Silver needle tea from Fujian province

It is the earliest harvest, comprised of young tea buds & leaves, very lightly oxidized, these teas have a low caffeine level. White tea is a slightly fermented tea. It is made from green tea leaves with white tiny villi and has its own unique processing method. During processing, the tea buds and leaves are withered and left to dry naturally without any further heating or oxidation that would produce other tea varieties.

Based on varieties or picking standards, there are two kinds of white tea: sprout tea (such as white fur silver needle) and leaf tea (such as Gong Mei).

White fur silver needles tea is one of the top ten most renowned teas in China. It gets its name from the shape and colour of the tea leaves. Silver Needle is the most sought after white tea and is only harvested for a few days each year. Lightly golden with a unique savory aroma creates a long balanced sweetness. Elegant, slender buds coated in silver down. Infuses to a pale gold color with a delicious, subtle honey-like sweetness that lingers after drinking.

It is only produced in the Fuding and Zhenghe areas of Fujian province. The colour of the brewed tea is apricot and taste is sweet.
Silver needle tea from Fujian province

Longjing tea

Longjing tea is one of the most prestigious hand-roasted green teas in China. Higher concentrations of linalool oxides, geraniol, 2-phenyl ethanol, lactones and pyrazines were found in Longjing tea.

It has been favorably consumed by many emperors since the imperial days. The color of the tea is bright green and the tea is famous for it unique fragrance and flavor.

The best quality longjing tea is hard to come by, for it does not originate in Longjing Village but from Lion Peak. It is classified as a green tea, which keep tea’s natural color.

A cup of longjing tea is a work of art with its clear tea water, beautiful leaf buds and mild and set taste similar to that of sweet, clear morning dew.

Longjing seedlings were said to be first planted and consumed by the monks at the famous temples of Tianzhu and Lingying along the West Lake area in Hangzhou during the Northern Song Dynasty.
Longjing tea

Tea: From China to Europe

Tea: From China to Europe
Tea continued to gain popularity in China after Tang dynasty. Teahouses first appeared in Song dynasty (960 – 1279 A.D) and quickly spread throughout the country. Teahouses were known as places where one could relax and have a good time.

Black tea which the Chinese called “red tea” was manufactured and consumed in Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644 A.D.). Most of the manufactured black teas were exported and the majority of Chinese remained consuming green tea.

Drinking of tea was considered beneficial to health. In the book ‘Tea Manual’ (Cha Pu) written in Ming Dynasty, the author concluded that “Drinking genuine tea helps quench the thirst, aids digestion, checks phlegm, wards off drowsiness, dispels boredom and dissolves greasy foods.”

In Japan the first tea was brought from China in the early 9th century. China started supplying Russia with small quantities of tea toward the end of the 17th century, and the trade was first carried overland by caravans.

The first tea to reach Europe went by the way of the Dutch who brought the first consignment to Holland in the early part of 17th century. The early supplies of tea entering England were brought over from Holland. In London the first tea was served to the public in 1657. By the mid 1750s tea houses and tea gardens were appearing in and around London.

Tea was soon to become the national drink in the British Isles. An author in the late 18th century described the difference in the way of tea drinking between Chinese and the European. He mentioned that Chinese drank tea without sugar; however, almost everyone in Europe added sugar to tea.

Since then, great changes have taken palaces and the difference, at least in some region, seems to be less prominent in the represent time.
Tea: From China to Europe