White Tea - Shou Mei Bai Cha Li

Year: 2017

Also Called 'Gong Mei' (Tribute Eyebrow), the leaves for Shou Mei are plucked during April, May and June in the Fujian Province of China. Shou Mei is produced using leaves from the Xiao Bai tea tree and is processed more than the Silver Needle and White Peony teas and is therefore considered a lower grade tea, but despite this it has the properties attributed to white teas. The lack of processing and hand selection is evident in the leaf appearance of this tea. "Eyebrow" teas are named for the long, thin, crescent-shaped leaves used in production. The leaves are not steamed or pan-fired (the process used in green teas) or fermented and fired (the process used in black tea). Instead, the leaves are naturally withered and dried in the sun.