Pai Mu Tan White Tea

Description

Pai Mu Tan White Tea

White Peony, known locally as Pai Mu Tan, from the Fujian province of China, steeps a clear, slightly pale cup with a fresh aroma and a smooth velvety taste. Delicate jammy notes reminiscent of Keemun or a mild Bordeaux.

This is the highest grade of white tea available before one enters the stratosphere in pricing for white teas such as Peony White Needle Tea. Pai Mu Tan White Tea leaves are plucked from a special varietal tea bush called Narcissus or chaicha bushes. Secondly the leaves are not steamed or pan-fired (the process used in green teas). The leaves are naturally withered and dried in the sun. If mechanical drying is required it is a baking process at temperatures less that 40°C. Thirdly only special “two leaves and a bud” are selected. These leaves must show a very light green almost gray white color and be covered with velvet peach fuzz down. White teas that are withered in conditions that are too hot with become reddish and in conditions that are too cold they will become blackish. You will see on this Pai Mu Tan that the tea maker struck the perfect balance between solar and indoor withering resulting in a perfect white tea.

Though we make no medical or other claims, the western cosmetic industry has recently discovered the benefits of white tea. They hold that in addition to its anticancer properties, tea has a calming and detoxifying effect on the skin, has three times as many antioxidant polyphenols as green or black tea and has been shown to be 100% more effective in mopping up free radicals that cause skin to sag. Some of the world’s top cosmetic companies are becoming very interested in white tea for skin creams and the result is that high grade white tea is becoming even more rare than before.

Researchers at the Linus Pauling Institute in Oregon tested white teas on selected rates to test for the ability of white teas to inhibit natural mutations in bacteria and to protect the rates from colon cancer. Interestingly, white teas were found to be more effective than green tea in inhibiting the early stages of cancer but researchers were quick to point out that their study was on rats and the effects should not be extrapolated to humans. The researchers also discovered that white tea contains higher levels of caffeine compared to green tea brewed under the same conditions. They suggested that this could occur because white tea oxidizes during withering whereas in green tea the oxidation process is stopped early in the tea making process by steaming or pan firing.

These are researchers not us. We drink white and blend with white tea because it has that light, delicate flavor we come to expect in a White Tea.

We have several other white teas you also might want to look at. We have an exquisite Elephant Tusk Silver Needle White Tea. For your flavored palate, look at our Cream Earl White Tea. It has light, Earl Grey notes with the touch of vanilla, plus a hint of jasmine. We also have two house-crafted blends. Desert Spring White Tea and Hearts of Sage White Tea.

Steeping Instructions
Hot tea brewing method: Put 1 slightly heaping tsp. of loose tea for each 8oz of water in the teapot. Pour the boiled but slightly cooled water (about 175 to 185 degrees) over tea. Steep 3 to 7 minutes. If the tea is a bit bitter, decrease the steeping time and make sure the water is cooled to the right temperature. Milk and Sugar are not recommended.

Iced Tea: For a Liter or quart use 2 heaping Tbsp. of loose tea into teapot. Pour 1 1/4 cup boiled, but slightly cooled water over tea. Steep 3 –7 min. Quarter fill serving pitcher straining tea. Add Ice. Top up with cold water, garnish & sweeten to taste.

Contains: White Tea