
- HOME >
- New Arrival at HOJO Online Shop
The Quest for Sweet Bai Mu Dan (白茶)
- [2013.06.19] Posted By Akira Hojo
We have released Bai Mu Dan. The best Bai Mu Dan is plucked in March. I personally went to Fuding around 20th of March to select the tea right on the spot. In Fuding, the first flush buds are used for Silver Needle and the remaining two leaves are usually used for producing Bai Mu Dan. The tea plucked from April onwards are also often used to produce Bai Mu Dan. However, we looked for the Bai Mu Dan that was plucked in March which consists of 1 bud and 2 leaves.
Why do we need to look for the March-plucked tea?
Do you know, the tea plucked in March is worthwhile? Well, usually tea is not only available during spring. However, after the tea is harvesting, the tea tree will produce a new batch of buds within 2-3 weeks later. The farmers would be able to continue harvesting the tea throughout the year except during the winter season. There are some tea gardens in China who carry out tea plucking for even up to 12 times a year. During the beginning of the seasons, the tea trees grow slowly due to the cold weather, bringing about a more abundant content of minerals and polyphenol in the tea leaves. Based on my experiences, the difference between the early-plucked tea and the late-plucked tea are as follow:
Body
When the tea is plucked during the end of the season, the body of the tea would become lighter which would also effects the heaviness of the taste and the expansion of the flavour of tea. A tea with a lighter body, the taste becomes sharp and light making you feel that the flavour is not strong enough.
After Taste
The after taste of a tea is not significantly related to the timing of tea plucking. The after taste of tea is quite subjective. For certain tea, the late-plucked tea produces quite strong after taste.
Dryness
The later the tea leaves are plucked, the stronger the dryness will be. The dryness produces an uncomfortable drinking feeling; the tea produces a coarse or sandiness sensation on the tongue.
An ideal tea should give a soft drinking feeling with a creamy texture that has a sweetness that remains in the throat and produces reasonably strong body. Based on these criteria, I must choose the Bai Mu Dan that was plucked in March.
How to determine the time for harvest of tea?
The easiest way to identify if the teas were plucked in the early season is to analyze the brewed leaves with fingers. Do try pinching the leaves with your fingers and feel the texture of the leaves. This is how they should be; the early-plucked leaves (spring leaves) are tender, soft and elastic due to the abundance of smaller cells. On the contrary, if the tea leaves are plucked in April or May, you may notice a rough and coarse leaves when pinching it.
The mao-cha of white tea
We purposely bought the mao-cha Bai Mu Dan this year. Recently, all types of white tea are baked at the end of the process where the temperature is more than a 100 degree C causing the tea to develop a savory aroma. However, the baking process also oxidizes the volatile substances diminishing the soft and delicate floral flavour of the mao-cha. In addition, most of the factories in Fuding are not equipped with a proper cooling system which is essential to prevent the condensation of water after baking of the tea leaves. The tea leaves would get wet if proper cooling is not carried out immediately after the baking process. It will then causes the oxidation of leaves.
Personally, I loved the refreshing floral note of the mao-cha that is why we decided to acquire the mao-cha without the final baking process.
Aging develops fruity flavour
Bai Mu Dan is not only ideal to drink when it is fresh but also after it has been matured. After keeping this tea for more than a few years, it will develop a strong fruity flavour that reminds me of Muscat. If you wish to keep this tea, please preserve it in an unopened bag. The tea can be matured faster if it is kept in a warmer place. Why don’t you keep the white tea for a few years and produce your very own original vintage white tea?
https://hojotea.com/jp/posts-840/
Related Articles
How to get the latest update on HOJO Tea?
1. Follow Twitter, 2. Click "Like" on Facebook, and 3. Subscribe in newsletter. You can have the latest tea news from HOJO Tea.
Subscribe the Newsletter to enjoy the privileges
- You may receive a free sample upon purchase, or you may have the priority to purchase special products. So please remember to subscribe our newsletter as well as the social network.
