Bai Mu Dan (白牡丹)

archetype: Maiden in white hanfu

A maiden in white hanfu bends over a peony: tenderness, a floral breath, a warm sweet calm.

History

Bai Mu Dan — 'white peony' — is the next step after Yin Zhen in the subtlety of white teas. It is made of one bud and two leaves; the buds are covered with white down, the leaves grey-green above and silver below. In the cup the leaf truly looks like an opened peony. Minimal intervention — withering and drying; no roasting at all. The technique stabilised in the Qing era in Fuding and Zhenghe.

In the Fuding mountains lived a girl named Mu Dan. Her betrothed perished at sea, and from grief she went into the mountains and fell beside a cliff. Where her tears fell, bushes grew with grey-white leaves and buds. When the leaf is brewed, the silhouette of a peony appears in the cup — Mu Dan herself returning to those who call her.

Terroir

300–800 m. weathered granite, loose red clay. the closeness of the sea gives mild winters and humid mists; the nights are cool. Fuding gives a more 'lunar' and finer profile, Zhenghe a more honeyed and dense one.

Leaf

dry leaf: a combination of silver buds and grey-green leaves, whole, unbroken; smelling of hay and peony

warmed: the warmed leaf — white peony, meadow hay, ripe pear, a soft sweetness

after pour: after the infusion — peony, acacia, meadow hay, a thin honey

taste: white peony, meadow hay, ripe pear, a soft sweetness

finish: long, soft, leaving a floral trail in the throat

Properties

TCM: cool, yin; clears heat, moistens the lungs, calms the shen, supports the skin

Modern: rich in antioxidants, moderate theanine; gentle stimulation, good for nervous system and skin

Cha qi: soft, warm, dispersing across shoulders and chest; felt as a 'maternal embrace'

Caffeine: low to moderate (25–40 mg)

Brewing ritual

a 150 ml gaiwan; 88 °C; 5 g / 150 ml. 15s — the first peony: a floral breath; 18s — the peak: meadow hay, ripe pear; 25s — a soft sweetness, a warm calm; 40s — a long floral note; 60s — the finale — a faint trail of peony.

When to drink

day and evening. spring and summer. after a tense day, for a maidenly tenderness, for a child with a cold. white fruit, acacia, white cheese, sugar biscuits, fruit salads. for two in silence; an independent 'tender' evening

Tea meditation

Don't hide your face.
Blooming asks to be seen.
Each sip is a bow toward the peony.

Questions and answers

How do you brew Bai Mu Dan?

What does Bai Mu Dan taste like?

white peony, meadow hay, ripe pear, a soft sweetness

How much caffeine is in Bai Mu Dan?

low to moderate (25–40 mg)

What are the effects of Bai Mu Dan?

rich in antioxidants, moderate theanine; gentle stimulation, good for nervous system and skin