Taste spring in your cup

A cup of Anji white tea. [Photo/IC]

As spring has come with blossoms, it's time to enjoy this year's fresh tea.

Among the various green teas, there is a special one called Anji white tea which is, in fact, not a member of the white tea family.

Rare and expensive, the tea has a short harvesting period, often only one month.

Loose leaves of Anji white tea. [Photo/IC]

The reason why Anji white tea is called "white tea" is primarily due to the tea plant variety it comes from, known as "White Leaf No.1".

This is a temperature-sensitive whitening variety, and the color of its tea buds changes with the temperature.

In early spring when temperatures are low, the tender leaves begin to unfurl; the buds, along with the leaves, gradually transition from a slight green to a jade-like white color. As the temperature rises, the color of the leaves deepens step by step, eventually turning green.

A worker picks up Anji white tea in Anji county, Zhejiang province, March 25, 2021. [Photo/IC]

Originally produced in Anji county in Zhejiang province in East China, Anji white tea cultivar was discovered in the 1980s.

Anji white tea is rich in theanine as well as amino acids that are critical to the proper functioning of the body. It also has strong antioxidants that are critical in keeping the heart healthy.