Notes of honeydew, yomogi mochi, and daisy.

Powdered white tea from Fujian・April 2017・宋式抹茶・Organic

Heritage White is a tea of our own design - a nod to an ancient traditional of white tea craftsmanship and appreciation. It’s crafted from the leaves of our 2017 Bud + Leaf Baimudan, which consisted of a one-to-one ratio of silvery leaf buds to young primary leaves. This balanced proportion of buds and leaves produced a white tea that delivered sweetness, florality, and texture. We’ve taken this tea two steps further, both by holding it to age, which mellows and further sweetens those original leaves, and then by transforming it into a powder.

Heritage White echos the tradition, history, and ethos of the Song Dynasty (ca. 960). Tea in this period was prepared from powder leaves, a precursor to more modern Japanese matcha. Don’t mistake the two, however. Heritage White is bold, floral, and intense, retaining much of the Baimudan’s original characteristics. You’ll find notes of sweet yomogi mochi, ripe honeydew, and daisy.

Baimudan, meaning “white peony” in Chinese, is a white tea that consists of a blend of buds and leaves. The relative proportion of the two determines the tea’s quality and character. As its name suggests, this Baimudan consisted of an equal proportion of buds to leaves. A step down are baimudans that consist of a bud + two leaves, and finally, a bud + three or four leaves. Each step down increases astringency and bitterness. Each step up enhances aromatics, texture, sweetness, and complexity.

As a powdered tea, you’ll discover not only the intensified flavor of this Heritage White but also enjoy the contemplative practice of preparing a tea in one of its most historic forms.

Brew: 1 gram・100 ml・208° F・whisk in a "w" pattern until frothy

About the Si Fang Cha Collection

Inspired by the intimate supper clubs of the Song Dynasty, Sifang Cha is a small series of exquisite teas for special occasions. Each tea is carefully packed in hand-made canisters, and shipped in a cloth pouch.