- Special Release Limited Set of Ancient White Tea from 5 Gardens
- The ancient white tea is a very popular tea in our store. We produced this tea in spring. Following production, it was stored in an oxygen-free environment for several months to further enhance its flavor, achieving the expected maturation. The production of ancient tree white tea is limited in quantity per day, resulting in small …
- The New Arrival of Da Xue Shan Wild White Tea Loose 2023
- We have released the 2023 harvest of wild white tea from the Da Xue Shan. Fresh Green Colour of Leaves Achieved Through Custom Production Da Xue Shan’s wild white tea is an incredibly rare type of white tea, and it’s made from a unique plant called Camellia Taliensis that grows in the wild in the …
NEW ARTICLES
We released Lapsang Suchong Qi Zhong Classic: Premium Lapsang Souchong
- Lapsang Souchong is one of the earliest known black teas distinguished by a unique production method and flavour profile. Its origins are often linked to the Wuyi Mountains in China’s Fujian province, where Lapsang Souchong is traditionally crafted. Black tea production in the Wuyi region has a history dating back several centuries. Lapsang Souchong tea …
Regular Consumption of Umami Seasoning Can Influence Taste Preferences
- Excessive consumption of artificial condiments, such as umami seasonings, is believed to influence one’s taste and preferences. I’d like to share my own view to explore how an overabundance of condiments can indeed influence one’s palate. Umami Seasonings Are Prevalent in Asian Countries I spend half of the year living abroad, particularly in China and …
Special Release Limited Set of Ancient White Tea from 5 Gardens
- The ancient white tea is a very popular tea in our store. We produced this tea in spring. Following production, it was stored in an oxygen-free environment for several months to further enhance its flavor, achieving the expected maturation. The production of ancient tree white tea is limited in quantity per day, resulting in small …
The New Arrival of Da Xue Shan Wild White Tea Loose 2023
- We have released the 2023 harvest of wild white tea from the Da Xue Shan. Fresh Green Colour of Leaves Achieved Through Custom Production Da Xue Shan’s wild white tea is an incredibly rare type of white tea, and it’s made from a unique plant called Camellia Taliensis that grows in the wild in the …
5 Years Aged Wu Liang Shan White Tea from 2018
- In 2018, we introduced the Wu Liang Shan Ancient Tree White Tea. It became an instant hit, selling out quickly due to its exquisite taste and captivating aroma.Fortunately, we had the foresight to store half of the tea in Malaysia, where the consistently high temperatures create the perfect conditions for aging. Over the past five …
Grand Reopening of Gardens’ HOJO Store: Exciting Promotions Await!
- We are delighted to announce that HOJO tea shop at The Gardens Mall will be reopening after renovation on Tuesday, July 11th, 10am to 10pm. To celebrate the store’s reopening, we have prepared some special promotions for the entire month of July: 1. For every RM1000 purchase on single receipt, you will have the opportunity …
Discover the long-lasting flavor profile of 2023 Shi Feng Long Jing
- We have launched the 2023 harvest of Shi Feng Long Jing tea. Shi Feng Long Jing tea, also known as Shi Feng Dragon Well tea. It is one of the most famous and highly regarded teas in China.Shi Feng Long Jing tea is characterized by its flat, spear-shaped leaves that have a vibrant green colour. …
Rare Jasmine Tea Uniquely Crafted from Ripe Pu-erh
- Instead of sourcing finished jasmine tea, we specialize in producing custom-made jasmine tea by bringing our carefully selected raw materials to jasmine factories. Over the years, we have created numerous unique jasmine tea varieties that are not available elsewhere, such as Pu-erh jasmine tea made from raw Pu-erh tea leaves, Jasmine Silver Needle made from …
Introducing 3 Varieties of Phoenix Dancong Oolong Tea
- We have released new types of Phoenix Dan Cong Oolong Tea that are finished with more rounds of roasting with traditional charcoal fire by skilled tea master. In Phoenix, the locals called it Nong Xiang style, meaning that tea is giving more intense matured flavor. Nong Xiang tea refers to tea that has been roasted …
Exploring the Taste Diversity Within a Tea Tree: Apical Buds vs. Lateral Buds
- Do you believe that all tea leaves have the same taste as long as they come from the same tree? I would like to explain that the taste of tea can vary significantly depending on the plucking position, even when harvested from the same tree. The Difference in Flavor Due to Different Harvesting Parts of …
Shop Info

Address:Lot No. T-215, 3rd Floor, The Gardens Mall, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +603-2287-4537
Business Hour: 10am to 10pm
Category
- New Arrival at HOJO Online Shop
- Featured Articles
- Newsletter
- Types of Tea
- Origin of Tea
- Teapot and Tea Equipment
- Tea Column
- How to enjoy tea
- Tea Processing
- How to choose quality tea
- Tea constituents and functional effect
- Safety of Tea
- Foods
- Tea Business Operation
- Hobby and Outdoor Activity
- Ranking of Tea
- Video
- FAQ
- Media Release
Profile

- AKIRA HOJO
- I invite you to experience my tea selections.I was born in Nagano, Japan. In university, I studied agricultural chemistry, and I have the master degree in food science. I worked in Japanese food industry for 10 years. I involved in R&D, QC and QA. As a factory manager, I implemented ISO9000 series and managed the factory.
- The Art of Tea Magazine
- We posted the article on “The Art of Tea Magazine No.9, the magazine is published in Taiwan. We featured some scientific view about the tetsubin
- New Straits Times
- The Malaysian National Newspaper, New Straits Times featured HOJO Tea on 17-Oct-2007.