Fuding Yin Zhen / Fuding Silver Needle

福鼎银针 Fú dǐng yín zhēn / Fuding silver needle

Silver Needle is a category of tea traditionally grown in China, first cultivated in Fuding around 1857. Known as Bai Hao Yin Zhen (白毫銀針), which translates to “White Down Silver Needle,” it is often referred to simply as Yin Zhen or Silver Needle.

Originally from Fuding, enthusiasm for this delicate tea has spread to other regions in China and around the world, including India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Kenya, and Malawi. Silver Needle teas are easily recognized by their distinctive, beautiful needle-shaped terminal buds. Large-budding cultivars, such as Fuding Da Bai, make the hand-plucking of unopened buds possible during a harvest period lasting 10–15 days. Remarkably, it takes approximately 40,000 buds to produce just 1 kilogram of finished Silver Needle tea.

This particular Silver Needle is crafted from the Fuding Da Bai cultivar, grown about 100 km outside Fuding County in Jingning County. The infusion offers a rich, oaty taste complemented by fruity notes of ripe banana and floral undertones. Its rosy-hued liquor provides a well-balanced tea experience.

• Cultivar: Fuding Da Bai
• Region: Jingning county, Zhejiang, China   
• Altitude: 500m
• April 3, 2024, Mr He Wei Zong

ingredients: white tea