What's the difference between Yunnan and Fujian white tea?

Yunnan white tea uses large-leaf varietal with withering and drying at 40-60°C (sun or low-temperature oven), with water extract content ≥35%, producing a fuller-bodied cup with higher steeping endurance. Fujian white tea uses small-leaf varietal with a baking step at 70-110°C, with water extract of 28-30%. Yunnan white tea is generally more robust.

How are white teas categorized?

By leaf tenderness: Silver Needle (single bud, downy fragrance and honey notes, highest grade), White Peony/Bai Mudan (one bud with one or two leaves, floral and sweet), and Shoumei (one bud with three to four leaves, full-bodied and enduring). Songdehao offers silver needles, dragon pearls, loose leaf, and pressed cakes.

What temperature for brewing white tea?

Hot brewing: 85-90°C water, 3-5g per 110ml gaiwan, first steep 10 seconds, gradually extending each subsequent steep. Cold brewing: 3-5g with 500ml cold water, refrigerated 4-8 hours. New white tea suits refreshing cold brew; aged white tea is best hot brewed for a mellow, complex cup.

How long can white tea be stored?

White tea can be stored long-term when kept in proper conditions: 15-25°C temperature, 55-70% humidity, away from light, odors, and with ventilation. The saying goes 'one year tea, three years aged, seven years treasure.' After 3 years it develops medicinal/jujube notes; after 7+ years it becomes mellow and sweet.

Topics： All Articles Puer Tea Guide White Tea Guide Black Tea Guide Tea Mountain Stories

White Tea Guide

The most natural tea type — one year tea, three years aged

White tea is the most minimally processed of all six tea types, undergoing only withering and drying — no rolling, no kill-green. Songdehao white tea comes from Jinggu, Yunnan, using large-leaf varietal leaves with a water extract content of ≥35% (higher than Fujian white tea's 28-30%), resulting in a fuller-bodied cup. The saying goes: "one year tea, three years aged, seven years treasure" — white tea improves with age.

White Tea Categories

By leaf tenderness: Silver Needle (single bud, downy fragrance and honey notes), White Peony / Bai Mudan (one bud with one or two leaves, floral and sweet), Shoumei (one bud with three to four leaves, full-bodied and enduring). Songdehao offers silver needles (Baihao Yinzhen Silver Needle), dragon pearls, loose leaf, and pressed cakes (Gushu White Tea Cake, Aged White Tea Cake).

Yunnan vs. Fujian White Tea

Yunnan white tea uses large-leaf varietal, processed by "withering → drying" at 40-60°C (sun-dried or low-temperature oven), with water extract ≥35%. Fujian white tea uses small-leaf varietal, includes a "baking" step at 70-110°C, with water extract 28-30%. Yunnan white tea is fuller-bodied with higher steeping endurance.

Brewing Methods

White tea is forgiving to brew, and the method changes the cup completely. This guide page is your navigation hub; for step-by-step instructions jump to our dedicated brewing guides. Hot brewing: 85-90°C water, 3-5g per 110ml gaiwan, first steep 10 seconds, gradually extending — see the full walkthrough in The Right Way to Hot Brew White Tea (water temperature, vessel choice, new vs. aged tea). Cold brewing: 3-5g tea with 500ml cold water, refrigerate 4-8 hours — for ratios, steeping time and common mistakes, see Complete Guide to Cold Brewing White Tea (yes, you can cold brew white tea — it is one of the best teas for it). New white tea is refreshing cold-brewed; aged white tea is richer hot-brewed.

Storage and Aging

Store at 15-25°C, 55-70% humidity, away from light, odors, and sealed from air. New white tea (1-2 years) is light and fresh; after 3 years, it develops herbal/date notes; 7+ year aged white tea is mellow and sweet. Properly stored, white tea can age indefinitely.

Explore Our White Tea

Every tea below is traceable to Jinggu ancient-tree gardens and photographed in our studio — see the full range on the products page. Entry-level daily drinking: Gushu White Tea Dragon Pearls (single-serve balls, cold-brew friendly). Flagship freshness: Baihao Yinzhen (Silver Needle). For aged complexity: Aged White Tea Cake — best hot-brewed after years of proper storage.

Last updated: September 8, 2026

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