No products in the cart.
Pai Mu Tan
WHITE TEA 25g
GRADE – Spring Grade #1
CAFFEINE/ANTIOXIDANT LEVEL: Low/ Very High
Cup characteristics: Clear slightly pale cup with a fresh and a smooth velvety flavour. Delicate jammy notes reminiscent of Keemun or mild Bordeaux.
Luxury ingredients: White tea
£ 5.50
In stock
PRODUCT ID: 331
Description
Pai Mu Tan
This is the highest grade of white tea available before one enters the stratosphere in pricing for white teas such as Peony White Needle Tea. Pai Mu Tan leaves are plucked from a special varietal tea bush called Narcissus or chaicha bushes. Only special two leaves and a bud’ are selected. The leaves are naturally withered and dried in the sun. If mechanical drying is required it is a baking process at temperatures less than 40’C.
These leaves must show a very light green almost grey white color and be covered with velvet peach fuzz down. White teas that are withered in conditions that are too hot will become reddish and in conditions that are too cold they will become blackish. You will see in Pai Mu Tan the perfect balance between solar and indoor withering resulting in a perfect white tea. Tea has a calming and detoxifying effect on the skin. White tea is especially potent in that it has three times as many antioxidant polyphenols as green or black tea and has been shown to be 100% more effective in mopping up free radicals that cause skin to sag.
Some of the world’s top cosmetic companies are becoming interested in white tea for skin creams and the result is that high grade white tea is becoming even rarer. Researchers at the Linus Pauling Institute in Oregon tested white teas on selected rats for the ability of white teas to inhibit natural mutations in bacteria and to protect the rats from colon cancer. White teas were found to be more effective than green tea in inhibiting the early stages of cancer but researchers were quick to point out that their study was on rats and the effects should not be extrapolated to humans. One tea expert has been quoted ‘unlike black or green tea, it isn’t rolled or steamed; this preserves its antioxidant properties’.
HOT BREWING METHOD:
Bring filtered or freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea for each 7-9oz / 200-260ml of fluid volume in the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea). Milk and sugar are not recommended. Ideal Brewing Temperature: 85ºC/185ºF. For Food Safety reasons bring water to 100ºC/212ºF and let it cool down to 85ºC/185ºF.
ICED TEA BREWING METHOD
(Pitcher): (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 slightly heaping teaspoons of loose tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 1¼ cups/315ml over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher, straining the leaves. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. A rule of thumb when preparing freshly brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about!)
(Individual Serving): Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea into a teapot for each serving required. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 6-7oz/170-200ml per serving over the tea. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Add hot tea to a 12oz/375ml acrylic glass filled with ice, straining the leaves. Not all of the tea will fit, allowing for approximately an additional ½ serving. A rule of thumb when preparing freshly brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about!)
We strongly recommend using filtered or freshly drawn cold water brought to a rolling boil when brewing all types of tea. Today’s water has been known to carry viruses, parasites and bacteria. Boiling the water will kill these elements and reduce the potential incidence of water-borne illnesses.
