Tea: Milk White Dumpling
Type: Wild Fu'an Dabai White Tea (荒野福安大白茶)
Harvest: April 2025
Region: Fujian, Zhenghe County
Producer: Shenghuan Factory
Tasting Notes: Milk, Vanilla, Basil Flowers, Cinnamon, Cucumber
The dry bundles exude a fragrance of cream and vanilla, something that reminds us more of an aged silver needle rather than a freshly made shoumei. When brewed, these fragrances transform into the more expected vegetal fragrance, but there is still an aura of milk that surrounds the leaves.
Since the leaves are larger, thicker, and the stems are more plentiful, this tea can take a little time waking up when brewed, but it is surprisingly long-lasting, offering up to ten excellent infusions. The tea soup is a clear, light gold, and the milky fragrances founding the dry leaves are also present in the tea soup itself.
The taste of this tea on the tongue is unmistakably milky, with notes of herbs and flowers, like blooming basil, slight cinnamon, and cucumber rind. The tea is pleasantly thick on the tongue, coating the mouth with an oily afterglow between infusions.
While we have tried out most brewing methods (gaiwan, boiling, cold brewing, bowl brewing), we have found the best results when brewing this tea in the largest available vessel for an extended period of time (200+ml for 2-3 minutes). Cold brewing is also ideal for this tea, as it allows the leaves the time and space they need to fully steep and open up. We personally like the surprise factor of brewing these teas in a regular gaiwan and wrestling with the large leaves and stems all session, its a fun break from the normal compliance of standard obedient teas.
Some 910 years ago, What is now Zhenghe County got its current name (政和 "Rule Peaceful") got its name thanks to the bud tea they sent to the Song Imperial Court that year - Year Zhenghe (1115) of Emperor Huizong. Whether or not that tribute bud tea is what we now know as 'Silver Needles" is a matter of debate, but the whire tea of this region today is undebatably underrated. Directly inland from Fuding, and at a higher elevation than Fuding, the tea of this region matures later in the season. When processed right, tea from this region can offer creamy and fruity flavors that go beyond what is prized in Fuding white tea.
