A delicate white tea, white peony tastes fresh and mellow. It’s especially delicious when cold brewed. See how to make it it properly.
What is White Peony Tea?
- White Peony tea is a white tea made up of a bud and two young leaves of the the tea plant.
- It’s not tea made from white peony flowers.
- White tea comes from the Fujian province of China.
- Originated in Zhenghe and Fuding, the same two regions of Fujian as Silver Needle.
- White Peony from Fuding is the more popular of the two varieties.
- The way the leaves unfurl are said to resemble a white peony which is one story about how the tea got its name.
- White Peony goes by a few names including Bai Mudan, Mutan White, and Pai Mu Tan.
Want to get more into tea? Check out my Green Tea Starter Guide, Oolong Tea Starter Guide, and my Top 10 Tea Sommelier Tips.
What You’ll Need
TO MAKE HOT WHITE PEONY TEA
- Loose or sachet White Peony tea
- Filtered water
- Teapot with strainer
- Electric kettle with temperature setting
TO MAKE COLD BREW ICED WHITE PEONY TEA
My White Peony Pick:
Photo Credit: Harney.com
How to Make Hot White Peony Tea Properly
For brewing guide, full ingredients and instructions, scroll to the bottom.
- Boil water.
For this tea, you don’t want boiling hot water. Instead, set the water to 175°F, which is about a simmer. The easiest way to boil water is in an electric kettle with temperature setting. Make sure you boil extra water to warm up the teapot. - Warm up teapot.
Pour some of the hot water into the teapot. Swirl the water around and then throw it out. - Put White Peony tea into teapot and add hot water.
- Cover teapot and steep for 3 minutes.
- Strain White Peony leaves and pour hot tea into a teacup.
Tea Sommelier’s Tip: Warming the teapot helps prevent a big temperature drop while the tea brews, so I always include it when I want to make tea properly.
RELATED: Tea Sommelier’s Guide to Getting Into Tea
How to Make Iced White Peony Tea Properly
All iced tea should be cold brewed, especially White Peony tea. It’s AMAZINGLY delicious cold brewed!
- Put White Peony tea and cool or room temperature water in a pitcher or glass container.
- Cover pitcher and put in refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
- Strain tea leaves and pour tea into cup with ice.
RELATED: Iced Green Tea with Fresh Mint
Serving Suggestions
White Peony is a delicate tea so it’s best without any milk or sugar but if you like it sweet, add a little sugar or honey.
To sweeten White Peony cold brew, go for simple syrup. It’s so easy to make at home by mixing equal parts sugar and hot water until the sugar dissolves.
Ice is optional with cold brewed tea since it’s pre-chilled from steeping in the refrigerator.
You can add berries or other fruits and herbs such as lemon verbena or lavender if you want to flavor your drink. Be careful not to choose anything too strong that will overpower the tea.
Notes & Tips
- Don’t use boiling hot water to make this tea.
- Watch the time and make sure not to brew it for too long since it can make your tea bitter.
- Once brewed in water, the tea can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days. Airtight, glass containers are best for storing brewed tea.
- To store loose White Peony tea, keep it in an airtight container away from heat, light, smells, and humidity.
Questions You May Have
This tea is a beautiful pale yellow that has a fruity, lightly sweet, honey flavor.
Yes, White Peony tea does contain caffeine.
Loose tea is always the best quality tea since the leaves are intact and the most flavorful. Tea sachets are your next best bet. Tea bags contain the lowest quality tea so I wouldn’t recommend using them for this tea.
Yes, White Peony tea comes from the camellia sinensis plant so it is a real tea.
More Tea Brewing Guides
White Peony Tea
EQUIPMENT
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup water + more to warm teapot
- 1 ½ teaspoons loose White Peony tea
INSTRUCTIONS
- Boil water.If using an electric kettle with temperature setting, set it to 175°F. Heat a little more water than needed so that it can be used to warm up the teapot. If boiling water on the stovetop, let it come to a simmer, then turn off heat. Use filtered water for brewing. Water is the only other ingredient in tea, so better water equals better tea.
- Warm up teapot.Pour some hot water into the teapot and swirl it around a bit. Discard the water.
- Put White Peony tea into teapot and add hot water.
- Cover teapot and steep for 3 minutes.
- Strain tea leaves and pour hot tea into a teacup.
NOTES
Hot White Peony Tea Brewing Guide
- TEA: 1 ½ teaspoons loose White Peony tea or 1 tea sachet
- WATER: 1 cup (8 fl. oz.)
- WATER TEMPERATURE: 175°F
- STEEP TIME: 3 minutes
- TEA: 1 ½ teaspoons loose White Peony tea or 1 tea sachet
- WATER: 1 cup (8 fl. oz.)
- WATER TEMPERATURE: Cold water
- STEEP TIME: 6 hours