Tuesday's White Tea -- Snowbud (Xue ya)

Snowbud (Xue ya)

Origin: China

Description: White tea from the Fujian province of China. Snowbud as its name implies is an airy, light tea, its name is actually derived from the snow-colored patches that spot the tightly wound leaves. It yields a cup worthy of its name: it is effervescent and graceful, with delicate, clean floral aroma. Snowbud is comprised exclusively of unprocessed leaves and buds, all gathered and dried in the early days of spring. Of all the teas we offer, our Snowbud is among the lightest ones. If you enjoy the subtle, gentle taste of white tea, we hope you'll give this one a try. 185°F 1-2 level teaspoons tea per 8 ounces water; steep for 5 minutes.

Snowbud, or Xue Ya, is considered a new type of white tea that was developed in the 1980’s using authentic Fujian white tea bushes according to a special process that involves nuances of white tea and green tea production. It is hand harvested in very limited quantities on the high mountain peaks. The hand harvested single leaf and bud is covered with ``bai hao'' , or fibers that resemble fine, downy hair. This is a sign of a quality tea.