Firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, tea – these essentials are indispensable in life, regardless of wealth or poverty. Having Shou Mei represent the 'tea' here is perhaps most fitting.
Shou Mei is made from one bud with three or four leaves picked from the Zhenghe Da Bai white tea plant. Its yield is the largest among all white tea varieties. New Shou Mei is affordable with a pleasant taste. Aged Shou Mei possesses aromas of dates and herbs, demonstrating that great things develop over time. If Silver Needle is the graceful beauty in the tea world, then Shou Mei is the wise sage, a late bloomer.
How to Appreciate Shou Mei?
Shou Mei consists mainly of tea leaves. Its form is rustic, fully displaying a simple, ancient charm. Its beauty lies in three aspects: its deep red and beautiful tea liquor, its mellow and rich flavor, and its relatively outstanding efficacy. Therefore, when brewing white tea, boiling water can be used, and it can be steeped a bit longer to fully enjoy its finest qualities.
What is the Value of Shou Mei?
We explain the value of Shou Mei in two points. The first is, of course, its inherent value for drinking. It has long been said among the people that the efficacy of Shou Mei tea is like rhinoceros horn; it has the miraculous effects of cooling and detoxifying, improving eyesight, and reducing internal heat. It can treat 'severe fire symptoms' and is a good remedy for reducing high fever in children. Others say Shou Mei has a neutral nature, neither cold nor hot, with the effects of reducing fever and dispelling summer heat. In summer, it can make one feel happy and refreshed. Modern scientific research indicates that tea is rich in amino acids, tea polyphenols, minerals, various vitamins, and trace elements such as zinc and selenium that the human body needs. It has the effects of promoting salivation, quenching thirst, clearing the liver and improving eyesight, refreshing the mind, and more.
The second point is, of course, the economic value of Shou Mei. The price of new Shou Mei tea made with traditional sun-drying techniques is usually under a hundred yuan. However, if stored properly (storage methods will be discussed in another article), not only does its drinking value increase, but its market value becomes even more considerable. A friendly reminder: collecting doesn't necessarily have to be for profit from appreciation. If you drink it regularly, collecting some Shou Mei each year doesn't require much expense, and the key is it will save you a lot of money on buying aged tea.