Today’s tea? The beautiful, delicate Silver Needle.

What is it?

Silver Needle, or Bai Hao Yin Zhen, is a white tea from China’s Fujian province. As the name might suggest, the tea buds harvested for this tea have a distinctive appearance, resembling silvery, frost-dusted needles from your favorite pine. Their fine, feathery texture makes them look like they’re made out of velvet.

The harvesting window for Silver Needle is quite small, often spanning only a few days. Tea buds are harvested at the very beginning of the first flush in early spring, after which they undergo a light withering and oxidizing process. This light oxidation helps give the needles their pale, velvety appearance as opposed to more heavily oxidized black or oolong teas. Silver Needle producers have stringent requirements for harvesting and processing, particularly in which parts of the tea plant they harvest, how those buds are handled, and the temperature and humidity at which those buds are withered and oxidized, resulting in high-quality, well-respected tea.

At Adagio, we have several options for those interested in trying Silver Needle. We offer our original Silver Needle, Jasmine Silver Needle for those who want to add a little extra floral flavor, and our premium Fujian Silver Needle. Our Masters site also carries Bai Hao Yin Zhen, where you can learn more about steeping techniques and the farming process in an interview with farmer Zhang Xiao Han.

Preparation and Taste

As a white tea, Silver Needle should be steeped with water that is 180℉ or 82℃. We recommend using a clear pot or mug while steeping so you can see the beautiful color of the tea and the “dance” of the leaves. If using an infuser, we recommend not using anything too small so the tea buds can properly steep. Given its delicate flavor, we do not recommend adding cream or sugar, though we do have Raw Honey for Green Teas if you prefer your tea on the sweeter side. When properly steeped, Silver Needle can handle three steepings, with slight variations in flavor each time.

For aroma and flavor, Silver Needle has a strong and pleasant smell with both fruity and floral tones, which are matched by its light floral and grape-like flavors. Following the grape theme, the color in the cup is an extremely pale yellow, akin to a fine white wine.

Flavor Pairings

Like many white teas, it can be difficult to match Silver Needle with flavor pairings due to its light and delicate flavor. We do not recommend pairing this tea with anything too heavy, such as rich, savory foods or most meats, as those will quickly overpower Silver Needle’s flavor. If desired, Silver Needle can be enjoyed with lighter fruits or vegetables or used to add subtlety to light and simple desserts.

Recipes

TeaChef does not yet have any recipes featuring Silver Needle, but we encourage you to be the first! This tea may have a light flavor, but that just makes it all the more refined. Explore the possibilities, and if you create any new culinary masterpieces, make sure to share them with us!

Similar Teas

If you’ve fallen in love with Silver Needle and are looking for other similar teas, we have a few suggestions. We offer many other white teas on our Adagio and Masters Teas sites.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this exploration of this much-beloved Chinese tea. If you have any questions or are starting down the path of becoming a true Silver Needle fan, let us know by reaching out on social media at @Adagioteas!