Moonlight white tea
Tasting notes: vanilla pudding, hay, coconut cream
Yue Guang Bai or Moonlight white tea hails from a hundred-year-old tea trees in Yunnan. The tea is picked and dried indoors with hot air. Withering fresh leaves and drying them this way takes longer than sun-drying but imparts an extra level of oxidation and sweetness to the tea.
Moonlight White is suitable for aging, and its flavor will evolve over time, gradually becoming darker and closer in taste to a sweet black tea.
Tea character
Leaf aroma
hay, autumn leaves
Cup aroma
rye bread, roasted coconut, chrysanthemum
Flavor
vanilla pudding, coconut cream, rye bread crust
Tea story
Yue Guang Bai, or White Moonlight tea, is harvested in the early days of April and undergoes minimal processing, preserving the delicate nature typical of white teas. There’s an old legend in Yunnan that tells of young women gathering under a full moon to pick the tea leaves, lending the tea its poetic names: "Yue Guang Bai" (月光白 – White Moon) and "Mei Ren" (美人 – Beauty).
The magic of Yue Guang Bai happens after the harvest. The leaves are withered indoors and then dried overnight, avoiding the direct heat of ovens or the mechanical force of rolling. This gentle treatment shields the leaves from sunlight, allowing them to develop a rich concentration of amino acids.
This tea is grown high in the mountains at 1,300 meters above sea level, near Pu'er City in Yunnan, China. Historically, the production of Yue Guang Bai involved the leaves of the Camellia Taliensis plant, a close relative of the Assamica variety. This species, once abundant, has become endangered due to over-harvesting. Today, to preserve this tradition, farmers carefully select leaves from the Camellia Sinensis var. Assamica, known locally as Da Ye Zhong (大叶种) for its characteristically large leaves. Left to grow wild, these trees can reach impressive heights, with thick trunks and broad, sturdy leaves. The Assamica variety used in Yue Guang Bai is known for its slightly higher caffeine content compared to other tea plants, giving the tea a gentle yet persistent energy that both soothes and sharpens the mind.
Yue Guang Bai is often compared to raw puerh, another tea from Yunnan that shares a common ancestry. Both are made from the same tea trees, and like puerh, White Moonlight tea can be enjoyed as loose leaves or pressed into cakes for aging. As time passes, the tea’s flavor continues to evolve, becoming richer and more complex.
Tea Region | Zheng Wan village, Puerh, Simao, Yunnan, China
Tea tree | Camellia sinensis var. assamica
Cultivar | Xue Ya #100
Harvest | Spring, 2024
Picking & processing | One bud, one leaf
Soft cheeses
A mild, creamy cheese like Brie or Camembert enhances the tea’s sweet, apricot-like notes without overshadowing its natural flavors.
Fruit-based desserts
Think of a simple apricot tart or a pear and almond galette. The natural sweetness of these fruits echoes the tea’s flavor profile, while the pastry provides a gentle contrast.
Almond biscotti or Financiers
Lightly sweetened, nutty pastries will offer a delicate pairing that harmonizes with the tea's honeyed undertones. The slight crunch of biscotti can also provide a pleasing textural contrast to the smoothness of the tea.
Steamed white fish with citrus
A dish like steamed cod or halibut with a light lemon or orange zest dressing is subtle enough to match the tea's profile, and the citrus can lift the tea’s brighter, floral notes.
Lightly spiced Asian dishes
Dishes such as simple jasmine rice with a light soy glaze or miso soup with tofu can complement the tea's umami and slightly malty notes without being overpowering.