Description

Silver Needle (Bai Hao Yin Zhen) Cut & Sifted Herb / White Tea

HERB COMMON NAME :   Silver Needle

HERB SCIENTIFIC NAME :   Bai Hao Yin Zhen

OTHER NAMES :   White Hair Silver Needle, Yin Zhen, Baihao Yinzhen, White Tea

ASSOCIATIONS & CORRESPONDENCES :

• Element:  Air
• Planet:  Moon
• Day:  Monday
• Direction:  East
• Energy:  Yang
• Gender:  Masculine

Parts Used:  Buds, Leaves

Description:  Among white teas, this is the most expensive variety and the most prized, as only top buds (leaf shoots) of the plant are used to produce the tea, production is rare and limited, it is time consuming to harvest, and it possesses a finer taste.

Silver Needle (Bai Hao Yin Zhen) tea is packed with antioxidants and low in caffeine. It helps improve digestion, and eases stomach cramps, nausea, and heartburn. It also helps to detox the digestive system. It may help reduce kidney problems, fight against renal failure, and help maintain a healthy liver. It may also help with healthy weight loss by burning fat.

To prepare hot, use 1-2 Tbsp herb to 6-8 ounces of 180° water, and steep from 2- 5 minutes. The tea can be re-infused up to 3 times (increase the time and temperature slightly with each subsequent infusion). To prepare iced, use 2 Tbsp herb to 12 ounces of room temperature water, refrigerate for 8 hours overnight, then add ice to drink if desired.

Historical Uses:  boost immunity, heart health, a relaxant, promotes weight loss, indigestion, heartburn, stomach cramps, nausea, detoxifying, cleanse, kidney problems, liver problems

Other Uses:  Bai Hao Yin Zhen is also brewed as a liquor.

Taste & Smell:  The taste is smooth, light, fresh, delicate, and slightly sweet.  Sometimes with a juicy or even citrus undertone reminiscent of tangerine or mandarin orange.  Silver Needle smells light, sweet, and floral, like fresh wildflowers with a hint of honey or like fresh-cut hay.

Botany, Cultivation & Harvesting:  Silver Needle is a white tea produced in the Fujian Province in China. The mother tree is planted in Hongxue Cave on Taimu Mountain in Fuding. Fuding, located in the northeast of Fujian Province, has a mild and warm climate and plenty of rainfall. The perennial mean temperature is 18.4 degrees Celsius. It is also cultivated in Zhenghe, Yunnan, and other regions like India and Nepal. Fujian (Fuding style) Bai Hao Yin Zhen from the Da Hai Bao bushes is considered by some to be the “true” white tea. Zhenghe style Silver Needle is usually a lot darker, with a significantly longer piled-up time for oxidation, yielding a tea with fuller body.

The ideal harvests are from the first flushes, which generally take place between late March to early April, when the year’s first new buds “flush”. Spring harvests have the highest quality, are most abundant, and make up about half of annual production. However, it can be harvested in spring, summer, and fall. For the production of Silver Needle, only the leaf shoots (i.e. the leaf buds before opening) are plucked. It is a tender plant, so leaves are hand-picked. The ideal time and weather for plucking white tea is a dry sunny morning when the sun is high enough to have dried any remaining moisture on the buds.

The plucks are laid in shallow baskets to wilt under the sun for an extended period (maximum of 3 days) until thoroughly dried. To avoid loss due to sudden rain, gusts, etc. some producers take the plucks indoors to wilt in a chamber with artificial warm air flow. The softened shoots are then piled for the required enzyme oxidation before they are taken for a low temperature bake-dry. Drying is an essential and challenging step that has a strict requirement of temperature and workers’ skill. If the temperature falls below a specific range, the tea will lose its unique taste.

Sources: https://spiritartsandherbs.com/sources

**IMPORTANT INFORMATON: Products are sold as curio items for entertainment purposes only and based upon historical and magical uses.  We do not imply or guarantee that any items provide specific abilities, powers, outcomes, remedies, or treatments. Any information provided on listings or through private conversation is intended for educational purposes only and are based on historical folklore and traditions, and should not replace the advice of a physician. Use our products at your own risk. By purchasing this item, you understand and release Spirit Arts & Herbs Inc from any liability. No items we sell are for internal use and should never be ingested for any reason. Some may also not be safe for topical application, or even be safe to touch while unprotected. Always use proper safety precautions when using our products. We will not be held responsible for illness, injury, or death from the use of any product.

PRODUCT IS NOT A TREATMENT. This product has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. CAUTION : Do not use ANY product if pregnant or nursing. Do not use if allergic to any ingredients. Prior to use, consult with your professional health-care provider to ensure safe use and understand effects that ingredients may cause relative to safety, personal conditions, and medication interactions which may be harmful. FOR ADULT USE ONLY. By purchasing, you confirm that you are over 18 years of age. Keep out of reach of children and pets. Do not use more than recommended by your healthcare professional.  Purchase of this product indicates that you have read, understand, and agree to Spirit Arts & Herbs Terms and Conditions.

Many of our products are hand made to order. Once orders are in processing, products are non-cancellable, non-refundable, and not returnable. Shipping times may be up to 3-4 weeks.