Xiao Bai Cha literally refers to “small white tea”, in the sense of a white tea crafted from small leaf varietal. Most of the other white tea production areas in Fujian province are known for their local big leaf cultivars like Fuding Da Bai, Fuding Da Hao, Fu’an Da Bai, Zhenghe Da Bai etc, and the "Da" in these names exactly means big; another well-known varietal often used to produce white tea, Shui Xian, is also a big leaf cultivar, and so do most of those white teas from Yunnan province. However, Jianyang, a city likewise in Fujian province, is distinctively known for its Xiao Bai Cha, a special white tea made from Caicha (autochthonic collective cultivar), which is typically a small leaf varietal. According to the latest industry standards issued in 2018, Gong Mei is no longer just a harvesting level; its raw material is now also limited to the Caicha varietal. Our Jian Yang Xiao Bai Cha also belongs to the Gong Mei category. It stands out from other Gong Mei teas in the market due to its exceptional quality and its origin in the Ma Dang Shan mountains of Zhangdun village, which is recognized as the best production zone among all the villages in Jianyang city.
 
Traditionally, Jian Yang Xiao Bai Cha begins its earliest picking on the day following the Qingming Festival (April 4-6th), dedicating the delicate buds and the most tender leaves to the special grade production. Then, the first grade is crafted from the second picking, 2-3 days later. As the harvest matures, each lower grade presents stronger but less refined flavors, and also results in a relative reduction in its bud content. Our Jian Yang Xiao Bai Cha series offers four options, corresponding to four grades: Ⅰ = Special Grade, Ⅱ = First Grade, Ⅲ = Second Grade, Ⅳ = Third Grade, creating an intriguing spectrum of distinctive flavor profiles. 
 
Unlike many so-called Gong Mei products that may contain mature leaves or even twigs, with few to no buds, all four grades of our Jian Yang Xiao Bai Cha strictly adhere to the Gong Mei picking standards: one bud with two leaves up to the third. This means that even the Ⅳ, the lowest grade, contains a reasonable quantity of buds. Although tea cakes imply a reduction in transportation costs and a potential acceleration in aging, we choose not to compress these meticulously harvested leaves into cakes to preserve their beauty. This allows us to serve you this tea with exquisite freshness and its original flavor, which is incomparable to any compressed Gong Mei.