W-H-I-T-E T-E-A

Mr. Zhou, the fifth generation boss of one of the most successful tea enterprises in China that we buy our white teas from, standing in front of his 5000 hectares of organic and traditional farm. But just what is White Tea? There is the technical and correct definition, or the subjective and loosely inclusive definition. Can you say that tea grown in Taiwan can be called Darjeeling ? Or Westlake Dragonwell from anywhere but Hangzhou, truly can be considered Dragonwell? We all sort of agree that no, you can not. You can have dragonwell style green tea grown elsewhere. You can have 'High Mountain Oolong' grown in Vietnam, but you can't say it's Taiwan High Mountain Oolong, because it isn't. So if we can accept those as fact, then we have to also accept that White Tea comes from the White Varietal Tea Plant, grown in Fuding, Fujian, China, and that the rest? Simply not. 'White Tea' from Sri Lanka is white tea style processed tea, not true White Tea. Why is this in dispute when it's so obvious? Because it matters for taste, health, and for the people of Fuding of which it is a matter of pride.

In the city of Fuding, roughly 70% of the town are involved in tea, in one form or another, for their livelihood. That' s basically all working age people. They have been growing white tea there at the foothills and base mountain areas of Mt. Taimu for over 150 years, led by the She indigenous people. I like the dedicated City of Fuding and its folks to its tea, the Large White. We know it as Silver Needle or White Peony Longevity Brows. The farms are pristine, and the townsfolk all pull for each other. Mr. Zhou donated over 400,000 rmb back to the government last year to help repair their town after devastation from a typhoon. Their own farm house collapsed but never mind, they will rebuild that next year.

But this is a little town. There is alot of very enterprising people who were able to turn their little boutique farm into businesses, and the Central Government supports them. But can they counter claims from powerful Tea Boards from other countries claiming theirs is also white tea? I won't name names. Little Fuding is throwing an egg against stone.

They were proud to announce that the latest study shows that White Tea does more to lower cholesterol than even Pu-Erh!

They are one of the cleanest, most professional, yet still artisanal, tea companies I know. And they produce Free Leaf for us.

I am falling asleep at this point after another intense day of official company banquets and the incessant polite rounds of beer toasts, so will pick this up later.