Fuding Silver Needle Chinese White Tea: Bai Hao Yi Zhen

Silver Needle white tea is often known as the “king” of white tea, and for good reasons.

In terms of appearance, Silver Needle white tea has a beautiful, uniform appearance, showcasing a silvery down-covered bud, and when steeped, vibrant greens come to the foreground.

a close up of a coffee cup sitting on top of a wooden table

After all, part of the tea-drinking experience is the aesthetic pleasure that the process of preparing it has to offer, and the color of the leaves plays an integral role in making that experience special.

As a white tea, Silver Needle also boasts a longer shelf life than green teas.

Whereas green teas tend to lose their flavor over time, white teas develop more interesting tasting characteristics. This makes it a suitable tea to purchase and treasure over a prolonged period of time.

Unfortunately, many Silver Needle white teas on the market have a predominantly plain, uninteresting melon-like taste.

This has to do with how they’re processed. Some producers are artificially using forced warm air flow to dry the buds of inferior tea bushes.

These teas can also taste astringent or bitter if the temperature of the water is too high or the tea is steeped too long.

Our Silver Needle, however, is processed using the traditional method of sun-drying.

This method makes for a better and more interesting tasting profile, accentuating sweeter characteristics that get lost when using the artificial methods. No matter the temperature or the time, this tea will prove pleasant to drink.

A perfect Silver Needle to try is the smooth and light taste of our 2015 Top Grade Fuding Silver Needle boasts notes of citrus and pear with a lingering, lasting finish that’s reminiscent of sweet dates.

a close up of a coffee cup sitting on top of a wooden table

However, because white tea ages so well, it is also worth considering trying our 2014 Top Grade Fuding Silver Needle, which should feature a subtly more robust flavor than our 2015 variety that will only get more pronounced with time.

We encourage you to taste both side-by-side, as it is not only the slightly older age that affects taste but also the weather conditions during which each was dried.

When one has the opportunity to try a good quality Silver Needle, it becomes easier to appreciate why it is considered one of China’s ten most famous teas.

For more information on white tea in general, we invite you to read our other blog entries:

(1) The True Origin of Chinese White Tea

(2) How Many Types of White Tea

(3) The Health Benefits of White Tea