Healthy never tasted so good
Each year in late March, high in the mountains of China’s famous tea region Fujian, tiny buds begin to form on the Da Bai tea plants as they awake from the cold winter.
For two weeks workers carefully pick these slender buds, which are covered with a light silvery, white down. The buds will be gently processed into the finest grade of white tea, Bai Hao Yinzhen, or Silver Needles.
This is the original, authentic, loose leaf white tea that was once produced in such small quantities that most of the finished product was sent to the imperial court. In the 12th century, Song Dynasty Emperor Hui Tsung, who's love for tea was greater than any emperor before or after, declared white tea "the pinnacle of refinement." Today, it is produced in larger, but still limited quantities and remains little known in China outside of Fujian.
A second grade of white tea, Bai Mu Dan or white peony, includes one or two tender leaves with each silver needle. In recent years, Chinese white tea has gained acclaim in the West for its health benefits after researchers discovered that it contains higher concentrations of the same active ingredients found in green tea: antioxidants called flavanols or catechins, known by their initials EC, EGC, ECG and EGCG (Linus Pauling Institute, 2001)
"Silver Needles" Bai Hao Yinzhen
From the first sip, our Bai Hao Yinzhen, or Silver Needles, will delight the most sophisticated pallets. While the right brain revels in the flavors, the left brain will relish the unparalled levels of antioxidants and low caffeine content. We have recently added an extremely affordable 50-gram box (blue box below) of high quality Silver Needles that puts the drink of emperors in everyman's price range.
Hinged gift box w/ magnetic clasp (far right)
75 grams $26.99
Attractive everyday packaging (blue box) 50 grams $14.49
"White Peony" Bai Mu Dan
Our two Bai Mu Dan teas are very similar. Both are top grade. And both have the characteristic notes of fruit, that bring to mind melons, mangoes or bananas.
The first, in the red box comes from the "big white nonesuch" variety of the tea plant. It has a slightly deeper flavor comparable to a dry chardonnay. The second, on the right in the green box, comes from the Taimu varietal, named for Taimu Mountain where this ancient member of the tea family was discovered. It is slightly sweeter with stronger hints of fruit, more like a semi-dry pinot grigio.
