the previous edition of the National White Tea Standard GB/T 22291-2008, only Gongmei was mentioned but no Shoumei. In the latest National White Tea Standard GB/T22291-2017, Gongmei and Shoumei were clearly distinguished (see Section 1.4 of this article, or you can add "wearetalktea" to find me for relevant national standard documents). In "Geographical Indication Products - Fuding White Tea DB 35T1076-2010", white tea is divided into three categories: "white hair silver needle, white peony, and new craft white tea", and the classification content of Gongmei and Shoumei is not mentioned.In today's white tea market, the classification of Gongmei/Shoumei is still relatively chaotic due to commercial interests and other reasons.
018 Gongmei
The above mentioned Baihao Yin Needle, Bai Mudan, Gongmei and Shoumei are classification methods based on Fujian white tea, and Yunnan white tea is not applicable.
2. New process white tea:
New process white tea is a new product developed by Fuzhou Branch of China Tea Company and some tea factories in Fuding in 1968 in order to meet the needs of the Hong Kong and Macao markets. Based on the traditional white tea processing technology, it gently kneaded again after the withering process.
The characteristics of the new process white tea are: light withering, light fermentation, light rolling, and high roasting.
The bar shape is more tribute and curly, the soup tastes stronger and the soup is darker, which meets the taste needs of Hong Kong and Macao customers, but is not suitable for the taste of mainland tea customers. In recent years, almost no manufacturers have produced it.
Sensory characteristics of new process white tea
3, reprocessed white tea:
Jinhua white tea, floral white tea, pressed white tea, etc. made from traditional white tea, are collectively called reprocessed white tea.
Press white tea , that is, Our common white tea cake/brick , strictly speaking, it is "reprocessed white tea". Pressed white tea first appeared around 2010 and appeared for a short time. It was mainly a reprocessed tea produced by imitating the pressing process of Pu'er tea in order to reduce the huge inventory pressure of white tea.
Jinhua White Tea , born in 2014, is the inheritor of Fuding White Tea 2 Lin Feiying borrowed the golden flower flowering technology of black tea and developed Jinhua White Tea, which has the characteristics of white tea and "Jinhua" (Guangtusan compost). After treatment, traditional white tea is placed in the "flower workshop" for "flowering". Under the condition of maintaining a certain temperature and humidity, after a complex and strict flowering process, probiotics - Guantusan compost, which is what we usually call "golden flower".
Flower fragrance white tea uses the scenting process of " Jasmine Tea " and uses silver needle-grade raw materials as tea blank , so it is also called "jasmine silver needle". For example, the "Zhenghe jasmine silver needle" produced by Zhenghe Tea Factory is the best. Some people directly classified it as "reprocessed tea" rather than "white tea".
4. Production area
"Chinese Tea Classic·Tea Products" states: "White tea is mainly produced in Fuding, Zhenghe, Songxi and Jianyang counties in Fujian Province, and there are also small production in Taiwan Province."
The traditional Chinese white tea production areas are mainly in Fuding, Zhenghe, Jianyang, Songxi and Jinggu, Yunnan, . Although they are both white tea, due to different origins and are affected by the local geographical environment, coupled with subtle differences in technology, there are obvious differences in quality. With the rise of white tea craze across the country in recent years, the processing process of white tea is relatively simple, making the production scope of white tea more and more widespread. All regions are trying to produce white tea, including Hubei, Sichuan, Shaanxi , etc.
Fuding White Tea Brand Pinpinxiang's manor tea garden base
In the place of production, it can be roughly divided into Fujian production area and Other production areas .
