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Bai Mu Dan Tea

(White Peony Tea)

Produced in Fujian Province, Bai Mu Dan Tea is translated into English as White Peony. It got its name from the shape of its leaves. Although considered to be a lower grade of White Tea than Bai Hao Yinzhen, it is often preferred by tea drinkers due to its fuller flavor and aroma.

When picking the tea, pickers pick new buds with the nearby leaf that has not yet grown to full size. During processing the leaves are not kneaded or shaped. The tea is only picked for one month a year, from the middle of March to the middle of April. It is never picked on rainy days or days with heavy dew. The added moisture would affect the processed tea. The tea is then left in the sun to wither for as long as 40 hours before being brought inside to continue the process. During the withering process the leaves are heaped into a pile instead of being in a thin layer as in Bai Hao Yinzhen. The tea is then slow roasted to dry it. It is very slowly roasted to ensure that the leaves keep their white color, and if it is roasted too fast, the leaves will turn yellow.

The brewed tea has a very nice flavor and aroma. The brewed tea has a pale golden color. Its flavor has a fruity flavor, which is stronger than Bai Hao Yinzhen Tea, but not as strong as Shou Mei Tea. The best quality tea has no grassiness or astringency to it.

Legends:
During the Han Dynasty (220B.C.-265A.D.), there was a government official named Mao Yi. He was an honest and benevolent official who could no longer stand the corruption in the government and decided to take his mother and retire to a quiet place, far away from politics. Mao Yi and his mother traveled for months searching for the perfect spot. Eventually one day the came upon a mountain. Surrounded by lush forests and clean streams, but what struck them most was a wonderful fragrance that permeated the area. They decided that that was the perfect location to build their house and start a new life. The wonderful fragrance, that so attracted them, came from the Bai Mu Dan tea trees that surrounded the nearby lotus pond. Mao Yi and his mother lived there for many years in peace. One harsh winter his mother got very sick. Mao Yi contacted the finest doctors in the country and nothing they could do made any difference. He prayed every day and traveled near and far in harsh weather to try to find someone to help his mother. The gods were touched by his filial piety and wanted to test him one more time. A god came down to earth and appeared to Mao Yi as an old man in ragged clothing. He knocked on Mao Yi’s door and told him that he was starving and would help his mother if he cooked him a carp for dinner. All of the nearby streams were frozen solid, but Mao Yi went out anyway and chopped a hole through the ice to catch a fish for the old man. Nearly frozen to death, he succeeded and returned home with the fish. The old man, being impressed, not only with his filial piety, but also with his benevolence told him how to save his mother. He was told to cook the fish in tea made from the nearby Bai Mu Dan tea trees. Mao Yi finished cooking the fish and when he turned around he found the old man had disappeared. His mother quickly recovered after eating the fish and the story quickly spread.

Fake Tea:
Like any famous tea, there is a huge amount of fake Bai Mu Dan Tea on the market. The fake and the authentic teas vary greatly in taste and aroma. The fake teas on the market lack the wonderful delicate flavors of the authentic tea. Many people lack the experience to be able to tell the difference. It is important that you purchase your tea from a dealer who purchases their teas directly from the producer to ensure you are getting real teas.