Baihao Yinzhen

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Baihao Yinzhen

Baihao Yinzhen (Simplified Chinese: 白毫 银针; Traditional Chinese: 白毫 銀針), also known as the white-haired silver needle, is a white tea made in Fujian Province , China . Among the white teas, this is the most expensive and valuable variety as only upper shoots (leaf shoots) are used to make the tea. The real silver needle tea is made from cultivars of the Da Bai (large white) tea tree family. There are still products that look similar with fluffy leaf sprouts, but most of them are green teas that have a different taste and biochemical potency than the real white silver needle tea, which is usually classified among the famous Chinese teas.

Manufacturing

Baihao Yinzhen, silver needle tea

The real silver needle is a white tea. As such, it is only slightly oxidized. The most sought-after productions are from the first picking after winter , which usually takes place between late March to early April, when the first new shoots of the year are picked. For the production of silver needle tea, only leaf shoots that have not yet opened are picked. Unlike green tea picking, the ideal time and weather for white tea picking is a sunny morning, when the sun is high enough to dry any remaining moisture on the shoots.

Traditionally, the shoots are placed in flat baskets and allowed to wither under the sun for a longer period of time. The best qualities made today are still produced this way. To avoid loss due to sudden rain, gusts of wind or other accidents, some manufacturers place the shoots in a chamber with an artificial flow of warm air to wither. The softened sprouts are then stacked for the necessary enzyme oxidation (often mistakenly called the fermentation process) before being dry baked at a low temperature .

The two regions of Zhenghe and Fuding , which stretch from north to northeast of Fujian Province, are the largest and original producers of this tea, although neighboring counties have also made silver needle tea. The two main cultivars used in these regions are Zhenghe Da Bai and Fuding Da Bai, named after their origins. These differences are important in distinguishing the two main types of silver needle tea - the Zhenghe style and the Fuding style. The former is usually much darker, with significantly longer time to oxidize, resulting in a tea with a fuller flavor volume, in contrast to the latter, which is generally lighter due to the shorter oxidation. The character of the tea tree leaves of the Zhenghe Da Bai allows for an extended period of accumulation without going bad. Both types have their own group of devotees as taste is a more personal preference.

Brew

As with all white teas, it is best made with water that is below the boiling point (around 75 to 80 degrees Celsius). This creates a light, viscous, glistening, light yellow color with signs of floating white hairs reflecting light. Baihao Yinzhen is said to smell like "freshly cut hay," and the taste is described as sweet, herbal, and delicate. As with most teas, a distinction is made between the Chinese and the Western method of preparation. With the Chinese method, small amounts are often infused. With 5 g the brewing time for the first infusion is a few seconds (maximum 45 seconds). In order not to affect the fine taste of Baihao Yinzhen, it should not be prepared in a ceramic jug but in special porcelain dishes ( gaiwan ). With the western method, the steeping time should be longer than with other white teas, up to 5 minutes per brew, and the amount of tea can be larger. There are few possibilities for comparison, as the taste cannot be compared to any other tea, except perhaps the Bai Mu Dan, but the latter is fuller, but not as sweet and tender.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Huang Lingyun, Tao of Chinese tea: A cultural and practical guide. Pleasantville: Reader's Digest Association. P. 79, October 1, 2009, ISBN 9781606520505
  2. ↑ a b 陳宗懋 ， 中國 茶 經 ， S. 236 ， 上海 文化 出版社 ， 1992
  3. ↑ a b c d 袁 弟 順 ， 中國 白茶 ， 廈門 大學 出版社 ， 2006
  4. ^ Joseph Needham, Science and Civilization of China , V.6, PV, Fermentations and Food Science, p. 551, Cambridge University Press, 2000, accessed November 8, 2016
  5. ↑ a b c d 陳宗懋 ， 中國 茶 經 ， Pages 426–427 ， 上海 文化 出版社 ， 1992
  6. ^ Brewing Tips and Tea Information , ADORE TEA, accessed November 8, 2016
  7. ↑ Kevin Gascoyne, Francois Marchand, Jasmin Desharnais, Hugo Americi, Tea: history, terroirs, varieties (1st print. Ed.), Richmond Hill, Ont .: Firefly Books, 2011. ISBN 9781554079377