Bai Hao Yin Zhen is a historical tea. Originally produced in 1796 (the middle of Qing Dynasty). Main production area lies in Fuding County and Zhenhe County in Fujian Province. The raw material used for Bai Hao Yin Zhen are buds produced from Fuding big white tea bush or Zhenhe big white tea bush.Single bud or one bud with one leaf are collected in spring harvest, from where the leaves will be plucked away, as only the buds are used. This preferably takes place in cool days. Bai Hao Yin Zhen undergoes procedures of withering (80%-90%) and drying. This tea also contains high amount of amino acid, twice as much as Bai Mu Dan (White Peony) does. Bai Hao Yin Zhen is the most famous white tea.

Appearance Leaf: Bold buds covered with plenty white pekoe. As the names suggests, it is silver coloured and needle shaped. Among the tea buds there are a few jasmine flowers.

Liquid: Clear and bright.

Taste: Fresh with slight hint of sweetness

Origin: Fuding County, Fujian Province

Harvest: Spring, 2011

To brew Bai Hao Yin Zhen,first put dry tea leaves (ratio leaves to water, 1:30) into the gaiwan, porcelain or glass teapot, then pour 75 degree boiled water into the teaware. The temperature of the water is lower than usual because this tea is entirely composed of tender buds that will be damaged when the temperature of the water is too high. The steeping time is longer than usual and be prolonged up to five minutes.

Once upon a time a long time ago it is said that Zhen He County suffered from severe drought. Hundred and thousand of people died from water depletion and epidemic. The only solution was said to be the juice of an Immortal Grass growing besides a well on a certain mountain. When the juice of this special grass would fall on the earth it would produce large quantity of water, thus saving people from drought. Many brave young men had tried to obtain but none of them returned home. One family with two boys and one girl decided to go there and agreed to leave one by one. Before leaving the elder boy told the others that when the sword he would leave behind in the house would become oxidized the others should follow him. The elder boy took 36 days to reach the mountain and came across an old man at the foot of mountain. The old man asked if the boy was going to obtain the Immortal Grass and told him never turn his head around on the way up to the well. The elder boy kept on walking up the mountain but heard screams and scary sounds coming from every direction, suddenly he heard a voice say “How dare you are to charge in!” the boy froze to the ground and turned his head around. At that very moment he turned into a piece of rock among many others. On that day the younger boy and girl saw the sword had got rusted. It was the sign that the elder boy had passed away. The younger boy quickly prepared to leave and left an arrow in the house. He took 49 days to reach the mountain and was also told by the old man not to turn his head. However he heard the voice of his brother asking for help and so he also turned his head. Likewise he turned into a piece of rock, the arrow he left at home became rusted that day. Now it was up to the girl to try and fulfill this difficult task of obtaining the grass. When she reached the mountain the  old man gave her a piece of rice paste. She used it to stuff her ears and headed directly to the grass. It turned out that all this was the work of an evil dragon, when she obtained the immortal grass the spell was broken and the evil dragon was eliminated. She used the juice of the grass to produce water and she could unfreeze the stones, among them were her brothers, and bring them back to life. Later the seeds of Immortal Grass were planted all over the hills and people make tea out of it every year. This tea is said to be the white tea as we know it nowadays.