White Silver Needle, known in China as Bai Hao Yin Zhen, is one of the best-known styles of white tea. This refined tea is made from young, unopened tea buds covered in fine silvery-white hairs.

Our White Silver Needle Fuding Imperial comes from Fuding in the Chinese province of Fujian, a region closely associated with the history and production of white tea.

What is White Silver Needle?

White Silver Needle differs from many other white teas because only young tea buds are used. For example, Bai Mu Dan is made using both buds and young leaves.

The long, slender buds with their fine white hairs explain the English name Silver Needle. The Chinese name Bai Hao Yin Zhen also refers to the silvery-white appearance of these buds.

White Silver Needle from Fuding

Fuding is located in Fujian province and is one of the best-known origins for Chinese white tea. The climate and local tea tradition have made the region internationally renowned for producing various styles of white tea.

Carefully selected, young and unopened buds are used for our Fuding Imperial. The uniform shape of the buds and their fine white hairs are immediately visible when you look at the dry tea.

Why does Silver Needle consist only of buds?

The buds are the youngest part of the tea plant's new shoots. For Silver Needle, they are harvested separately before they have fully developed into leaves.

This requires a great deal of careful hand-picking. The young buds are small, and large quantities are needed to produce a relatively small amount of finished tea.

This labor-intensive harvesting process and the limited period during which suitable buds are available help explain why high-quality Silver Needle is generally more expensive than many other white teas.

How is White Silver Needle made?

White tea is among the least intensively processed traditional types of tea. After harvesting, the young buds are carefully withered and dried.

Unlike green tea, the leaves are not heated to stop oxidation immediately. As a result, limited natural oxidation takes place during withering and drying.

The relatively simple processing does not mean that production is easy: the quality of the fresh material and careful control during withering and drying are particularly important.

What does White Silver Needle Fuding Imperial taste like?

Silver Needle is known for its refined and gentle character. Our Fuding Imperial has a light, delicate taste with natural sweetness and subtle nuances that may bring honey and ripe melon to mind.

Do not expect a powerful or strongly bitter tea. The special quality of a good Silver Needle lies precisely in its fine aromas, soft texture and nuances that develop while drinking.

What is the difference between Silver Needle and Bai Mu Dan?

Both are traditional Chinese white teas, but their composition differs. Silver Needle consists of young tea buds, while Bai Mu Dan is generally made from one bud together with young leaves.

This also means they differ in appearance, aroma and flavor profile. By tasting different styles of white tea side by side, you can clearly discover these differences.

How do you brew White Silver Needle?

As a starting point, we recommend approximately 14 grams of tea per liter of water for our White Silver Needle Fuding Imperial.

Use water at approximately 70–80 °C and steep the tea for approximately 1.5 to 2 minutes. The delicate buds can also be steeped several times.

If you would like to experiment more extensively with white tea, you can also prepare Silver Needle with a gaiwan and several short infusions.

Discover White Silver Needle Fuding Imperial

Would you like to discover this white tea from Fuding for yourself? View our White Silver Needle Fuding Imperial or discover more in our white tea collection.