[Fuding City] : belongs to Ningde City, Fujian, it is the birthplace of modern white tea and the most well-known white tea production area. The core production areas of include Nodou Town , Guanyang Town , Panxi Town, Taimushan , Bailin Town and other , accounting for more than 50% of the total domestic white tea production. The main tree species of Fuding Tea Garden is Fuding Dabai Tea and Fuding Dahai Tea . The white-haired silver needles are straight, with a strong bud head and a full white hair, with excellent quality.Someone summarized the taste style characteristics of several major production areas of Fuding: Notou Town (government support, it is the largest white tea trading distribution center in the country), Guanyang Town (high altitude and high aroma), Panxi Town (sweet and full taste, full taste), Taimushan Town (high altitude, sufficient water and high aroma).
Fuding white tea main production areas map
[Zhenghe County]: belongs to Nanping City , one of the important main production areas of traditional white tea. The main production areas are in Tieshan, Xingxi, Shitun, Dongping, Xiongshan and other towns. The output accounts for about 25% of the total domestic white tea production . Well-known brands include "Longhe", "Yungen", etc.
[ Jianyang District ] : It is the Jianyang , which is famous for " Jianzhan ", which is a district in Nanping City. Jianyang was the Gongcha production area in the Northern Song Dynasty, and is the birthplace of the variety "Narcissus". Unlike the "big white tea" in Fuding and Zhenghe, Jianyang white tea mainly includes "little white tea" and "narcissus white tea". Historically, "White Peony" began in Jianyang Shuiji, and "Gongmei" began in Jianyang Zhangdun.
[ Songxi County ] : adjacent to Zhenghe and belongs to Nanping City. Songxi County is one of the birthplaces of "little white tea". Tea gardens are mainly distributed in low hilly areas below 300 meters above sea level. There are still 32,000 mu of small-grown vegetable tea planting in the country, making it the district and county with the largest area of vegetable tea planting in Fujian Province.
Fujian white tea several main core production areas
[Jinggu County, Yunnan] : The origin of Yunnan moonlight white tea, based on the local " Jinggu Dabai Tea " tree species as raw material. The moonlight white leaves are black and the back of the leaves are white, black and white, which is very distinctive. It is also called " Moonlight Beauty " in the local people.
[Yunnan Banna, Lincang] and other places : In recent years, the " Yunnan large leaf species ancient tree raw materials have become a new hot topic of attention. Therefore, in the traditional Pu'er tea production area, more and more manufacturers have developed ancient tree white tea products and put them into the market. The large-leaf species contain more abundant substances, especially the century-old ancient tea tree , which is more precious. Therefore, the white tea produced has a strong taste and high foam resistance. Its unique flavor is loved by more and more old tea customers, and it is a bright and bright spot with Fujian white tea.
5. Process.
white tea is the simplest tea among the six major tea categories. After picking, there is no need to finish and roll. There are only two main processes: " withering " and " drying ". Among them, "withering" is the key process for making white tea . However, the details of making white tea in different regions are different. To put it in a smaller way, there is a difference in the production process of Fuding white tea and Zhenghe white tea. To put it in a larger way, there is also a significant difference in the production process of Fujian white tea and Yunnan white tea.
The sunlight withering of white tea, source: "Mindong Daily"
White tea is the tea with the least artificial traces and closest to nature. The initial production process seems simple, but it is not easy to point out that a truly good white tea is not easy. Moreover, there is a saying among the folks of Fuding that "one year tea, three years of medicine, and seven years of treasure". The rational storage of white tea can also be regarded as a continuation of white tea processing.
Simply put, the entire tea making process can be divided into five steps: Pick fresh leaves , Open screen , wither , wither , and dry (new process adds rolling and stacking), Dry , the details are shown in the figure below.
Basic process flow for white tea production
The process of white tea looks simple, but there are endless changes in the simple process.
Withering is the core process in the production of white tea.
Compared with other teas, the withering process of white tea is more complicated, which also leads to the "fresh sweet" characteristics of white tea. The "fresh sweetness" of white tea mainly comes from the "amino acids" in tea. Relevant studies show that during the withering of white tea, the amino acid content of first increases in the early stage, then decreases in the medium stage, and finally increases. white tea withered to about 72 hours, and its amino acid content reached its highest level.
