Many tea lovers collect some tea at home, such as Fuding White Tea, Yunnan Pu'er tea, Anhua dark tea, and so on. The reasons for storing tea vary: some purely love a particular type of tea; some may view it as an investment; and some do it to appear sophisticated.

The value of aged white tea has been widely recognized in the market. With each passing year, its price increases by an average of 20% to 30%. Its collection value is akin to that of “ancient tree Pu'er,” with prices even soaring into the hundreds of thousands.

Regardless of the reason, storing tea is a technical endeavor. Since we are collecting tea, we naturally need to choose a good place and store it properly. Today, let's discuss a few common misconceptions about storing tea, giving novice tea enthusiasts more confidence when storing tea themselves.

1. Blindly Pursuing Age Is Not Worth It

Many new tea collectors tend to select teas with higher ages, especially those ten, twenty, or even thirty to forty years old, which are particularly sought after. More people subconsciously believe that storing already-aged old teas is always right. However, there are not actually that many high-aged old white teas circulating in the market. A well-known white tea cake requires very specific materials, production methods, and time. Especially the materials used, such as top-grade tea leaves for making Fuding white tea and Fuding Silver needle tea, are rare even within vast tea gardens. Therefore, the amount of finished tea produced from these materials is limited. After circulation and consumption over decades, there would be very little left on the market. Most of the so-called “old teas” available now are likely pressed from tea leaves that are only one to two years old or even just a few months old by certain merchants.

When deciding to collect tea, we must understand the history and quantity of the selected tea in that year, as well as tasting reports, to have a comprehensive understanding of the tea.

Since white tea is a slightly Fermented tea, the taste of the first-year white tea is close to that of Green Tea. However, what makes white tea remarkable is that as it ages, its internal components become increasingly rich and mellow. In particular, white tea of a certain age displays more pronounced Health benefits. To store good tea, it's better to start with new tea and watch it grow over time.

2. Be Cautious About the Location When Storing Tea Personally

Many people storing tea at home don't pay attention to small details, assuming that placing it in a cool spot is sufficient without considering the location, nearby items, or even the structure of the house.

For instance, many people casually place their tea near the kitchen or bathroom in a cabinet along with household items or food. The problem here is that tea, especially Fuding white tea, has the characteristic of absorbing odors. Essentially, it will take on the smell of whatever it's stored next to. If stored with jujubes, it will have a jujube scent; if stored with soy sauce, it will have a soy sauce scent; and if stored with plastic, it will even have a plastic scent! In such an environment, the tea loses its natural flavor, develops strange tastes, its aroma becomes mixed, or the aroma disappears entirely!

3. Thinking Dark-Aged Tea Is Good

Many people judge tea based on its appearance, often assessing the quality of Fuding white tea by the packaging, brand, and color of the tea cake. Some even think that a good tea is one covered with a thick layer of fuzz, white frost, or has turned black. However, aside from whether a black tea can still be consumed, many teas that have reached this level of darkness are either excessively aged or artificially “aged.”

4. Store Tea Rationally

The market for “aged white tea” has seen a hot-selling phenomenon where supply is scarce. Obtaining a few cakes to enhance one's collection isn't always easy. At this point, you might consider drinking and storing simultaneously. As long as it is stored appropriately, new white tea can also transform into aged white tea. Generally, white tea can be stored for a long time in a cool, dry, shaded, and well-ventilated place, and the storage environment should be free of odors. Of course, for white tea to be stored long-term, the quality of the tea cake must be good; otherwise, even after storing it for ten to eight years, it wouldn't matter. It is recommended to acquire white tea from reputable origins, made with good craftsmanship, and offering high cost-effectiveness, ensuring better security when stored.