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White Tea

Jinggu Bai Hao Yin Zhen-Tea Balls

Jinggu Bai Hao Yin Zhen-Tea Balls

景谷白毫银针龙珠

This Baihao Yinzhen (Silver Needle) Tea Balls come from a wild tea tree community at an altitude of 1,700 meters in Jinggu County(景谷县), Pu'er City(普洱市), Yunnan Province. The Tropic of Cancer passes through the county seat, which is characterized by high mountains and deep valleys with significant altitude variations. It is one of the original production areas and main producing regions of Pu'er tea and is also the hometown of Dabai tea(景谷大白茶).

This Baihao Yinzhen Tea Ball is covered with dense white hairs and consists entirely of tender first-flush buds harvested in early spring. The buds are plump, heavy, and sturdy, with prominent white hairs and silvery-white strands. The aroma is fresh and fragrant.

The raw Baihao Yinzhen tea buds need to be steamed to soften them, and the appropriate amount of raw tea is calculated and measured based on factors such as loss ratio, leaf grade, and finished product weight.
Next, the tea buds are wrapped in gauze and manually kneaded into a ball shape; after that, it can be naturally dried, air-dried, or oven-dried to complete the production process.

When brewed in a gaiwan, the tea ball can be steeped for about 30~60 seconds to produce a brew. After about five infusions, the tea ball will fully unfurl. During brewing, the lid of the gaiwan can be gently pressed and moved to help the teaball unfold more quickly.

If you want the tea ball to unfold even more quickly, you can increase the water temperature to above 95°C and extend the steeping time for the first brew to 3 minutes. You don’t need to worry about it becoming bitter; this Baihao Yinzhen tea ball is very mild, and even with extended steeping time, it won’t produce any bitterness. It is a very beginner-friendly tea.

As this Baihao Yinzhen tea ball is made entirely from tender buds, it offers a fresher and livelier taste. When brewed, it produces a clear and bright yellow tea liquor with a rich, refreshing flavor. The floral and fruity notes are intertwined with a hint of milky sweetness, leaving a sweet aftertaste.

Since the raw material is derived from large-leaf variety tea trees in Yunnan, it contains more nutrients and water-soluble substances compared to white teas made from small-leaf varieties. This makes it more resilient to multiple infusions; even after eight or nine infusions, the pleasant fragrance lingers, and the tea liquor remains bright yellow.
Moreover, white tea made from large-leaf varieties is better suited for storage. After being stored and transformed, aged Baihao Yinzhen develops a sweet aroma reminiscent of honeyed dates, with a richer and more robust tea liquor.

Processing

The preliminary steps for processing and producing tea ball series products are basically the same as those for other types of tea. Subsequently, the raw tea needs to be steamed to soften it, and the appropriate amount of raw tea is calculated and measured based on factors such as loss ratio, leaf grade, and finished product weight.
Next, the tea is wrapped in gauze and manually kneaded into a ball shape; after that, it can be naturally dried, air-dried, or oven-dried to complete the production process. (Note: The gauze plays a supportive role, serving to help the tea balls form quickly.)


For instance, Pu-erh tea balls are made by selecting, blending, steaming, weighing, and manually kneading the prepared sun-dried raw tea into a ball shape, followed by drying.

The production process for black tea balls and white tea balls is similar. Prepared raw tea of black or white teas is selected, blended, steamed, weighed, manually kneaded into a ball, and then dried.

Some types of black tea with relatively uniform strips, such as Dianhong Golden Needle, and white tea, such as White Downy Tips Silver Needle, are first weighed, organized, and bundled with raw tea of similar specifications before being kneaded into a ball. This way, after brewing, the unfurled tea leaves will sink to the bottom of the cup like blooming flowers, creating a very beautiful effect.

Brewing

Compared to other compressed teas, the biggest advantage of tea balls is that there’s no need to pry the tea apart—just use one at a time, which is very convenient. Tea balls are typically in a mini form weighing 7–8 grams, making them easy to carry and an ideal choice for enjoying tea at home or while traveling.

How can you brew tea balls to bring out their best flavor?

Tea balls are suitable for all kinds of brewing vessels. Here, we’ll take brewing with a gaiwan as an example:

Place the tea ball into the gaiwan, pour in water at a temperature above 95°C, cover with the lid, rotate the gaiwan, and rinse the tea for about 5 seconds, then discard the rinse.
For the second brew, use hot water at the same temperature (above 95°C) and steep for around 10 seconds before pouring out the tea for drinking.


At this point, the tea ball will gradually begin to unfurl. For subsequent brews, you can adjust the steeping time according to your preference for different types of tea.
For example, for pu-erh tea balls or black tea balls, steeping for 3–5 seconds in the initial infusions is sufficient. After 5 brews, you can gradually extend the steeping time.
For white tea, it can be steeped for a longer period, with each infusion lasting between 10 to 30 seconds, depending on your personal taste.

White Tea Storage

White tea is easy to store, as it can be preserved for a long time under dry, light-proof, and odor-free conditions.

In Fuding's folk culture, there is a saying, "One year as tea, three years as medicine, seven years as treasure," suggesting that the older the white tea, the higher its medicinal value.

In fact, research comparing the health benefits of white tea stored for 1 year, 5 years, and 20 years has confirmed that with extended storage time, aged white tea demonstrates better effects in anti-inflammatory, antiviral, blood sugar-lowering, uric acid-reducing, and repairing alcohol-induced liver damage compared to fresh white tea. This is because, as the years go by, the flavonoid content in white tea increases, enhancing its antioxidant and anticancer effects.

Additionally, aged white tea is detoxifying without causing a cooling effect on the body and has a sweeter, smoother, and mellower taste compared to new tea.

The longer it is stored, the more its aroma evolves: fresh white tea from the same year has a unique "silver needle fragrance with honey notes," transitioning to a lotus leaf aroma after 3–8 years, a jujube-like fragrance after 8–15 years, and a herbal scent after 15 years or more.

Meanwhile, for high-grade white teas like Baihao Yinzhen (Silver Needle) and Bai Mudan (White Peony), the optimal drinking period is usually around 3 to 5 years.

After being stored for a certain number of years, the astringency of the fresh tea fades, leaving behind a sweet and mellow taste, making it ideal for consumption.

Good aged white tea has a liquor color resembling amber, bright and glossy. Its flavor is rich and full-bodied, smoother on the palate, with sweetness and viscosity gradually increasing. The dry leaves exude a sweet aroma, and upon careful observation, you can detect a subtle lotus fragrance.

The moment the tea is brewed, the liquor's golden hue is alluring. Upon tasting, the sweetness bursts on the taste buds, filling the heart with delight. It feels smooth and soothing, bringing a sense of serenity and physical comfort with every sip.

white tea storage
  • White Tea Ball
  • 500g/pouch
  • Free Shipping
Regular price $95.00 USD
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