If the withering time is insufficient during the production process, it will cause a serious decline in the quality of white tea.
The most traditional drying method for making white tea is sun exposure, but today it seems that sun exposure is not the best drying method. First, in terms of efficiency, and second, in terms of controllability. With the advancement of production processes, most white teas are currently dried by baking rather than sun exposure.
The sunlight withering of white tea (online picture infringement)
6. Purchase
Before purchasing white tea, you can first briefly understand the current industry status of Fujian white tea (mainly Fuding white tea).
. Basic threshold for purchasing. Fuding White Tea has more than 4,000 registered companies, but most of them are small workshops. Only 364 have obtained the trademark "Fuding White Tea" in Zhang Tianfu's handwriting "Fuding White Tea" and only 484 have obtained QS (SC) certification. The above two qualification certifications can be used as the first threshold for purchasing.
The master of the tea industry Zhang Tianfu handwritten "Fuding White Tea" National Geographic Indication Trademark
, a large-scale white tea enterprise. Enterprises with a certain production scale and production strength can check the official official account of "Fuding White Tea". Those who have won the title of "leading enterprise in agriculture industrialization" are divided into "national", "Fujian Provincial", " Ningde Municipal" and "Fuding Municipal". Among them, there are only three companies: Pinpinxiang, Tianhu ( Green Snowball ), Liumiao; " Provincial Leader Htm There are 51 companies in l4”, and the more well-known companies include Guangfu, Yuda, Ruida, Dingbai, Daqin, Kanglaiyan, Shunmingdao, Guanglinfu, Dongde, Ancient Dahuang, Fangming, Yurongxiang, etc.; in addition, Ningde municipal has 35 companies in , and 78 companies in Fuding municipal .
. The relationship between brand and manufacturer. There are generally three relationships between white tea tea companies and brands:
The first type: the name of the company is the brand name, such as Pinpinxiang's factory name, the name of the company is also called Pinpinxiang;
The second type: the brand and tea companies are relatively separated, such as Green Snowball (Tianhu), Royal Lily (Guangfu), etc.;
The third type: private label, some brand holders do not have the production capacity themselves, but find some Fuding tea companies to process. Remember to carefully look at the product information on the back of the packaging when purchasing.
, Yield of Fuding White Tea. The official production announced in 2019 was 21,500 tons, accounting for about 68% of the total white tea production in Fujian. The top three are Nodou Town, Bailin Town and Panxi Town. It’s not too little to say less, but it’s not too much, but the sales of white tea in 2019 were 42,200 tons. The difference in the middle, coupled with the inventory retained by Fuding Tea Company itself, is filled by white tea from Guizhou, Hubei, Jiangxi, Anhui, Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan and other provinces and regions.
Several key points to pay attention to when shopping white tea online:
. Look at the manufacturer's qualifications. The specific qualification information of each manufacturer can be checked through the relevant official account (the editor does not allow me to write a name, and I can’t help it). As shown in the figure below:
"FD White Tea" information query platform
, look at trademark authorization. preferentially recommend products with the Zhang Tianfu handwritten "Fuding White Tea" logo. This logo is trademarked by the Fuding Tea Association and authorized to tea companies that meet the requirements. Although the label is not necessarily guaranteed to be good tea, it can still be used as one of the important reference indicators;
. Look at the production date. is similar to the Pu'er tea industry's "the older it becomes, the more fragrant it becomes". Because of the folk legend that "a year tea has three years of medicine and seven years of treasure", many businesses have taken advantage of loopholes to pretend to be old tea by using old techniques. Therefore, it is generally not recommended to purchase " old white tea " that is too long (such as more than 10 years).
. See the production license. The information on the outer packaging of Regular Fuding White Tea must include the implementation standards and production license number. If the tea you purchase does not have these two information, be alert. The relevant departments of Fuding City have very strict control over the outer packaging of tea. If they are randomly printed and added, they will be severely punished.
