Green TeaGuide
Anji Bai Cha: The "White Tea" That's Really a Green Tea
Anji Bai Cha (安吉白茶, "Anji white tea") is a green tea, not a white tea, from Anji county in Zhejiang. It's called "white" because it's made from a special tea bush whose young spring leaves come out very pale, almost white-green. Processed as a green tea, it gives thin, pale jade needles and a cup that's sweet, brothy and savoury, with almost no bitterness even when you brew it carelessly. It's one of the best green teas for beginners. Brew it at around 80 °C, in a glass or gaiwan.
Anji Bai Cha fooled me the first time. I ordered it expecting a white tea like Bai Mu Dan and got a green tea in the post. I was annoyed for about two minutes, until I brewed it. It was the sweetest, softest green tea I'd tasted, with a savoury, almost broth-like richness and none of the grassy sharpness I'd braced for. Now it's the tea I give to friends who say they don't like green tea.
Why it's called white tea#
China classifies tea by processing, not colour of leaf. White tea is withered and dried, with no heat-fixing. Anji Bai Cha is fixed with heat right after picking, like any green tea, so it's a green tea.
The "white" comes from the bush. In early spring, when temperatures are cool, the young leaves of this variety come out very pale, a whitish green, with low chlorophyll. As the weather warms, the leaves turn green again. The tea is picked during that short pale window, which makes spring harvests especially important.
How it tastes#
- Dry leaf: thin, flat, needle-like; pale yellow-green with a golden tint.
- Aroma: fresh, sweet, a little like corn or bamboo shoots.
- Taste: sweet and savoury, brothy and rich; very low bitterness and astringency.
- Liquor: extremely pale, almost clear.
That brothy sweetness is often linked to the leaf's high level of amino acids. Whatever the cause, it's why Anji Bai Cha tastes so rounded and gentle compared with sharper greens.
How to brew Anji Bai Cha#
In a glass#
About 3 g in a 250 ml glass, water at about 80 °C. A splash first to wake the leaves, then fill. The pale needles slowly unfold and float. Top up when a third is left; see grandpa style.
Gongfu#
| Leaf / 100 ml | Water | Rinse | 1st steep | Then | Steeps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4–5 g | 75–85 °C | No | 15 s | +5 s | 5–7 |
It handles a slightly longer steep than most greens without turning bitter. Full chart: gongfu brewing chart.
My session in a glass#
3 g in a 250 ml glass, water at 80 °C.
After 2 minutes. Very pale. Sweet corn and fresh bamboo on the nose. Brothy and sweet.
First top-up. Richer, savoury, still no bitterness.
Second top-up. Lighter, clean and sweet.
How to choose good Anji Bai Cha#
- Pale, even, needle-like leaves with a golden-green tint.
- Spring harvest of the current year.
- Sweet, fresh smell, never stale.
- Origin: Anji, Zhejiang. The variety is also grown elsewhere and sold under similar names.
How to store it#
Airtight, dark, cool, away from smells; drink it within a year. It's a delicate spring tea.
Myths about Anji Bai Cha#
"It's a white tea." It's a green tea from a pale-leaved bush.
"Pale liquor means weak tea." It's naturally very pale, but the taste is rich and sweet.
"Green tea is always grassy and bitter." Anji Bai Cha is proof that it isn't.
Anji Bai Cha vs Longjing: two teas from Zhejiang#
Both come from the same province, and both are spring green teas, but they couldn't be more different. Two glasses, 3 g each, 250 ml, 80 °C, 2 minutes.
| Anji Bai Cha | Longjing | |
|---|---|---|
| Dry leaf | Thin, pale green-gold, slightly twisted "phoenix feathers" | Flat, smooth, jade-green |
| Liquor | Very pale, almost clear | Pale green-gold |
| Aroma | Sweet corn, fresh bamboo | Toasted beans, chestnut |
| Taste | Brothy, savoury-sweet, very smooth | Nutty, toasty, brighter |
| Bitterness | Almost none | Low, but more sensitive to heat |
Longjing tastes "roasted"; Anji Bai Cha tastes "raw and sweet". When friends tell me they don't like green tea, Anji Bai Cha is the one I pour first, because it has none of the bitterness they're expecting.
Anji Bai Cha cold-brewed#
This is my favourite summer trick with this tea. 4 g of Anji Bai Cha in a litre of cold filtered water, 5 hours in the fridge, then strained. The result is pale, sweet and savoury, almost like a light, chilled broth with a bamboo freshness, and not a trace of bitterness. Don't leave it much longer: like all green teas, it's best with a shorter cold brew of about 4–6 hours. More in cold brew tea.
My honest take#
If you want one green tea that almost can't go wrong, this is it. Brew it in a glass at 80 °C and give it to the person who's sure they hate green tea.
The bottom line#
Anji Bai Cha is a green tea named for its pale spring leaves: sweet, brothy, savoury and remarkably forgiving. Brew it around 80 °C and drink it fresh. More greens in my Chinese green tea guide.
Read next: Longjing and Bi Luo Chun.
Steep timer
3–5 g per 100 ml75–85 °CNo rinseUp to 7 steeps
Questions people ask
Is Anji Bai Cha a white tea?
No. It's a green tea; "white" refers to the pale colour of the young leaves on the bush.
What does Anji Bai Cha taste like?
Sweet, brothy and savoury, with very little bitterness.
How do you brew Anji Bai Cha?
Around 80 °C: about 3 g in a 250 ml glass, or 4–5 g per 100 ml gongfu.
Is Anji Bai Cha good for beginners?
Yes. It's one of the most forgiving and approachable Chinese green teas.