Fuding

3 Posts Back Home

Which of these White Peony white teas were made for export to the…

Which of these White Peony white teas were made for export to the West, at low prices (roughly 1/3), and from Guangxi? Can’t tell? At very close look, I can tell, but the taste gives it away. The palate is the ultimate judge, above any claims from anyone. But that means one has to have a frame of reference for what is true white tea (or true any other tea). Mr. Lin says few local professional tea buyers would ever be fooled, and at the prices that the Western importers demand, they can only get a version from Guangxi. They do disclose that fact if asked. I bet no one does. There is even white tea from Vietnam in the West. But some of us live and die by specificity of terroir and maker, and the truth is always paramount above business dealings. Mr. Lin was highly amused with the faces I was making today- he intentionally trotted out a bunch of fakes to test my reaction. Not knowing it was pop quiz time, I didn’t want to offend, but every face said- WTF…. Mr. Lin smirked and was very entertained. I must have passed with flying colors, because at the end, he brought out the small batch of sublime Bailin Gongfu. And Guangxi, folks, is very far away from Fuding, Fujian, home of white tea. But not as far as Vietnam.

True white tea

Visiting with Mr. Lin, one of the producers of white tea in the Fuding area. As we had dinner right on the water in a fishing village, he commented on how just not too long ago, when he and his brothers were harvesting tea up in the hills behind us, his sister would cast a net right here, catch some fish, and walk them all the way up the mountain for her brothers. This beautiful new highway and…

Fuding by express rail

Not quite as fast a bullet train but the trip from Xiamen to Fuding only took a total of 2 hours by the new express rail. It’s like going from L.A. to SF in that amount of time. If only the U.S. had spent money on the train system…
Fuding is the home of white tea. Here is where people may stop me and argue that white tea is a process of airdrying some leaf buds and therefore, can be made anywhere….

Navigate