Tea Cultivar · Camellia sinensis var. sinensis
Da Bai Hao
- Origin
- China - Fujian (Fuding)
- Registered
- 1985 (national)
- Primary use
- white tea, silver needle, white peony
Overview
Da Bai Hao, literally 'big white down,' is the foundational cultivar of Chinese white tea, providing the plump, silvery-haired buds that define Bai Hao Yin Zhen (Silver Needle) and Bai Mu Dan (White Peony). Originating in the Tai Lao mountains of Fuding County in Fujian Province, it was officially designated a national-grade cultivar by China's tea authorities in 1985 and is the genetic ancestor of most modern white tea production.
Characteristics
A large-leafed sinensis with unusually thick, fleshy buds densely covered in white pekoe hairs (hao) - the trichomes that give the dried tea its silvery sheen and its name. The bush grows vigorously, with broad oval leaves and an upright habit, and produces exceptionally large buds in early spring. It is moderately cold-hardy and well adapted to Fujian's coastal, humid climate.
Flavor profile
When processed as Silver Needle, Da Bai Hao yields a pale gold liquor with a delicate, hay-and-honeysuckle sweetness, soft notes of cantaloupe and apricot, and a clean, almost weightless finish. As White Peony the cup deepens toward dried fruit, light honey, and a faint cedar note, with more body and a longer aftertaste. With age (5+ years) it develops dried date, herbal, and beeswax notes.
History
Local tradition places the origin of Da Bai Hao on Tai Lao Mountain in Fuding, where a single mother tree was reportedly discovered in the late Qing dynasty (the most commonly cited date is 1857). Cuttings from that tree were propagated across Fuding County and eventually carried to Zhenghe, where a closely related but distinct cultivar - Zhenghe Da Bai - was selected and stabilized. Both cultivars were elevated to national-grade status in 1985 by China's National Crop Variety Approval Committee. Da Bai Hao remains the single most important cultivar for white tea worldwide.
Where it grows
Fujian (Fuding, Zhenghe) · Yunnan (introductions) · Guangxi