Chinese Silver Needle

In the northeastern corner of the Fujian Province of China is the coastal city of Fuding. This is the hometown of white tea. This is where the commercialization of white tea began.

In the hills outside of Fuding, the fields are full of the special tea cultivar called Da Bai or Big White. The name is apt. These tea plants form fat buds, thickly coated with down. The plant stockpiles goodness in the bud, for it is the plant's future. Inside the tiny silver needle are extra sugars, polyphenols, and even extra caffeine. The downy fuzz is made up of trichomes, which help the immature bud to survive this cold, cruel world. After the buds are painstakingly plucked by hand, most teamakers put the buds in a barn and let them slowly dry out.

This subtly sweet tea can be appreciated in a cup, or you can drink it like the Chinese and float a spoonful into a clear glass of hot water. Watch the buds slowly sink in the water. It can be very therapeutic.