Loose-leaf white tea
Chinese White Tea Wholesale
Chinese white tea is the shortest process: wither and dry, with little or no kill-green. That simplicity is why poor white tea is easy to make and good white tea is hard to fake — there is nowhere to hide a rushed wither or a dusty grade mix.
The usual ladder is Silver Needle (buds), White Peony (bud and leaf), then Shou Mei (later leaf). They are not three prices of one tea. White tea can also be held to age: the cup shifts from floral-hay to darker honey if storage is clean and slow. Ageing is optional, not a requirement for the category.
Evaluation samples are free of charge; the buyer covers the courier cost. Most teas from 5 kg.
How to read white-tea grades
Fujian export language is the common wholesale grammar. Bud ratio and harvest timing drive price more than a factory letter.
| Grade | Leaf | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Silver Needle | Unopened buds, pale down, little leaf blade | Flagship tins, gift, and buyers who sell white tea as a named luxury cup |
| White Peony | Bud plus one or two leaves; more liquor, still refined | Core specialty white when you need cups per kilo without leaving the spring story |
| Shou Mei | Later or fuller leaf; stronger body; often the ageing candidate | Everyday white, foodservice, and programmes that may hold cakes or bags to mature |
Typical origins
Fujian (Fuding and Zhenghe traditions)
The reference grammar for Needle / Peony / Shou Mei. Process and cultivar both matter; “Fujian white” is not one flavour.
Yunnan white
Larger-leaf whites with a different body. Useful as a second origin voice, not a substitute grade for Fujian Needle.
Other highland gardens
White-style wither is practised beyond Fujian. Ask for cultivar and wither method before you treat it as the same buying brief.
Processing
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Pluck
Bud-only vs bud-and-leaf vs later leaf is decided in the garden. You cannot process Shou Mei into Silver Needle.
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Wither
Long, even wither is the craft. Too fast and the tea is grassy; too wet and it sours. This is where most industrial “white tea” fails.
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Dry & optional age
Drying locks food safety. Ageing, if you choose it, needs clean, stable humidity — not a damp corner and a hopeful label.
Buying notes
- Name the grade on the PO: Needle, Peony, or Shou Mei. Mixing them in one tin confuses both cup and customs description.
- Most teas from 5 kg. A few grades carry a higher order minimum; see the product spec sheet.
- Evaluation samples are free of charge; the buyer covers the courier cost.
- Young white tea still hates heat and odours. Aged white tea hates mould and mixed warehouse smells even more.
- Lots can be selected to meet EU MRLs; batch testing available on request (Eurofins, approx. 2 weeks, at cost).
Available lots
Sourcing a white tea not listed here? Tell us your spec .
Frequently asked questions
Why is “simple” white tea so easy to get wrong?
With almost no kill-green or roll, every defect in pluck and wither shows in the cup. A pretty silver look is not a proof of even wither.
Should I age white tea before I sell it?
Only if your customers want that darker cup and you can store it cleanly. Young white tea is a complete product; ageing is a second brief.
How do I start a white-tea order?
Evaluation samples are free of charge; the buyer covers the courier cost. Most teas from 5 kg. Specify grade, harvest year if you care about ageing, and whether lots must be selected to meet EU MRLs.
Related reading
Wholesale inquiry
Looking for white tea?
Tell us the cultivar, grade, harvest window, and volume. Evaluation samples are free of charge; the buyer covers the courier cost. Most teas from 5 kg.