White Peony Tea is quite possibly the most famous White Tea of them all. It consists of unopened tea buds, as well as the two newest leaves to sprout from the tea plant. Also recognised as Bai Mu Dan or Pai Mu Tan, this high-grade beverage is known as a sweet infusion offering intense floral notes. According to some stories, White Peony Tea was only really “invented” in 1922, although, like much of the history of White Tea, we might never be sure.
This truly special brew is produced in the Fujian Province of China, the original home of White Tea. It makes for an excellent ‘all-day, every-day’ cup, and is a favourite of many White Tea drinkers around the world. Want to explore the world of White Tea? Start your journey here with The Kent and Sussex Tea and Coffee Company’s very own White Peony Tea.
What is White Tea? To fully enjoy this beverage, we will talk you through everything you need to know. Like any other tea (that goes for Black Tea, Green Tea, and Oolong Tea), White Tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. The leaves used in this beverage are often picked by hand before they have had the opportunity to fully unfurl, as well as while the buds are still very young. The processing of White Tea requires very little oxidation, less so than Green Tea, in fact. The withering of the tea, on the other hand, can sometimes take 72 hours and often results in the water content of the leaves falling below 10%.
The first mention of White Tea production dates back to the Song Dynasty (906-1127). This was in a publication called “Treatise on Tea”, written by the then Emperor himself, Emperor Huizong. However, many historians believe that an early version of White Tea was actually created during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). White Tea took longer to reach the west, with the first known English-language reference to its consumption dating back to 1876.
The reason it took hundreds of years to reach Europe was likely due to the immense difficulty of transporting White Tea. This has only very recently been fully addressed, and since 1968 (which in the world of tea, might as well have been yesterday!), White Tea exports have increased greatly. Here at The Kent and Sussex Tea and Coffee Company, we couldn’t be happier with this wonderful development. Today, everyone and anyone can enjoy a nice, hot cup of high quality White Peony Tea. What more could you possibly want?
Type of Tea: Loose Leaf White Tea.
Origin: The Fujian Province, China.
Brewing Instructions: Brew using freshly boiled water left to cool to temperatures between 80 and 90 degrees. Following this, infuse for 1 to 3 minutes.
How to Serve: Lemon can add extra flavour to this tea, although The Kent and Sussex Tea and Coffee Company recommend it best served without such accompaniments.
Tasting Notes: White Peony Tea is defined by its trademark earthy and grassy flavours. It has a delicate, subtle taste, with slightly sweet undertones.
Colour in Cup: Pale yellow liquor, light in tone.
Health Benefits: White Tea shares many similarities with Green Tea when it comes to its health benefits. Perhaps the most important of these is its metabolism-boosting properties. When consumed as part of a healthy and active lifestyle, White Peony Tea can stimulate your metabolic rate, thus enabling your body to burn fat quicker, and far more efficiently. Furthermore, White Tea, like Green Tea, contains an amazing little antioxidant compound known as Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which can help improve skin health.
A recent study conducted by BioMed Central established that White Tea has antioxidant activity that directly affects the overall health and appearance of your skin. According to results, White Tea consumption helped maintain two skin proteins known as Elastin and Collagen. Elastin is responsible for maintaining elasticity of the skin along with aiding in wound repair. Collagen, meanwhile, is a protein found in connective tissue that supports the skin’s strength as well as elasticity.