PinPinxiang Product information of baijin 1441 includes implementation standards, SC license, production date, etc.
, and depends on the sales price. has been very popular in recent years, and the prices have risen year by year, especially the products of several major manufacturers have soared year by year. The chain reaction brought about is that the price of tea green has risen accordingly. For example, the price of tea green has exceeded 120 yuan/catties this year (2021). The average price of 4.5 catties of tea green makes one pound of dry tea silver needle. The raw material cost of per pound of silver needle is 540 yuan . Manufacturers and merchants cannot lose money to do charity. Therefore, when seeing white tea with too low prices, please be vigilant. Either products have a problematic product or white tea made with fresh leaves of other tea trees (such as Fuyun No. 6, Meizhan, etc.) is worrying.
6. Look at the sales channels. The sales channels of regular tea companies in are relatively standardized, and they are nothing more than the main methods such as "manufacturer direct sales", "online direct sales" and "agent distribution". For example, through other channels such as " community group buying ", "group buying", "unofficial live broadcast room", various messy roadside tea shops, etc., you must be vigilant and do not recommend getting into traps.
7. Look at the product claims. needs to have a certain common sense of identifying white tea to identify "counterfeit" white tea. For example, some people use Jianyang white tea or Yunnan white tea to pretend to be Fuding white tea, etc. It is necessary to combine the characteristics of tea in different production areas to distinguish it from the shape, aroma and taste of the tea. It is more difficult. The main thing is to try to buy small brands and three-brand white tea as little as possible, so that you can basically avoid pitfalls.
8. Choose Master Tea carefully. There are many masters in the white tea industry, including intangible cultural heritage inheritors and folk tea making masters. However, white tea with the title of "master" is not necessarily a real master tea. If you must buy master tea to give gifts or drink it yourself, please check the official certified master list in the official account mentioned above in advance, and compare the relevant production information to prevent buying "li Gui" master tea. At present, the recognized white tea ceiling in the tea circle is fangshoulong , but the price is not expensive, and it is not recommended to purchase it unless it is special, in case of "it is difficult to get from extravagant to frugality".
9, Yunnan white tea selection. There are many white teas in Yunnan on the online shopping platform, but is also very messy , mainly "moonlight white", "ancient tree white tea", "yangta white tea", etc. However, Yunnan white tea is still in its early stages of development, with inconsistent standards and extensive processing technology. If you want to experience the flavor different from Fuding White Tea, if you don’t have a particularly reliable channel, it is better to recommend a few well-known manufacturers to try white tea products, but it is not recommended to bring in or put in it. Just buy one or two cakes to try. Yunnan white tea that is not recommended for being fooled by the anchor in various live broadcast rooms for goods and place an order without understanding. It is even more . It is extremely recommended to blindly purchase Yunnan Dabaihao , which is "like a white-haired silver needle", because most of them are made of Jinggu Dabaihao , which has been grown on the platform for about ten years, and it has nothing to do with high quality. The topic is too big, and I will write a special article about Yunnan white tea when I have time.
0. Purchase recommendation. The domestic tea market has been chaotic for a long time, such as Pu'er tea and white tea. In the absence of other particularly reliable sources of purchase, it is still preferred to purchase products from big brands. Although the price may be slightly higher, quality control can still be guaranteed.For Yunnan white tea, you can check out well-known brands such as Lancang Ancient Tea, , Xiaguan, Yunnan Baiyao . For Fuding White Tea, it is recommended to choose well-known brands such as Pinpinxiang, Green Xueya, Daqin, Dingbai . For Zhenghe White Tea, you can consider brands such as Yungen, Longhe . The following recommendations are for reference only. Please wait for the Double 11 discount for actual purchases.
7. Brewing
1. The value aesthetics of white tea.
What exactly do we drink white tea?
