Emperor's Peak - 25g Loose Leaf White Tea

Tea Origin - Fujian, Mainland China.

Food Paring - Lemon sole, cucumber salad, Roquefort cheese.

Taste Profile - Brioche, honeydew melon, cucumber and fresh barely.

Big downy buds of white silver needle tea. A beautiful white tea with delectable smells of brioche, sweet hay, and pine. We adore this tea's creamy-soft golden liquor and calming tastes of melon, cucumber and barley.

White tea has traditionally been considered uncommon and expensive. During China's imperial dynasties, it was reserved exclusively for the Emperor and his royal court. "Common people" were not permitted to drink white tea at all. But now, if you know where to look, you can find the best white teas. We discovered this excellent specimen in Diantou, Fuding, in Fujian's extreme northeast. White tea is thought to have originated in the misty granite peaks of Taimu Mountain. To be classified as a Fujian white, the tea must be made in particular places north of the Minjiang River, using buds from indigenous tea trees.

What distinguishes white tea is that it is prepared only from the fragile, unopened spring leaf buds of the tea bush. It is one of the truly ancient tea courses, prepared simply by allowing newly picked tea leaf buds to wither in the sun. For a premium Fuding white tea like this, only buds from the Fuding Da Bai Hao tea bush variety can be utilised. The down-covered buds, known as'silver needles', are carefully removed as they emerge in spring. The meticulous operation continues with the blooms naturally withering in the sun before being dried to preserve their nuanced intricacies.