Bai Mudan

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bai Mudan

Bai Mudan or Pai Mu Tan (Chinese: 白牡丹; literally: White Peony) is a white tea made from hand-picked buds, each with a leaf sprout and two young leaves. White tea drinkers sometimes prefer Bai Mudan to Bai Hao Yinzhen , the other great type of white tea, because of its fuller taste and its stronger effect , as it is made only from leaf sprouts and is therefore comparatively softer and more subtle. The typical taste of Bai Mudan is the result of the processing and cultivars of the tea plant used in its production.

Manufacturing and processing

The family of tea cultivars used to make Bai Mudan are the "Dai Bai" varieties. The Fuding Dai Bai variety is used in eastern Fujian . The Zhenghe Dai Bai variety is used in northern Fujian. The differences in the plant result in two different types of Bai Mudan: the Fuding variety and the Zhenghe variety.

The real Bai Mudan is a white tea, therefore a slightly oxidized tea. The buds are dried in the sun for a long time and then briefly stacked for oxidation , in which enzymes in the tea leaves interact with other ingredients to form new substances that lead to the tea's final taste and aromatic character. Depending on the weather , the condition of the bud and the taste style requirements for the end product , sunbathing can take anywhere from a day to three days and layering can take anywhere from half an hour to three hours.

The leaves are then baked so that they are dry for packaging. During the entire processing process, care is taken to ensure that the handling of the leaves is gentle and non-intrusive to avoid breaking the cell structure. If the cell walls are physically broken, the oxidation of the leaves accelerates and the quality is impaired.

Although the processing steps are simpler than those of other teas, the long manufacturing process and variable factors lead to cost factors that lead to a higher selling price . For example, a sudden shower of rain during the long dehydration can be devastating to the tea.

Brew and taste

As soon as the tea is brewed, it creates a mild peony aroma or a floral aroma. One heaping teaspoon is used per cup. The tea is brewed with water that is no longer boiling at 70 ° C to 80 ° C so that it can develop its full effect and left to steep for 2 to 5 minutes. White tea does not become bitter, even if it is poured several times, so that different flavors develop with each infusion. The second infusion should last around 8 minutes, the third up to 15 minutes. In order to avoid taste disadvantages with white tea, filtered water or spring water or still mineral water should be used.

When infused, good white teas have a clear, light cup color with a fragrant, floral taste. Bai Mu Dan has a light yellow to sun yellow infusion color. The taste is full-bodied and, depending on the quality, flowery, colorful to strong and slightly bitter. Because of its light, fresh character, Bai Mudan is also enjoyed as a cold water tea in summer.

variants

  • Gushan Baiyun, also known as the Drum Mountain White Cloud (Drum Mountain White Cloud), is the, originally a good quality Bai Mudan of Buddhist monks in the monastery of the drum mountain in the province of Fujian grown. The tea has a nutty aroma and was apparently tasted by Robert Fortune on his trip to China.

See also

Bibliography

  • Master Lam Kam Cheun et al., The way of tea, Gaia Books, 2002, ISBN 1-85675-143-0 .
  • Christopher Roberson, White tea (China) from Usenet's rec.food.drink.tea, FAQ, via pages.ripco.net, 2000.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. a b 陳宗懋, 中國 茶 經, p. 236 上海 文化 出版社ISBN 7-80511-499-4
  2. a b 袁 弟 順, 中國 白茶, 廈門 大學 出版社ISBN 9787561525067
  3. White tea , tschaje, accessed on November 10, 2016
  4. Pai Mu Tan Tee , weissertee.net, accessed on November 10, 2016