Tianmu Lake white tea (天目湖白茶, Tiān Mù Hú Bái Chá) also known as Tian Mu Hu white tea, is not a white tea but a kind of green tea. It is native to the mountains around Tianmu Lake in Liyang City of Jiangsu Province, China.
Like Anji Bai Cha, Tianmu Lake white tea is also made from the white-green leaves of a kind of special tea tree, which contains more amino acids.
Tianmu Lake white tea is a specialty of Jiangsu Province and is China’s national geographical indication product.
Table of Contents
- History of Tianmu Lake White Tea
- Characteristics of Tianmu Lake White Tea
- Benefits of Tianmu Lake White Tea
History of Tianmu Lake White Tea
Liyang City, the origin of Tianmu Lake white tea, has a long history of tea planting.
As early as the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), some poems were describing tea planting and tea production in Liyang City.
In 1978, the Liyang government regarded the tea industry as an important part of the development of the rural economy, which promoted the development of local tea production. Subsequently, Liyang City became a key tea-producing city in Jiangsu Province.
In the 1990s, the tea industry in Liyang City entered a new stage of development. The local tea enterprises introduced albino varieties of tea trees and established their own tea brand “Tianmu Lake white tea”.
In 2006, Tianmu Lake white tea was selected as a famous brand product in Jiangsu Province.
In 2009, Tianmu Lake white tea was selected as the designated tea for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo in China and became one of the top 10 famous teas of the World Expo in China.
Characteristics of Tianmu Lake White Tea
Tianmu Lake white tea grows in mountains near Tianmu Lake, where has four distinct seasons, abundant sunshine, and rainfall.
From the perspective of agriculture climate, the light, temperature, and water cooperate well. This superior natural environment is very conducive to the growth of Tianmu Lake white tea.
Tianmu Lake white tea is a precious variety of green tea. Ordinary green tea can be picked many times a year, but Tianmu Lake white tea can only be picked once a year and its yield is very low. It is only picked in spring. Spring tea is the best tea of all the year.
The shape of dried Tianmu Lake white tea is flat and thin. Its color is yellow-green. After brewing, the tea liquid is clear and light yellow and has a strong fragrance. It tastes fresh and mellow.
Due to the lack of historical precipitation, many people do not know Tianmu Lake white tea, but it is indeed an excellent tea.
Benefits of Tianmu Lake White Tea
Tianmu Lake white tea is made from the special tea tree, the amino acid content of it is 6.26-9%, which is more than 2 times higher than that of ordinary green tea, and the content of tea polyphenol is 10.7%.
In addition, Tianmu Lake white tea also contains a variety of vitamins, proteins, trace elements, and other nutrients, which have many pharmacological effects on the human body.
Benefits of Tianmu Lake white tea:
- Detox
- Diuretic
- Skincare
- Weight loss
- Anti-aging
- Anti-cancer
- Antibacterial
- Anti-inflammatory
- Lower blood sugar
- Lower blood lipids
- Inhibit cardiovascular disease