Shoumei (; Standard Chinese pronunciation ) is a
white tea
White tea may refer to one of several styles of tea which generally feature young or minimally processed leaves of the ''Camellia sinensis'' plant.
Currently there is no generally accepted definition of white tea and very little international ...
that is produced from naturally withered upper leaf and tips, with a stronger flavor reminiscent of lighter
oolong
Oolong or Wulong (, ; ; , "black dragon" tea) is a traditional semi-oxidized Chinese tea (''Camellia sinensis)'' produced through a process that includes withering the leaves under strong sun and allowing some Enzymatic oxidation, oxidation to ...
teas. It is mostly grown in
Fujian Province
Fujian is a province in southeastern China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefecture city by population is Qua ...
and
Guangxi Province
Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam ( Hà Giang, Cao Bằng, Lạng Sơn, and Quảng Ninh Provinces) and the ...
in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. Because it is plucked later than
Bai Mudan, the tea may be darker in color, but it should still have a proportionate green color. Some lower grades of Shou Mei may be golden in color with many black and red leaves, making a darker brew with more depth.
Technically this tea, being a fourth-grade tea, is a by-product of
Baihao Yinzhen
Baihao Yinzhen (; pronounced ), also known as White Hair Silver Needle, is a white tea produced in Fujian Province in China. Amongst white teas, this is the most expensive variety and the most prized, as only top buds ( leaf shoot) of the Camel ...
tea production and uses ''Da Bai'' or Large White leaves.
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Tasting and brewing
The tea can be brewed very differently and there are many combinations that yield interesting results, but it is important to use good mineral water to bring out the sweetness and aroma of the tea and not to over brew or make a bitter and very strong brew.
Typically, white teas are brewed at a lower temperature than black teas. Often temperatures such as 70 degrees Celsius is all that is required. Different steep times and different temperatures have a remarkably different effect on the outcome of the final brew, but two to five minutes is ideal. This is correct for western style brewing when one is making the tea in a mug or western teapot, but when a gaiwan or yixing teapot is used in the gong fu style of brewing where larger quantities of leaf and smaller quantities of water are used and shared amongst the tea drinkers, steep times of less than a minute and measured in seconds would be preferred.
See also
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List of Chinese teas
This is a list of Chinese teas. Chinese tea is a beverage made from the leaves of tea plants (''Camellia sinensis'') and – depending on the type of tea – typically 60–100 °C hot water. Tea leaves are processed using traditional Chi ...
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shou Mei Tea
White tea
Chinese teas
Chinese tea grown in Fujian