From the UK comes this bai mudan (White Peony), a white tea with a light body but a fuller flavour than other white teas. Yumchaa’s Pai Mu Tan is a refreshing tea with a surprisingly minty flavour, which gives the tea a sugary finish.

The leaf consistency leaves a little to be desired, with twigs and broken leaf pieces accompanying the powdery white tips and young leaves you would normally find in a bai mudan. But the drink itself is enjoyable enough, as notes of strawberry are met by the more savoury, vegetal characteristics common to bai mudan teas.

Available from Yumchaa

© Eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2010. | Pai Mu Tan from Yumchaa | One comment |
Post categories: Tea reviews, White tea
Post tags: Bai Mudan, white peony, Yumchaa

Last November, Bec and I spent a month travelling around New Zealand. It was a great time to visit, just as summer was setting in, and we explored quite a bit of South Island in a campervan. One of the things we did often – as you do – was to visit local cafés. Got to support the local economy, right?

Here in Melbourne, I’ve learned to keep an eye out for cafés serving T2 teas or another tea brand I respect. If I’m going to be paying for a cup of tea, I want to know I’m getting more than just a Lipton tea bag.

As we made our way through New Zealand, I saw a lot of Twinings and Dilmah – and the occasional Lipton – but eventually discovered t leaf T, which can roughly be considered the T2 of New Zealand. In Wellington, I found a little t leaf T outlet where I spent a happy half hour browsing their offerings. In the end, I picked up a Feijoa Green as a gift for Bec and a White Peony as an early Christmas gift for myself.

First, a disclaimer: This is my first foray into the fine world of White Peony tea (Bai Mudan). How t leaf T’s offering compares to the other options available out there is impossible for me to judge. But one thing I can say without a doubt: White Peony is an excellent tea.

Bai Mudan is a new-style white tea made from the first tea leaves of the season (as opposed to traditional budset white tea, which is made from the buds). The leaves are coiled into needle shape and covered in downy white hair.

Since the tea had cost me more than any other tea I’d ever bought (at that stage), I decided to save it for a special occasion. Christmas Day. After a family dinner the night before and a family lunch that day, Bec and I collapsed on the couch to finally unwrap the presents we’d bought each other. She made for herself a organic matcha from O-Cha (a birthday present I’d bought her the week before), and I brewed my first cup of White Peony.

The aroma of the dried leaves was delicious: smoky and full. As per the packet suggestions, I used a single teaspoon of leaves, steeping it in about 200 milliliters of water. By brewing the tea for a couple minutes, I was able to get at least five well-flavoured cups of tea from the one lot of leaves.

The first taste bursts with vegetal flavours of juicy zucchinis or squash, wrapped in the tea’s smoky sweetness. A fruity hint of grape became gradually more apparent, lingering in the dryness of the aftertaste.

Since that first taste, I’ve come back to my White Peony regularly. It’s a light, rewarding tea that I find particularly satisfying in the latter stages of the afternoon. I’m not sure whether it’s possible for international customers to buy tea through t leaf T’s website, but there are a few other online tea shops offering White Peony, including Narien Teas, Adagio Teas, Mighty Leaf, Numi Organic Tea and Generation Tea.

© eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2009. | White Peony (Bai Mudan) from t leaf T (Review) | One comment |
Post categories: Tea reviews, White tea
Post tags: Bai Mudan, chinese teas, t leaf T, white peony

What is white tea, exactly?

White tea is made from unopened budsets or the first leaves of Camellia Sinensis, harvested at the start of spring.

The rarest (and most expensive) varieties of white tea are made from unopened budsets, carefully plucked before they are allowed to grown into leaves. As demand for white tea grew, a new variety of white tea was created using the first leaves of the tea plant. Neither traditional budset white tea nor the new-style leaf white tea are processed after they are plucked. Instead, they are simply dried.

Where is white tea grown?

Traditionally, white tea comes from the Fujian province of China. In recent years, to meet with the growing demand, tea growing regions like Assam, Darjeeling, Nilgiri and Ceylon (Sri Lanka) have also started producing white tea. To the purist, however, real white tea only comes from Fujian.

There are parallels between traditional budset white tea and Champagne. Like Champagne, traditional budset white tea is place-specific, rare and highly prized. The new-style leaf white teas and white teas from other growing regions are more common and mimic the traditional budset white tea, but they are like sparkling wines to Champagne: a close relative, but not the real deal.

What are some of the most famous types of white tea?

The two most famous white teas are Bai Hao Yin Zhen (Silver Needle) and Bai Mudan (White Peony). The former is the foremost example of budset white tea. This is the kind of tea ancient Chinese emperors would have been served; it’s rare and very expensive. Bai Mudan is a new-style leaf white tea, so it’s far more accessible. It’s a delicious, fragrant tea.

What’s the best way to brew white tea?

Like green tea and oolong tea, white tea can be steeped multiple times. For each infusion, allow it to steep for 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Don’t use freshly boiled water, but allow it to cool to about 71-77°C (160-170°F).

What are the health benefits of drinking white tea?

Most of the studies into the health benefits of tea have focused on green tea. However, since white tea comes from the same plant as green tea, we may assume that it shares many of the same health benefits. It is lightly oxidized, so may contain less antioxidants than green tea, but studies have shown that it is still effective against cancer. One study has also found that white tea is more effective than green tea in fighting certain diseases, such as Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and pneumonia.

Does white tea contain caffeine?

Like all types of tea produced from Camellia Sinensis, white tea contains caffeine. How much is another question and one with a wild array of responses. The most commonly repeated mantra is that white tea contains less caffeine than green tea, black tea and oolong tea. But to what extent is this grounded in fact?

According to Nigel Melican in this article about caffeine in tea, white tea actually contains more caffeine than other varieties of tea. In The Story of Tea (Mary Lou Heiss / Robert Heiss), they point out that the caffeine is dispersed as the plant ages, so there is a scientific basis behind Melican’s argument that white tea has a high concentration of caffeine.

Where can I buy white tea online?

A great place to start is in the Tea Finely Brewed marketplace, where you can compare white teas from different tea merchants.

• Narien Teas have three white teas in their range, including a very interesting Drum Mountain White Cloud that I’ve personally tried and enjoyed. You can also get 10% off by quoting “teafinelybrewed” at checkout with Narien Teas.
• Generation Tea have several white teas, including a number of organic choices.
• Adagio Teas have a good range of white teas. Try the white tea sampler, which includes silver needle and white peony, as well as two other types of white tea.
• Mighty Leaf have seven different types of white tea, including a number of interesting blends.

Other posts in this series

• Green Tea
• Oolong Tea
• Black Tea
• Pu-erh Tea

© eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2009. | 7 Common Questions About White Tea | One comment |
Post categories: White tea
Post tags: Bai Hao Yin Zhen, Bai Mudan, Beginner's Guide to Tea, caffeine content of tea, camellia sinensis, chinese teas, Fujian Province, silver needle, tea health, white peony