Fuding Shou Mei White Tea Cake 2013

Usually, white tea leaves are loose and inconvenient to carry around. For practically, they are sometimes shaped into compressed spherical cakes - but easy storage and transportation are not the only reasons why this is done; the round shape of the cakes allows the tea to mature. As the years pass, the tea tends to grow smoother and sweeter, and takes on a softer finish and mellower taste.

An old Fuding town saying about tea claims that ‘tea is only the beginning: in three years it becomes medicine, and in seven years it becomes a treasure’. Every sip of an aged white tea cake should be savored and valued.

Another benefit to compressing into a cake is how it aids in natural oxidation, for which the shape of the cake is preferred over loose leaves. Only a small surface area of the leaves is directly exposed to the air in a tea cake, so the oxidation reaction is slower and more even, and promotes fermentation on the inside of the cake. The crafting process and shape of the tea give it a more enticing aroma whendry, a more attractive color of liquid, and a more savory taste as well.

	Cup Method		Chinese Gongfu Method
	Teacup: 12oz / 355ml		Gaiwan: 3.8oz / 110ml
	203℉ / 95℃		203℉ / 95℃
	5g Tea		8g Tea
	Brewing time: 3 - 5 mins		9 steeps: rinse, 10s, 15s, 20s, 25s, 30s, 35s, 45s, 65s, 85s
			Rinse time is around 5 seconds

Chaitou Shan Tea Garden is located in Fuding, the hometown of white tea. The plantation here is always surrounded by fog, creating the perfect conditions for the tea bushes to accumulate a rich array of microminerals and organic nutrients. The soil is red and yellow in color, signifying that it is rich in organic material. The tea plants growing here are mainly of the Fuding Dabaihao variety.

This Shou Mei cake is produced in Fuding, a famous tea production area located in the northeast of Fujian Province. This area experiences a subtropical monsoon climate, characteristic of coastal areas, with about 1840 total hours of sunshine through the year, and an annual average temperature of 18.5C and rainfall of 1661.6mm.

This Shou Mei white tea cake is made from the leaves of the Fuding Dabaihao plant, also called Dahao for short. It propagates asexually and takes the form of a small tree.

In 1985 it was certified as a national tea plant variety, and can grow up to 2.8m high with a thick trunk. The spring tea from this bush contains 1.8% amino acids and 28.2% tea polyphenols, marking it as a high-quality base for making white tea.

Tea has been grown in Fujian for centuries, as it has always been important for commercial purposes and trade in ancient China. Originally the process of drying the leaves was followed by a meticulous variation of hot-air drying and sun drying, in order to remove excess water from the leaves; these methods eased the preservation process and helped the tea to sell. The leaves of this naturally-dried tea seemed to appear like the Shouxing’s, the longest-living man in mythology, long curved eyebrow (眉毛, meimao). As a result, people named this tea Shou Mei.