Teas can be classified into six groups based on their distinctive characters. White tea is one of the six groups. Its name derives from the fine silvery-white fuzz on the tea leaves, which give a whitish appearance. Its production process does not require panning or rolling and only has minimal oxidization.
Fuding White Tea is made from the leaves of appropriate variety tea trees grown in Fuding region. The tea is made from the bud of the tea plant, and the brewed tea features a clear and pale brown liquid with a light, sweet, refreshing taste.
Fuding is located by the East China Sea where Zhejiang and Fujian meet in the northeast of Fujian Province. The soil in most of the region, except the coastal areas, is red soil, yellow soil, purple soil and impact soil with high organic matter content, which is suitable for tea tree growth. Fuding has a folk saying about the tea that aged "one-year-old is tea, three-year-old is medicine, and seven-year-old becomes a treasure."
Processing white tea is complex. The tea leaves are plucked before the Qingming Festival. They are then spread out in trays to dry and wither under the sun. The tea makers adjust the tray arrangement according to the position of the sun and the weather condition of the day so as to maximize the solar drying and natural withering process. The tea leaves are then roasted at a low temperature over a charcoal fire.
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(Editor Shao Jingjing)
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