Basic Introduction to Huangshan White Tea
Huangshan White Tea, also known as Huizhou White Tea, is produced in the Phoenix Bay of Qingshan Village, Fugang Town, She County, and Wugongling Village, Huantian Township, and Tiantang Village around Mount Huang, Anhui Province. It has been known since the Song Dynasty and was favored by Emperor Huizong of Song, becoming a tribute tea that enjoyed great popularity at the time. Since 2008, with the concern and support of various departments in Anhui Province and the continuous efforts of local tea brokers, the selection, propagation, demonstration planting, and large-scale promotion of Huangshan White Tea have been accelerated, and brand building is being strengthened. The “Ganbaixiang” brand Huangshan White Tea produced by the Huangshan Ganbaixiang White Tea Ecological Park won the Grand Gold Prize in the “Zhongcha Cup” competition in 2009. Huangshan White Tea now has a certain market presence and recognition in cities such as Shanghai, Hefei, Beijing, Suzhou, and more. As an extraordinary addition to the tea industry, the fragrance of Huangshan White Tea will continue to be cherished.
In 2009, samples of the “Ganbaixiang” brand Huangshan White Tea were sent for testing at the China Agricultural Products Testing Center. The results showed that the amino acid content was 8.0%, the tea polyphenol content was 8.0%, and the catechin content was 10.4%, making it a top performer among similar teas in terms of the phenol-amino ratio. This news, when published through newspapers, the internet, and other media, immediately attracted the attention of industry experts. Academician Chen Zongmao, the first tea academician in China, inscribed the words “Ganbaixiang Huangshan White Tea.” Vice President Cheng Qishen of the Chinese Tea Culture Research Association and former director of the Chinese Academy of Tea Sciences praised it as “Huangshan Ganbaixiang, Huizhou Tribute Tea.” Professor Wang Zhenhuan of Anhui Agricultural University commended it as “Huangshan White Tea, a Heavenly Gifted Species, Pale Leaf with Fresh Flavor, Most Beneficial to Health.”
Geographical Protection Area
The geographical protection area for Huangshan White Tea (Huizhou White Tea) covers 28 towns and townships within the current administrative boundaries of She County, Anhui Province, with a total area of 2,122 square kilometers.
Product Characteristics
Premium Huangshan White Tea has a straight and extended shape, with a golden-green color and a uniform appearance covered in downy white hairs. After brewing, it exudes a high and lasting floral aroma, with a fresh and mellow taste and a sweet aftertaste. These characteristics are fully embodied in the historical term “Ganbaixiang.” Its infusion is a tender green color, and the leaves, when fully expanded, reveal a tender whiteness like a transparent jade body. Rich in amino acids, iron, zinc, selenium, and other nutrients, especially high in amino acids (up to 9.2%), it surpasses Zhejiang Anji White Tea. Due to its low phenol-amino ratio, the tea soup has an extremely fresh and smooth taste. Physical and chemical indicators: water-soluble extractives ≥ 35%, free amino acid total (as glutamic acid) ≥ 7.0%.
Historical Folklore
Mentioning white tea, we cannot help but mention the eighth emperor of the Song Dynasty — Emperor Huizong (Zhaojie). Although he was a negligent ruler who plundered the people's wealth and lived extravagantly, he was a rare calligrapher and painter among emperors and a true tea enthusiast with unique tastes and insights. His book “Da Guan Tea Treatise” provides the best explanation and is the earliest scientific treatise we can refer to regarding the development of white tea. “…White tea is a species distinct from ordinary tea. Its shoots spread out, and its leaves are translucent and thin. They occasionally grow in cliffs and forests. Although they are not the result of human effort, only a few families possess them, with no more than one or two plants each. Only two or three batches are produced. It is difficult to steam and bake a large quantity of buds. If the temperature and time are not properly controlled, it becomes an ordinary product. Only when processed with great care and precision does it reveal its purity both inside and out, like jade in its raw state, unmatched by any other. There are also cases of shallow baking, but the quality is inferior…”
The production of white tea in She County is recorded in the “New An Annals” during the Chunxi period of the Song Dynasty (1174-1189): “Phoenix Mountain is located north of She County… phoenixes once lived here. In the past, tea was produced, and the annual output did not exceed two or three pounds. During the Xining era (1068-1077), a government official named Qiu designated it as ‘Ganbaixiang'…” Historical records confirm that the production of white tea in our county began in the Song Dynasty. Some say that after Emperor Zhaojie of the Northern Song Dynasty documented white tea, there was no further discovery of white tea for 350 years until the Ming Dynasty. This claim is unverified and should be taken with a grain of salt. However, our county began to attach importance to and develop white tea in the 1970s. At that time, Mr. Hu Wuhai, a tea official (now retired), discovered a variant of Green Tea – white tea – in the rugged mountains of Wugongling Village, Huantian Township. After long-term observation and repeated research, he found that white tea differs from ordinary tea, possessing ornamental, nutritional, and economic value. It is rich in amino acids, iron, zinc, selenium, and other nutrients, and is incomparable to general green teas. The tea has a white jade-like bud and paper-thin leaves. When brewed, the leaves form a bouquet, releasing a high and refreshing aroma. The infusion is clear and bright, with a fresh and mellow taste and a sweet and fragrant finish, truly a rare treasure among teas.
In the early 1990s, tea farmers in the Huantian Township of She County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province, successively discovered several original white tea bushes at altitudes of about 600 meters in the high mountain tea gardens between Liulian and Wugongling. In 1991, Senior Agronomist Hu Wuhai of the county agricultural bureau, along with local tea farmers, collected samples and produced the first batch. These samples were sent for testing at the Chinese Academy of Tea Sciences. The test results showed that the amino acid content of Huangshan White Tea was over 8%, significantly higher than that of other teas. Additionally, the ratio of tea polyphenols to amino acids was relatively low, resulting in an extremely fresh and smooth taste of the tea soup. After reviewing it, Researcher Cheng Qikun, then director of the Chinese Academy of Tea Sciences, wrote commendatory phrases such as “Huangshan White Tea, Heavenly Gifted Species, Pale Leaf with Fresh Flavor, Most Beneficial to Health” and “Huangshan Ganbaixiang, Huizhou Tribute Tea.”
Manufacturing Method
Processing Technology Flow
Processing flow: Fixation → Shaping → Drying.
Processing Technology Requirements:
Fixation Fixation temperature is 200 to 220°C; the leaves should turn dark and have a slightly prickly feel.
Shaping Forming rate ≥ 60%.
Drying Initial drying: temperature 110 to 120°C, leaf thickness 2 to 3 cm, time 15 to 20 minutes; Secondary drying: temperature 100 to 110°C, leaf thickness 1 to 2 cm, time approximately 15 minutes; Aroma enhancement: temperature 80 to 100°C, dry until the leaves are pale yellow with a hint of green, vibrant in color, and have a fresh and inviting aroma.
Awards and Honors of Huangshan White Tea
In 2009, “Ganbaixiang” Huangshan White Tea participated in the Eighth National “Zhongcha Cup” Premium Tea Competition for the first time, winning the grand prize with a high score of 94.05.
In 2009, the “Ganbaixiang” Huangshan