Spring and the peony of teas!
- Catrin Abrahamsson-Beynon
- Mar 22
- 3 min read
The white peony tea is named after the beloved flower because of its fluffy, beautiful leaves. It's a white tea that has its origin in the Fujian province of China (as all white teas do). However, today, white tea is produced in many different countries. The White Peony steeped for this blog is from the Nilgiri Hills, India, crafted by the team at the unique Tea Studio.
A true White Peony, in Chinese Bai Mu Dan, should consist of a bud set (meaning one unopened bud, surrounded by two tender leaves). But it’s very hard to find a true Bai Mu Dan far away from a production site because the delicate, fluffy leaves break very easily during packing and transportation. The White Peony is a very delicate and fresh tea that brews into a stronger cup than the silver needle tea, which consists of only unopened buds.
White teas belong to the water element, and they are excellent to enjoy now, in early spring, when we and nature need lots of water to thrive in the wood season that is around the corner. White tea's taste profile is most commonly fresh hay/dried grass, honey, stone fruit, dried light fruit, and flowery. White teas are plucked and prepared with lots of care and are the least processed of all tea types. The leaves are plucked, withered, and dried. During the prolonged drying phase, the leaves and buds oxidize slightly. The color of the buds is silvery grey, and the leaves range from lighter and darker green to lightly brown. Sometimes the buds are hairy, Bai Hao Yin Zhen (lit. "white hair silver needles"). Its a natural response to the weather conditions early spring, that the buds grow hair as a protection against chilly weather.
Two other White Teas
- Gong Mei – meaning tribute eyebrow consists of buds and leaves but rarely complete bud sets. Its a higher quality grade than longevity eyebrows (below), harvested later in the season than Bai Mu Dan.
- Shou Mei – meaning longevity eyebrow, darker (more oxidized) leaves and no buds, more uneven, broken leaves. Often these two teas have Peony in their name, but are, according to the Chinese standards, not true White Peony's.
In Yunnan, China (where the climate is warmer than in Fujian), the white teas are made from a larger leaf, which, of course, influences the finished tea. For a long time, white teas have also been pressed into cakes to keep better, and they are sometimes referred to as a white pu-erh. But there is an ongoing debate about the subject. In any case, these teas are just beautiful and one of a kind, from ancient wild tea trees - the quality beyond organic. Get yourself a few cakes before they are all gone! You can age these teas for many years.
The Tea Studio in the Nilgiri Hills, India, has let itself be inspired by the Chinese tradition and has just released their White Peony cake! Welcome to contact me if you would like to invest in a few cakes!
Welcome to contact me for a tea tasting event or a yoga class with tea tasting afterward. Read more in this earlier blog. Would you like to educate yourself in tea? Next Tea Sommelier Diploma Course, Level I, starts early fall 2025. One course per year. Read more about it here! Looking forward to hear from you!
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