White Peony Tea

↑About White Peony Tea

White peony tea, Chinese bái mǔdān(白牡丹), sometimes written in the older romanization pai mu tan, is a Chinese style of white tea which originated in Fujian province in the early 20th century. It is one of the most popular and widespread types of white tea. It is a common base for flavored white tea, and when companies sell only a single variety of pure white tea, it is frequently the variety offered.

This tea is grown from a particular cultivar of tea plant, called Dà bái(大白), meaning "big white". The main areas of production are Fuding and Zhenghe, both in Fujian province, and each has their own distinct version of this cultivar. Teas in this style have also been produced in China in Hunan, Yunnan, and Jiangxi provinces, as well as in India, Nepal, Kenya, and Malawi.

Among white teas, bai mudan tends to be darker in color, have larger leaves, and be bolder in flavor than silver needle / bai hao yinzhen, but lighter and smaller-leaved than longevity eyebrows / shou mei, reflecting an intermediate level of oxidation between these other teas. It also tends to be intermediate between these teas in caffeine levels and price.

Flavor and aroma

The flavor and aroma of white peony is variable, but it tends to have a floral and fruity aroma, often hinting at melon or stone fruit, sometimes with earthy notes or a suggestion of autumn leaves, but the aroma is not grassy like green teas. The flavor is mellow, but stronger than silver needle: naturally sweet, with some bitterness and a light savory (umami) flavor.

Astringency tends to be low. This tea tends to be light-bodied overall, but fuller-bodied than silver needle.

White peony teas from Zhenghe tend to be darker in color and have a stronger flavor and fuller body than those from Fuding. Because production outside these two main areas is more modern and experimental, there are few generalizations that can be made about the flavor of this type of tea when grown in other regions, especially those outside China.

A pure tea, not containing any flowers

The name "peony" can be somewhat misleading; bai mu dan is a pure tea, made only from the Camellia sinensis plant, and does not contain any peony or other flowers. The tea is named for the silvery appearance of the unopened leaf buds, which unfurl slightly in a blossom-like manner when brewed. The name references the tree peony, Paeonia suffruticosa. This tea does tend to have a floral aroma, but this may be a coincidence.

White peony tea comes in different grades of fairly widely ranging price; the lower-grade tea contains more leaves and fewer buds, and are more similar to shou mei, whereas the higher-grades are more similar to silver needle or bai hao yinzhen.

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