An outstanding 100% organic silver needle white tea picked in the spring from gardens in Fujian Provence. Bai Hao Silver Needle Tea has beautiful long leaves with lots of downy hairs. Creamy liquor color with subtle floral aroma. Ingredients: Chinese White Tea Bai Hao Silver Needle Significance: One of the most famous teas of China, if not the world, Bai Hao Yin Zhen or Bai Hao Silver Needles, comes from the mountainous region of Fujian province in China. Silver Needles dates to the late 1800’s when it first came into production. It is made expressly from the fine buds of the first pluck of spring. The popularity of Silver Needle has led to production of non-authentic varieties coming from other parts of China and other countries entirely. Bai Hao, or Silver Needle White Tea, is the grandfather of white tea. This bud-only tea is believed to have been around since the Song dynasty (960-1279 CE) but only appeared in the late 1800′s in European publications. The cultivar Da Bai of Camellia Sinensis is the plant typically used to make Bai Hao as it produces the longest and largest buds. Bai Hao is only picked in early spring, usually in April and consists of the buds from the first flush (first growth) of the season. These buds produce the longest of the silver hairs that appear on the outside of the leaf. The name Silver Needle comes from the appearance of needle shaped buds covered with downy hairs. The buds are typically dried in the sun, some may be dried in a drying room if it is large production or weather prevents drying outside. The tea is usually only 5% oxidized. Brewing this Bai Hao Silver Needle requires care as you do not want to put boiling water on it as it will burn the tea. If brought to a boil, the water should be cooled down to 170° Fahrenheit before adding the tea. It only needs to be steeped for 2-3 minutes and will produce a pale yellow drink with a smooth sweet flavor.