Currently, the raw material varieties used for making Fuding White Tea are Fuding White Tea, Fuding Dahao Tea, and Caicha (Fuding White Tea population variety, Gele Tea, etc.). Fuding White Tea and Fuding Dahao Tea were numbered as 'Huacha No. 1' and 'Huacha No. 2' by the National Ministry of Agriculture in 1985. Among them, Fuding White Tea was twice recognized as a nationally promoted fine variety by the National Tea Plant Variety Research Committee in 1965 and 1973, and was listed as the standard control variety for national regional trials.

Fuding White Tea mainly uses the aforementioned three major white tea fine varieties. It has an emerald green or gray-green color, with prominent pekoe and a white hue. The taste is fresh, mellow, and brisk, with pronounced pekoe fragrance accompanied by floral notes. The liquor is bright yellow, and the flavor is rich with a sweet aftertaste. White tea is a lightly fermented tea, characterized by its leaves being covered in white pekoe. Based on the production raw materials (using bud and leaf materials) and processing techniques, Fuding White Tea is categorized into White Pekoe Silver Needle, White Peony, Shou Mei (Gong Mei), and New Craft White Tea.

Fuding White Tea Tree

Fuding Dahao Tea Tree

White Pekoe Silver Needle

"White Pekoe Silver Needle" is a treasure among white teas. It is made from the plump single buds of Fuding White Tea and Fuding Dahao Tea. The finished product has a plump, straight, and pekoe-covered appearance, a silvery-white color, and is neat and clean. Its internal quality features a clear and high aroma, lasting pekoe fragrance, fresh, mellow, and tender briskness, an apricot-yellow and clear liquor, and a tender, plump, soft, even, and bright leaf base.

The White Pekoe Silver Needle produced in Fuding, due to the tea plant varieties used, has a higher quality than those from other regions. In 1982, Fuding's White Pekoe Silver Needle was rated as a National Famous Tea by the Ministry of Commerce, ranking second among 30 famous teas. In 1984, it was again awarded a gold medal by the Ministry of Commerce.

White Peony

White Peony is the "darling" of white teas. It primarily uses one bud with one leaf or one bud with two initial leaves of Fuding White Tea and Fuding Dahao Tea as raw materials. The finished product has plump leaf spreads, fat pekoe hearts, stretched leaf posture, buds and leaves connected, leaf edges curled downward, few broken pieces, evenness, a gray-green color, silvery-white pekoe, cleanliness, no old stems, branches, or withered leaves. Its internal quality features a fresh and pure aroma, strong and noticeable pekoe fragrance, a light apricot-yellow and clear liquor, a clear, mellow, and sweet taste, tenderness and evenness, a leaf base with yellow-green leaf color, reddish-brown veins, and soft, bright leaves.

The quality requirements for the fresh leaf raw materials used to make White Peony are high, requiring prominent pekoe and plump, tender buds and leaves. Its grade is second only to White Pekoe Silver Needle. White Peony is further divided into several grades such as Special Grade White Peony, First Grade White Peony, and Second Grade White Peony.

Shou Mei (Gong Mei)

Shou Mei is also known as Gong Mei. Its production method is basically the same as White Peony, except the raw fresh leaves are from the sexual population tea plant—Caicha. One bud with two or three leaves is taken and processed through withering and drying. In Fuding, it is generally called Shou Mei; in Hong Kong, Macau, and Guangdong, to avoid the word "white" in white tea, all white teas except "Silver Needle White Pekoe" are collectively called Shou Mei. According to the traditional definition of white tea, both Gong Mei and Shou Mei use Caicha as raw material. However, now Caicha raw materials are scarce and expensive, so Shou Mei is rarely made from Caicha anymore. Instead, it primarily uses one bud with two or three leaves of Fuding White Tea and Fuding Dahao Tea. The finished product has a relatively plump pekoe heart, slightly plump and tender leaf spreads, buds and leaves connected, leaves tightly rolled like eyebrows, evenness, few broken pieces, gray-green or dark green color, harmonious hue, cleanliness, no stems or withered leaves. Its internal quality features a pure and clear aroma, noticeable pekoe fragrance, light orange-yellow and clear liquor, a sweet, mellow, and brisk taste, and a soft, tender, bright leaf base with many strong pekoe buds.

New Craft White Tea

New Craft White Tea,简称 New White Tea, is a new product developed by Fuding County in 1968 to meet the demands of the Hong Kong and Macau markets. The requirements for fresh leaf raw materials for New Craft White Tea are the same as for Shou Mei. Previously, it was made from buds and leaves of Caicha, but now it generally uses one bud with two or three leaves of Fuding White Tea and Fuding Dahao Tea. The finished product has loose and slightly curled strips, a brownish-green color, evenness, cleanliness, with tender stems. Its internal quality features a slightly noticeable chestnut aroma, a mellow, rich, and refreshing taste, an orange and clear liquor, and an even,舒展 leaf base.

Fuding White Tea, from a general perspective, is essentially sun-dried tea leaves. Its processing technique is basically the same as the ancient method of preparing traditional Chinese medicine. The origin of tea was for medicinal purposes. Therefore, Fuding White Tea can be regarded as a representative of food and medicine sharing the same source.