What Are the Varieties of White Tea? A Detailed Introduction to Common White Tea Types
White tea is mainly divided into Baihao Yinzhen, Bai Mudan, and Gongmei (Shoumei) according to the variety of the tea plant and the picking standard. White tea is mostly white in appearance, with intact buds and downy tips; it tastes light on entry with a pronounced sweet aftertaste, and has been a premium tea in our country since ancient times, enjoying great popularity. At present, the main production areas of white tea are in Fujian Province, including Fuding, Zhenghe, Songxi, Jianyang and other counties.
I. Baihao Yinzhen
Baihao Yinzhen is the finest of the white tea lines, as famous in the world as Junshan Yinzhen. Tian Yiheng of the Ming Dynasty said in "Boiling Spring Sketches": "In tea, firing is second-rate; sun-drying is best, as it is closer to nature and cuts the fire qi." This shows the excellence of white tea's character. The name "Baihao Yinzhen" comes from the fact that its finished product is mostly buds, covered all over with white down, with dry tea colored like silver and a slender, needle-like appearance, hence this elegant name.
II. Bai Mudan
Bai Mudan tea is another precious variety in the famous garden of our country's white teas. Because its green leaves clasp a silver-white downy heart, shaped like a flower, and after brewing the green leaves hold up the tender buds, just like the first opening of a peony bud, it is named "Bai Mudan".
III. Gongmei
Gongmei, sometimes also called Shoumei, is the variety with the largest output among white teas, its production accounting for more than half of the total white tea output. It is made from the buds and leaves of the Caicha tea plant; this kind of crude tea made from Caicha buds and leaves is called "Xiaobai", to distinguish it from the "Dabai" crude tea made from the buds and leaves of the Fuding Dabai tea and Zhenghe Dabai tea plants. Previously, Caicha buds were once used to make Baihao Yinzhen and other lines, but afterward "Dabai" was used instead to make Baihao Yinzhen and Bai Mudan, while Xiaobai was used to make Gongmei.
White tea has been a famous tea since ancient times. Each kind of white tea has a different taste, so you can choose your favorite to drink; white tea has very good health benefits.