{"product_id":"white-peony","title":"White Peony","description":"\u003ch3\u003eThe least-processed tea in the catalog.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhite Peony (Bai Mu Dan in Mandarin) is one bud and two young leaves, plucked in early spring and left to wither in the sun. No steaming, no pan-firing, no roasting. The leaves dry in open air over 48 to 72 hours. The result is a tea that sits as close to the living plant as any processed leaf can get. The flavor reads as honeydew melon and apricot, with a soft, velvety body that coats the palate. Zero astringency. Zero bitterness. It tastes like drinking sweetened air.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy the minimal processing matters.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGreen tea gets steamed or pan-fired to halt oxidation. Black tea gets rolled and fully oxidized, then roasted. White tea skips all of it. The buds and leaves wither naturally, which preserves the highest concentration of catechins (the polyphenol antioxidants that drive most of tea's studied health effects). The same minimal processing keeps the caffeine low. White tea buds contain less caffeine than mature leaves, and the lack of heat means nothing concentrates. The cup wakes you gently, if it wakes you at all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eThe visual ritual.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhite Peony leaves are voluminous and downy. The buds are covered in fine silver hairs; the leaves are soft green with pale undersides. Brew this in a glass teapot or a wide glass mug. As the leaves hydrate, they stand vertically in the water, mimicking the bloom of a peony flower. The movement is slow and meditative. The reason traditional gongfu tea ceremony uses glass for white tea.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Yerba Buena Tea Co.","offers":[{"title":"Tea Tin","offer_id":47256446959938,"sku":"SQ5331380","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Tea Refill","offer_id":47256446992706,"sku":"SQ5331381","price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0806\/0862\/4962\/files\/white-peony-loose-leaf-tea-ybtco.webp?v=1779851322","url":"https:\/\/ybtco.mom\/products\/white-peony","provider":"Yerba Buena Tea Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}