Jinhua Baicha

Classification and Origin

in the Chinese tea classification, the six basic categories are defined by the processing method. True white tea (báichá, 白茶) is, for example, Fuding and Zhenghe varieties, undergoing only withering and drying without fixation. Teas of the "Jinhua baicha" type, like the famous Anji baicha (安吉白茶), are produced from special light-leaf cultivars (白化茶, báihuà chá) and undergo the full green tea cycle — including enzyme fixation (杀青). The "whiteness" refers to the colour of the young shoot, not the technology.

generally, the cultivar 白叶一号 (Báiyè yīhào, "White Leaf No. 1") — the same variety that made Anji baicha famous. Other local light-leaf cultivars are possible, but 白叶一号 is the most widespread in Zhejiang (the precise varietal composition of plantings specifically in Jinhua cannot be confirmed — verification required).

Origin: Jinhua (金华) prefecture, central part of Zhejiang province (浙江), in the inner hilly zone of the Qiantang River basin. The administrative prefecture includes, in particular, the counties and districts of Wuyi (武义), Pan'an (磐安), Pujiang (浦江), Lanxi (兰溪), as well as Dongyang, Yiwu, and Yongkang. Several of these territories — especially Wuyi (武义) and Pan'an (磐安) — have long been known for green tea production, a clean mountain environment, and developed organic farming.

Type: green tea from a light-leaf cultivar (白化茶绿茶, báihuà chá lǜchá). Despite the 白 in the name, by processing method this is a green tea, undergoing the full cycle with a fixation step.

Botany and Raw Material

the phenomenon is called temperature-sensitive albinism. At low spring temperatures, chlorophyll synthesis is suppressed in the young shoots, and the leaves acquire a jade-white, light-yellow, or almost cream colour with green veins. As the temperature rises, chlorophyll synthesis is restored, and the leaf turns green.

tender flush, usually a bud with one leaf, harvested in the early-spring "white" period while the leaf is still light-coloured.

extremely narrow — the early-spring harvest is prized, while the leaf is still light. This makes such teas expensive and seasonal.

Organoleptic Profile

light, transparent, jade-greenish-yellow;

fresh, tender — notes of young greenery, bean sprouts, sometimes a light orchid/floral note;

thin, light-coloured, with translucent veins.

Taste: pronouncedly fresh and sweetish, with noticeable umami fullness from theanine, minimal bitterness and astringency, clean aftertaste;