Among the finest expressions of Fuding white tea, Silver Needle, White Peony, and Willow’s Grace form a gentle arc across springtime—each one a reflection of when it was harvested, how it was crafted, and what it chooses to reveal.

There’s an old Chinese saying that a good cup of tea offers a “returning sweetness”—hui gan—a soft sweetness that follows a faint bitterness or astringency. This beautiful transformation begins in the leaf itself: catechins lend that initial bitterness, while theanine and a touch of caffeine round it out with clarity and calm. It’s one of the most beautiful moments in tea tasting: the bitterness fades, and a clean, lingering sweetness gently unfolds.

If you caught our last tea journal, you’ll remember that all true tea comes from the same magical plant: Camellia sinensis. But then… what makes green tea green and black tea black? The secret isn’t where it grows—it’s what happens after the leaves are plucked. That secret is oxidation.

It sounds like a simple enough question, right? But even the most seasoned tea lovers sometimes pause. Let’s clear it up once and for all: true tea comes from just one magical plant—Camellia sinensis—specifically its leaf buds, leaves, and sometimes the stem.