As the fresh green of spring hills fades into the mild summer days, seasoned tea lovers always reserve an elegant spot on their tea table for Anji White Tea, with its snow-white tender buds and exceptionally fresh flavour.
Many people are confused by its name: is Anji White Tea a white tea? The answer is gentle yet definite. It is an elegant green tea dressed in snow-white spring foliage.
Tea is classified into six major categories based on processing methods. Green tea adopts fixation to lock in aroma, while white tea relies solely on natural withering. Strictly processed with fixation, rolling and drying procedures, Anji White Tea is undoubtedly green tea. It earns the name "white tea" thanks to the rare cultivar Baiye No.1. When the temperature is ideal in early spring, new shoots turn pale ivory white with emerald green veins, shaped like phoenix plumes. This fleeting whiteness is not a category marker, but a miraculous gift of spring.
The history of Anji White Tea stretches back over a thousand years. Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty wrote in Treatise on Tea: "Its leaves are thin and translucent, pure as uncarved jade, unmatched by all other teas." Researchers have confirmed that this legendary tea described by the emperor is the ancient ancestor of today’s Anji White Tea. The precious cultivar nearly died out over centuries. It was not until 1982 that researchers discovered an over hundred-year-old wild mother tea tree on a mountain 800 metres above sea level in Anji County. Its young leaves are snow-white with only pale green main veins. All of the 210,000 mu of Anji tea plantations today are propagated from this single ancient mother tree.
Its scarcity lies in the natural whitening phenomenon. Only when the spring temperature stays steadily between 19℃ and 23℃ will the shoots turn ivory white. The picking window lasts merely one month every year, and the chance is gone once the season passes. This physical change transforms the tea’s inner quality. The content of tea polyphenols drops sharply, eliminating astringency, while free amino acids rise to 6%–9%, three to six times higher than ordinary green tea. This ideal balance of high amino acids and low polyphenols brings forth a pure, bright and mellow taste. The liquor tastes sweet and vividly fresh, often described as the umami of chicken broth, free of bitterness.
In the sweltering summer heat, we tend to feel restless and fatigued. Anji White Tea makes an ideal soothing beverage. Its mild, light liquor carries an elegant orchid fragrance, perfect for refreshing your mind on sleepy afternoons and relieving summer thirst.
Hot brewing retains the pure charm of spring. Brew the tea with water heated to 80℃–85℃. The buds slowly unfurl in the glass, showing striking white leaves and green veins. Shake the cup gently for several seconds to release delicate floral notes. The smooth, sweet liquor calms restlessness and brings peace of mind.
Cold steeping creates the ultimate summer refreshment. Anji White Tea works wonderfully as cold brew. Steep the leaves in room-temperature water for three hours without heating. The natural sweetness is fully released, resulting in a crystal-clear, sweet infusion with bright orchid notes. Chilled cold brew is incredibly refreshing, ideal for drinking at home or on road trips to beat the summer heat.
Use a transparent glass or porcelain gaiwan to admire the beautiful unfolding of the pale white shoots and green veins. Never use boiling water; 80℃ to 85℃ water protects the delicate spring flavour. Give it a quick rinse to release fragrance before sipping slowly. The sweet aftertaste lingers pleasantly on the palate. Store the tea in a dark, dry and odour-free environment, and finish it within a year to preserve its original spring freshness.
Many people misjudge its category merely from its name. This snow-white hue is never a classification label, but the softest gift that spring leaves for summer.
Tongxinshe Teahouse proudly launches the 2026 Premium Anji White Tea gift box. The total net weight is 50 grams, packed into individual 5-gram sachets for one pot per bag. Convenient and hygienic, it tastes excellent whether brewed hot or cold. Compact and easy to carry, it is a refined choice for personal enjoyment or gifting. Let the snow-white spring buds fill your teacup and bring cool serenity throughout the whole summer.