Tagged: national standard
Aging
How a kept white tea changes: the chemistry that softens astringency and darkens the cup over years, why Shou Mei and Bai Mudan get pressed into cakes, and the standard that governs the pressed form.
White Tea Grades
How white tea is classified into silver needle, bai mudan, gong mei, and shou mei, keyed to what is plucked and which cultivar under China's GB/T 22291 standard, and why grade sets price more than quality.
What Is White Tea
White tea is the least-processed tea class: the bud and leaf of Camellia sinensis, withered and dried, no pan-fire and no rolling. What that names, the four products, and the standard behind it.
Withering
How the leaf loses its water and becomes white tea: sun, indoor and heated withering, what the enzymes do during the wither, the moisture at which it ends, and what light has been found to change.