Silver Needle

Silver Needle, or Yin Zhen as it is traditionally called, is one of the world’s most prized white teas.  Produced in China’s Fujian Province, it is harvested only a few days out of each spring.  The silver downy buds are painstakingly hand-picked in accordance with the Imperial Method before they are given a chance to open.   This rare, organic white tea has a subtle, sweet flavor that is delicate and smooth.

At one time, the entire Silver Needle harvest was reserved for the exclusive use of the emperor of China.

Contrary to popular belief, Silver Needle actually has a relatively high caffeine content.  New research has begun to contradict the myth that white teas have less caffeine simply because they are less oxidized than other types of teas.  As it turns out, it is a bit more complicated than that.  We are now learning that caffeine content has more to do with the part of the plant being used than the oxidation level of the finished product.  Silver Needle is made using only the newest growth of the tea plant and it is these young buds that tend to store the largest portion of the plant’s caffeine.  Silver Needle and other teas like it that contain a large portion of tea buds often rank relatively high when it comes to caffeine levels; nevertheless, they still have considerably less caffeine than an average cup of coffee.

Along with caffeine, the buds of the tea plant often store a higher concentration of antioxidants than the older leaves.  For this reason, Silver Needle is thought to contain more antioxidants than other type of tea. Silver Needle is also harvested according to the Imperial plucking method, a method named for the fact that its bounty was once reserved for the exclusive use of the emperor. It is the best, most exclusive picking method and it involves hand harvesting just the bud of the plant or the bud and the first leaf.

Silver Needle has a very subtle flavor profile and needs to be paired with an equally mild dish. Try serving Silver Needle with steamed poultry, tofu or a light salad.

We recommend steeping Silver Needle for 4-5 minutes at 175°.  Silver Needle is well known for its ability to sustain multiple steeps so hold onto those tea leaves and re-steep them four to five times before tossing them into your compost pile.

Ingredients: White tea.