Cloud tea is like life; life is learning, wisdom is cultivation.
On a drizzly spring day, the world outside the window is drip-drip-dapping, everything soaked. What I love most at times like this is sitting by the window, brewing a pot of white tea, and waiting for the sky to clear. The flavour of white tea is like spring rain — light, gentle, never aggressive. After drinking, your whole being settles down, and your mood becomes perfectly calm. In modern life, such moments of tranquillity are rare. A pot of white tea, a window, a rainstorm — that is the finest wellness moment one could ask for.
Today I am brewing Yunnan ancient tree white tea, also known as Moonlight White. The production method for this tea is beautifully simple: after picking, the leaves are naturally withered and sun-dried, with no unnecessary processing. This minimal craft preserves the leaf’s most original character. The liquor is pale yellow, delicately sweet on entry, with a faint floral note. This fragrance is not added — it arises naturally from the leaf itself. The first time I drank Moonlight White, I thought flowers had been added; only later did I learn those aromas came entirely from the tea. Yunnan’s large-leaf white tea differs from Fujian’s small-leaf varieties — its inner substance is richer, it can be steeped many more times, still yielding flavour after fifteen infusions.
White tea’s wellness value lies in its traditional reputation for clearing heat. In spring, when dampness is heavy, people tend to develop “internal heat” — breakouts, mouth ulcers, and the like. White tea is cool but not cold in nature; it is traditionally believed to help clear heat without harming the stomach. Every spring I keep several white tea cakes on hand, and on damp days I brew a pot. After drinking, my throat feels clear, and my skin seems to improve too. White tea is said to contain high levels of flavonoids, compounds traditionally valued for their antioxidant properties, with long-term benefits for skin health. A female friend of mine persisted in drinking white tea for two years, and her skin improved so much that even her beautician asked what skincare she was using.
White tea has another quality: it improves with age. New white tea is best for clearing heat; aged white tea (three years or more) becomes warm and gentle, even less irritating to the stomach. So my advice to fellow tea lovers: drink new white tea in summer, aged white tea in spring. A three-year-old white tea is just right for this season — neither too cool nor too warm. I have a 2021 ancient tree white tea cake that is now three years old; it has begun to show a hint of jujube fragrance, very pleasing. Storing white tea is simple — seal it and keep it away from light; no special care needed.
Tea has grades; all may enjoy it regardless of status.
Brewing white tea is easy. Water temperature of about 85 degrees is sufficient — no need for boiling. A gaiwan is most convenient, allowing you to control the steeping time. Pour off the first few infusions quickly; extend later ones gradually. White tea is long-lasting, yielding over a dozen flavourful infusions. Each time I brew white tea, I think of the saying: “The Great Way is utmost simplicity.” The simplest things are often the best. White tea undergoes the least processing, yet its value is in no way diminished.
The spring rain continues to fall, but my mood is already fine. Drinking tea is not just for health; it is for the peace of the spirit. On a drizzly spring day, brew a pot of white tea and wait for clear skies. What you are waiting for is not just sunshine, but inner serenity. That is the insight white tea gives me — simple, pure, unhurried. Sometimes life needs to slow down, and a cup of white tea is the best excuse.
Make friends through tea, please enjoy a cup.
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Author: Old Tea Head · Lin Shen (LamSam)
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