I believe many novice tea friends will have this doubt. Some people summarize the style and characteristics of white tea into eight words: Fresh, fragrant, mellow, and refreshing; fragrant, clear, sweet, and live . The aroma and taste each occupy four seats. Some professionals also summarize the core taste aesthetics of white tea into four words: " scented honey rhyme ", silver needles and high-level peonies pursue fresh and refreshing fragrance, while old tribute eyebrows and long leaves pay more attention to "sweetness" and "honey rhyme". Good quality white tea will also have " floral fragrance ". As for old white tea, they often pursue "chen fragrance", "medicine fragrance" and "jujube fragrance", which are similar to Pu'er old raw tea or ripe tea.
High-grade white tea has rich tea hair, and the unique "scent" it brings is
In addition, silver needles and high-grade peonies also have unique beauty in appearance and have certain appreciation value.
2. Selection of white tea utensils.
white tea brewing generally uses cover bowl or purple clay pot . Many people also like to cook old white tea, so they need "tea-boiling pot" and corresponding heating equipment, which can be a charcoal stove or an electric ceramic stove. In addition, depending on the tea drinking scene, you can also choose a glass cup.
tea set selection depends more on your usage habits and aesthetic preferences (photo provided by tea friends in the group)
3, four brewing methods are recommended.
glass cup bubbles. is suitable for: silver needles, high-grade peony. The tea and water should not be separated, so you should control the tea pouring and do not overdose.
Cover bowl brewing. is suitable for: all white teas, especially silver needles and high-grade peonies, as well as tribute and long-lasting eyebrows within three years.
purple clay teapot brewing. is suitable for all kinds of white teas for more than three years, but it is not recommended to brew silver needles in purple clay teapots. The market for purple clay teapots on e-commerce platforms is extremely chaotic, and it is not recommended to blindly purchase them in online stores you don’t know.
boil and soak. is suitable for old white teas that are more than three years old (preferably more than five years old), especially for categories such as Shoumei, Gongmei or low-level peony. You can use ceramic pots, glass pots, porcelain pots, etc., and you can use a charcoal furnace for the heater or a more convenient electric ceramic furnace. Regarding electric pottery stoves, the best reputation in the tea circle is Yingge Shao .
4. Precautions for brewing white tea.
White tea brewing tea water ratio is generally 1:30-1:50, and it needs to be flexibly adjusted according to factors such as the quality, status, year, and personal taste habits of the tea.
High-grade white tea (such as silver needles, special peony) should not be used with boiling water, it can be appropriately reduced to about 90-95 degrees to brew, which has a better taste. For low-grade peony, gongmei and shoumei, it is recommended to brew it with 100-degree boiling water.
white tea is not fried or kneaded, and the cell wall breakage rate is low. It takes more time to soak compared to other teas to taste. Whether it is brewed in a cover bowl or a purple clay teapot, it is generally recommended to soak for 20 seconds for soup , and each soak is extended by 20 seconds compared to the previous one.
Book old white tea is one of the ways that many tea friends are keen on. There are several ways to refer to:
brew first and then cook, brew 5-8 in a cover bowl or purple clay pot, and then put it into the teapot to continue cooking;
Cook cold water, pour 8-10 grams of tea, add 1000ml-1200ml of water, cook until boiling and turning to medium-low heat, continue to simmer for 3 minutes and drink;
Drink skin, first put a small piece of tangerine peel in the pot (do not overdose to prevent too much from robbing the taste of white tea), pour tea after the water boils, and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.
8. Save
Now it seems that all teas like to "convert" into "old tea" and drink it more stylishly. Pu'er tea's "the older it becomes, the more fragrant it becomes" and white tea's "three-year medicine and seven-year treasure" concept make "old white tea" a beauty that many people are competing for. Many people’s experience in tea storage comes from Pu'er tea, but as a non-fermented tea, white tea is very different from Pu'er tea in terms of preservation methods .
