Basic Introduction to Lingyun Baihao Tea
Lingyun Baihao Tea: a type of green tea. Originally named “Baitou Tea,” also known as “Lingyun Baitou Tea,” it is named for the white hairs that cover the back of its leaves. It is primarily produced in the misty mountains within Linyun and Leye counties in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with the best quality and highest yield coming from the areas around Yuhong and Jiayou near Mount Qinglong. It is renowned both domestically and internationally for its five distinctive features: vibrant color, abundance of white hairs, high fragrance, rich flavor, and excellent brewing durability, making it a rising star among Chinese teas.
Product Characteristics
The Lingyun Baihao Tea plant is large, reaching heights of over 900 centimeters, with an erect posture and sparse branching. The leaves are horizontally or pendulously arranged. In Linyun, the spring buds sprout around mid-March, and the peak period for the one bud and three leaves is from late March to early April, with an average weight of 99 grams per hundred shoots. Flowering begins in November, with the peak flowering period from late November to mid-December. The plant flowers and bears fruit infrequently, with small fruits and many hairs on the calyx, and mature tea fruits are green.
Historical Folklore
According to “The Chinese Famous Teas Gazetteer,” “Lingyun Baihao Tea is a historical famous tea, created before the reign of Emperor Qianlong during the Qing Dynasty, originally produced in Linyun County.”
“The Linyun County Gazetteer” records: “Lingyun Baihao has existed since ancient times (referring to tea plants), with a significant amount produced in Yuhong Township.” According to “The Guangxi Special Products Gazetteer” (1937): “White-haired tea, with larger trees reaching about two meters in height, and smaller ones seven feet tall, young leaves like silver needles, older leaves long and pointed like longan leaves but thinner, all covered in white downy hair, hence the name, generally wild.”
“The Guangxi General Gazetteer” states: “White-haired tea… larger trees reach two meters in height, smaller ones seven to eight feet, young leaves like longan leaves but thinner, hence the name, generally wild.”
China is the birthplace of tea, and the Cen Wang Old Mountain and Qinglong mountain range in southwestern Guangxi is the home of Lingyun Baihao Tea.
Manufacturing Method
First, use high-temperature fixation, employing a combination of full toss stir-frying and high toss stir-frying, followed by low toss, high toss, and high toss again, and finally shaking stir-frying, which helps evaporate moisture and prevents yellowing. Second, fan cooling to quickly remove leaf temperature and preserve the vibrant green color. Third, high-temperature quick stir-frying for the second fixation at a pan temperature of 80–85°C, with a leaf quantity of about 1000 grams, ensuring high tossing and quick flipping to speed up moisture evaporation, achieving a dryness level of 70% to 80%. Fourth, low-temperature slow stir-frying for the third fixation at a pan temperature of around 60°C, with a leaf quantity of about 1500 grams, using slow hand movements to maintain the tip and downy hair intact. When the downy hairs are fully revealed and the aroma develops, and the leaves can be ground into powder by hand, the process is considered complete.
Awards and Honors of Lingyun Baihao Tea
In addition to domestic sales, Lingyun Baihao Tea is also sold in Morocco, Ireland, Hong Kong, Macau, and other places. This tea was once given as a national gift to King Hassan II of Morocco, where it was considered a treasure and referred to as “the finest of teas.”
1915: Won the second prize at the Panama International Food Exposition.
1965: Recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture's Department of Agriculture and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Tea Research Institute as an excellent variety of Chinese tea tree.
1984: Exhibited as an excellent tea tree variety resource at the National Agricultural Zoning Conference.
1985: Certified as a national superior variety by the National Tea Tree Superior Variety Certification Committee.
1990: Listed in “Chinese Local Specialties Dictionary” and “Collection of China's Excellent Tea Varieties.”
1991: Evaluated by the Ministry of Agriculture's Tea Quality Supervision and Testing Center and awarded the title of “National High-Quality Famous Tea.”
1992: Listed in “Chinese Tea Encyclopedia.”
1994: Listed in “Selected Collection of China's Famous and Quality Teas,” “Great View of Chinese Tea,” and “History of Guangxi Tea.”
1999: Awarded the title of “Famous and Quality Tea” at the Third National “Zhongcha Cup.”
Brewing Method
The brewing method for Baihao Tea is basically the same as for green tea, but because it is not rolled and is covered in white hairs, the tea juices do not easily leach out, so the brewing time should be longer. After pouring water, it usually takes 5 to 6 minutes for the tea buds to slowly sink to the bottom, and it is recommended to wait around 10 minutes before drinking to fully appreciate the true character, authentic aroma, and complete flavor of the white tea.