Ceylon Silver Tips

A rare white tea of unopened silver buds

Silver Tips is made from the youngest part of the tea bush: the unopened bud at the very tip of the shoot, covered in fine silvery down. Only the buds are used, which is why this tea is rare and why it looks so different from ordinary tea, like tiny pale needles.

White tea is the least processed of all teas. The buds are plucked and then gently withered and dried, with no rolling and almost no oxidation, so the delicate character of the bud is preserved. Sri Lanka's Central Highlands, cool and misty, give the buds time to develop slowly.

In the cup it is a pale gold, silky and sweet, with notes of honey, hay and a hint of pine. It has none of the astringency of black tea, and the finish is clean and soft. It is a tea to drink plain and slowly.

Use about 2 g per cup with cooler water, 75 to 80 C, because boiling water scorches the buds. Steep four to five minutes, then re-steep two or three times, as the flavour keeps unfolding. Keep the tin sealed, away from moisture and strong smells.