Compared with Pu'er tea that requires an aerobic environment to store, the storage environment of white tea is relatively "anaerobic" and requires a more "closed" environment. The moisture content index in the national standard for white tea is no more than 7%, while it is generally believed that the moisture content of white tea that has been preserved for a long time should be less than 5%. The most suitable environmental humidity for storing white tea is less than 60%.
Compared with Pu'er tea, Fuding White Tea's tea companies have made many optimizations on the packaging from the packaging, such as wrapping a thick paper bag with aluminum mold on the outside of cotton paper, adding a layer of tin foil bag between the outer carton and the inner plastic bag. The bag of loose tea uses a thick pure aluminum bag, etc., to try to isolate the tea from air and moisture.
Professional white tea cellar created by LiuMiao, a well-known white tea brand,
Due to the vast territory of our country and the climate difference between the south and the north, tea lovers in different regions should carry out targeted tea storage measures based on the local climate characteristics. Generally speaking, they can be divided into two factions: north and south.
The humidity in the south is relatively large, the conversion is fast, but the risk is high, and the most important thing to pay attention to is humidity. If the merchant’s finished tea is sealed, such as Pinpinxiang’s balsamic series, it is more worry-free and the original packaging can be stored. If it is loose tea, it should be sealed with better quality pure aluminum sealed bag , and add food desiccant . At the same time, add dehumidifier or or quicklime desiccant or quicklime desiccant in the tea storage space (such as independent tea room, study room, etc.) to help reduce air humidity, especially during the rainy season or the "return to the south" season in Guangdong, pay more attention.
The northern region is relatively dry, which is relatively worry-free when it comes to moisture prevention. For example, in the northeast or northwest regions with higher latitudes, you need to be careful not to put the tea at extremely low temperatures in winter. Some tea lovers store the tea in a separate basement or tea room, but do not heat it simultaneously with the living space. The tea leaves are as if they are put into the refrigerator in extremely low temperature environments and will stop converting. Therefore, it is best to store the tea in the heating environment of daily life to maintain a certain ambient temperature.
In the same storage environment, the conversion speed of white tea of different tenderness is also different. The silver needle picking has the highest tenderness, but the conversion speed is the slowest, and the soup color and taste are all very slow. The conversion speed of white peony is moderate, and the fastest conversion speed is Shoumei. Because of the thick branches and old leaves, the soup color ranges from light yellow to orange-yellow and then to orange-red. At the same time, it also transforms the fragrance of plum, rice dumpling leaf, date, and medicinal fragrance as time goes by.
9. Additional nonsense
1. Regarding the medicinal properties and efficacy of white tea
There is a saying in the Fuding area that "three-year tea, medicine, seven-year treasure" is also used by many tea merchants selling white tea as a sales gimmick. Fujian and Guangdong also have the habit of drinking old white tea to treat daily minor illnesses. In fact, it is a small folk recipe used to treat colds, fevers, diarrhea, etc. In daily practice, it can indeed verify the heat and fire removal function of old white tea. Some scientific data have also confirmed that white tea has certain antioxidant, antibacterial, lowering blood sugar and other effects. However, no matter how the "medicine" of white tea is promoted, it is essentially just tea. At best, it is a healthy drink, not a "medicine", and it cannot be used instead of a drug, and it needs to be viewed rationally.
2. Regarding the difference between Fuding White Tea and Zhenghe White Tea
Fuding White Tea and Zhenghe White Tea can be called the two gems of Fujian white tea industry, but there are obvious differences in white tea in the two places, about three: craft differences (mainly reflected in the withering method and time), tree species difference (Fuding mainly uses Fuding Dabai Tea and Fuding Dahao Tea, Zhenghe mainly uses Zhenghe Dabai Tea and Fu'an Dabai Tea), style quality (Comprehensive comparison, Fuding white tea has more spirituality, fresher tea, richer tea hair, refreshing taste, Zhenghe white tea has higher aroma, and stronger tea soup)
3. Regarding the quality of white tea
According to the picking time, white tea can be divided into the difference between Spring tea and Autumn tea . Of course, there are many tea companies that make summer tea or even winter tea. Spring tea soup is mellow, and autumn tea is fragrant. Generally speaking, autumn tea is only suitable for making longevity eyebrows.
