Leaves from small 100-year-old tea trees, harvested in Master Xiang’s favorite garden near Maden in early March 2023. Immediately after picking, the leaves are spread in a thin layer on bamboo trays and dried for 4 days under a large shelter, being brought out into the morning sun to drive off the “night moisture.” This process removes excess bitterness from the tea.
Master Xiang carefully monitors this extremely important drying process, determining the readiness of the tea by touch.
Although the white tea production method may seem simple at first glance, it is actually very complex and full of important details: the stage of leaf development for harvesting; weather during picking and drying; the arrangement of leaves on trays; and moisture control over time, regulated by constantly moving the trays to locations with optimal environmental conditions.