From Fuding’s coastal hillsides
Fuding sits where Fujian meets the East China Sea, its rolling hills catching salt-tinged breezes that shape the character of local white teas. The Fuding Da Bai cultivar has grown here for over a century, prized for its thick buds and resilient leaves.
Chen Hui Yi selected this Shou Mei from a family-run garden at 680 meters elevation, where spring picking begins in late March. Unlike the bud-only picks reserved for Silver Needle, Shou Mei includes the third and fourth leaves — yielding a more robust, fruit-forward profile that ages gracefully.
Processing follows traditional sun-withering: leaves spread on bamboo trays beneath open sky for two full days, turned gently to ensure even moisture loss. No panning, no rolling. The goal is patience — allowing the leaf to oxidize slowly, developing the honeyed notes that define quality Fuding whites.
This 2026 spring harvest shows the hallmarks of a good picking window: warm days, cool nights, and adequate rainfall in February. The resulting tea drinks well now but will reward those who set a portion aside. Even a small sample like this reveals the terroir that has made Fuding synonymous with white tea excellence.