Moonlight White Tea (Yue Guang Bai) is made up of fleshy, silver-colored budsets covered with tiny white hairs or "down" as well as the two leaves below the bud; collectively known as the “budset.” It is a quite uniqe tea coming into being only about ten years ago made with an unique processing method these leaves undergo: they are withered by moonlight.
The Moonlight White Tea for this tea cake comes from high in the mountains of Jinggu at an altitude of about 2200 meters (7200 feet) from 100-300 year old Arbor tea trees. The picking standard for the Moonlight White Tea is one bud to one or two leaves, and the tea leaf is very fuzzy. The freshly picked leaves are withered under moonlight, resulting in a longer withering period and more oxidation compared to Fuding White tea such as Peony White tea withered under sunlight before the tea is pressed into cakes. This gives a darker color and a rich aroma to the tea. The flavor is smooth and fruity, with a full-bodied texture. |