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White Tea

Silver Needle White Tea

Silver Needle White Tea

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Price: $ 11.99

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Quantity:

10 grams
Price: $ 2.75


Other Names:	White Tea Silver Needle, Silver Tips Tea, Bai Hao Yinzhen, Yinzhen Tea
Flavor:	Very light and subtle
Growing Region:	Fuding, Fujian Province
Harvesting Period:	April, 2011
Health Benefits:	White tea has the highest antioxidant count of all teas
Basic Brewing:	Should be brewed in a glass to see the beauty of all the leaves standing vertically at once. Use 1 large pinch of leaves and 175 °F water.

White tea silver needle is commonly known by several other names such as silver tips tea, bai hao yinzhen and yinzhen tea.

Bai hao yinzhen is the highest grade of the rarest tea - chinese white tea. The common term "silver tips tea" comes from the fact that white tea silver needle leaves consist only of long slender buds, picked in April, that are covered in fine white hairs – that is also why the literal name for the tea in Chinese is "bai hao yin zhen" which means "white hair silver needle."

When you first pour water over the silver needles, they will float at the top. After about six minutes, they will begin to stand vertically (see image) and change from a slender delicate bud into a fleshy green leaf, creating a true feast for the eyes.

There is an interesting story associated with the origin of silver needles white tea which takes place in ancient Zhenghe, one of the only two cities which produce the tea. One year there was a drought in the city, which caused an epidemic to spread throughout the population. It was believed that the cure was a type of "immortal grass" which could only be found on Dong Gong Mountain and could cure 100 illnesses. Many brave men in the city volunteered to search for the plant, and set off one-by-one. However, none of them ever returned.

There was a family of three brave children who decided they should help save the city by searching for the plant, and they all agreed to set off one by one, the oldest, Zhi Gang, going first. On his way towards the mountain, he was approached by a white haired old man. The main said to him, "If you want the plant, keep going forward. Whatever you do, don’t look back!". Zhi Gang tried to heed the man’s advice, but when he reached the waist of the mountain, he heard mysterious voices coming from the rocks. He looked over his shoulder to see where the noises were coming from, and instantly turned into a rock himself.

The second child, Zhi Cheng, realizing his older brother would not return, decided to try himself to save the city. He too came across the old man, and he too succumbed to the voices of the mountain, joining his older brother as another rock on the slope.

Finally, the youngest, a girl named Zhi Yu, decided it was her turn to go searching for the miracle plant. She came across the old man as well, who advised her not to turn back. He handed her a piece of tsampa to keep her full on her journey. When she approached the waist of the mountain, a cacophony of sounds enveloped her, but she was determined to look forward. She broke off two pieces of tsampa, stuffed them in her ears, and marched bravely forward. In the end, she found the mysterious plant. Not only did she find it, but when she returned home, she planted it on the peak of a nearby mountain, and it quickly carpeted the slopes as well. This plant, which so many sacrificed their lives for, but eventually saved the city from an epidemic, was silver needle white tea.