Revisiting Anji White Tea and Anji Bai Pian - Anji White Tea

by baichazu1083 on 2012-03-03 09:13:28

I noticed that quite a number of tea friends tend to confuse the prices of "Anji Bai Pian" and "Anji Bai Cha". Both originate from Anji, Zhejiang, are green teas, have similar names, and resemble each other in appearance. Based on relevant materials, I would like to add a few more words to clarify the concepts and deepen understanding. As the saying goes, "The flowers gradually become dazzling, how can one tell the difference between male and female?" Let's talk again about Anji Bai Pian and Anji Bai Cha.

6. In addition, based on personal experience and knowledge, the higher the grade of Anji Bai Cha, the more its dry tea color presents golden yellow with hidden emerald (especially for pre-Qingming tea, many green teas share this characteristic). Those Anji Bai Cha with bright green appearances are slightly inferior.

According to information from China Anji Bai Cha Network, Anji is located in the northwest of Zhejiang Province and belongs to the famous tea hometown Huzhou. Since ancient times, it has produced excellent teas. As early as the Tang Dynasty, Lu Yu, the tea sage who lived in seclusion in Huzhou, wrote in the "Tea Classic": "In western Zhejiang, Huzhou is superior... produced in Anji and Wukang counties." In 1981, Anji Bai Pian was successfully trial-produced. In the early 1980s, through the asexual reproduction of the rare ancient tea tree "Bai Cha Zu" found in Daxi Hengkengwu in Anji, Anji Bai Cha was successfully cultivated. After years of development, Anji Bai Cha has become a rare gem among China's high-quality green teas.

1. Both types of Anji Bai Cha belong to green tea, but their tree varieties are different. The main tree varieties of Anji Bai Pian include high-altitude green tea, "Longjing No. 43", and "Ying Shuang". Currently, the tree variety of Anji Bai Cha is unique, which is "Bai Ye No. 1".

2. The processing methods of the two types of Anji Bai Cha are different. Anji Bai Pian is semi-baked or baked green tea, while Anji Bai Cha (commonly known as "Phoenix Shape") is baked green tea. However, "Dragon Shape" Anji Bai Cha (Anji Bai Longjing) is stir-fried green tea.

3. Despite the great disparity in prices between Anji Bai Pian and Anji Bai Cha, for drinkers, there is no distinction of "high or low, good or bad". It all depends on personal preference. Personally, I think Anji Bai Cha and Bai Pian have a unique charm different from other green teas, containing a faint, cold aroma akin to snow accumulated on bamboo. The higher the grade of Bai Cha, the purer this fragrance becomes.

4. Anji Bai Cha ("Bai Ye No. 1") belongs to the "temperature-sensitive type" of "low-temperature sensitive type" white tea. Anji Bai Cha ("Bai Ye Cha") is a rare variant tea species. The tea tree produces "white tea" for a very short time, usually about a month. Taking the original production area of Anji, Zhejiang as an example, in spring, the tender leaves sprout pure white before Qingming Festival; before Guyu Festival, the white gradually fades, mostly turning jade white; after rain until Xiaozhi, the tender leaves gradually turn green, presenting variegated leaves of white and green; by summer, the tender leaves turn completely green, indistinguishable from ordinary green tea.

5. The degree of jade whiteness of Anji Bai Cha is greatly related to temperature, with a threshold of approximately 23°C. Beyond this temperature, the leaves turn green. Precisely because the magical Anji Bai Cha is picked, processed, and made during its specific period of returning to white, its leaf base also turns jade white after steeping, which is the main characteristic of Anji Bai Cha.