In principle, white tea can be picked up as many as eight times a year (once you can pick it once every 15 days). But in the tea area that is particular, the number of picking times will be strictly controlled to ensure quality. For example, Yin Needle and Peony King will only choose one of two, followed by Peony and Shoumei, and then Bailu Tea and Hanlu Tea. Some tea areas that only seek output but not quality are simple and crude, and can be picked all the time. The tea produced is of poor quality and basically has no taste and storage value. Many cheap white teas on online shopping platforms are such products, so you should pay attention to distinguishing them.
4. Regarding "Wild White Tea"
Whether it is Fuding or Zhenghe, there are few sayings about "wild tea", because there is almost no real wild tea. However, as tea customers' pursuit of taste continues to improve, the concepts of "abandoned tea" and "abandoned tea" have become popular in recent years.
abandoned tea refers to the wasteland management of the once cultivated tea trees. The year is short and a certain cultivation attribute is retained. It is called "scattered tea". If the years are longer, the cultivation attributes are almost invisible, and they have grown into a tall appearance of "tree-like" with swaying branches and full of wildness, they can be called "wild tea". Neither waste tea nor wild tea are really "wild tea". It is just to consciously return the growth process and growth environment of tea trees to the wild state by reducing artificial intervention.
Wild tea is taller in shape, unlike ordinary modern tea garden tea planted in strips, it generally requires the use of ladders and other tools for picking. The picking techniques are different, so there is generally a "steel head" at the root of the tea buds, similar to the "horse hoof" commonly known in Pu'er tea. It can be used as one of the references for identifying "wild tea".
5. About Yunnan White Tea
Speaking of white tea, in addition to Fujian white tea, Yunnan white tea has also developed rapidly in recent years and has been loved by many tea friends.Due to the huge differences in tea making habits and tea tree varieties in the two places, Yunnan white tea and Fujian white tea show great differences in taste styles, and can even be understood as two completely different white tea products. In terms of classification, it is also different from the classification method of "silver needle, peony, tribute eyebrows, and longevity eyebrows" in Fujian white tea. In the market, more are the concepts of "moonlight white, ancient tree white tea, wild white tea", about the specific differences
6, Anji White Tea
In fact, many tea friends know that from the traditional tea classification method, "Anji White Tea" belongs to green tea . It is named because the tender leaves of the tea tree "White Leaf No. 1" they use are as white as jade. In botany, it is a variant phenomenon of " leaves whitening ". Baiye No. 1 is artificially bred from wild "white tea trees" and is recognized by the state as a "rare tea tree variety". The tender leaves emitted in spring are pure white, and when they are old, they turn into white and green flowers and leaves, and they only turn completely green in summer. Therefore, the tender buds and leaves picked in the spring show the best "white tea" characteristics. In addition, there are far more green tea called "white tea" than Anji white tea, and there are many such as: Zheng'an white tea, Tianmuhu white tea, Jing'an white tea, Liping white tea , etc. You must carefully distinguish it when shopping online.
Finally declared : This article is only to popularize the most basic knowledge of white tea to novice tea friends, so as to understand white tea more quickly and comprehensively, and fall in love with white tea, thereby reducing the chance of being deceived and deceived by bad merchants during the tea purchase process to a certain extent. Due to limited personal level, the content is inevitably biased or omitted. If there is any error, please correct me in the comment area of tea friends, or search wearetalktea to communicate with me. If you think the content of this article is helpful to you, it is also my honor. I hope you can give " reward, collect, and forward " three consecutive support.
