That's the standard Shou Mei found in Chinatown. It's the same as the
Sunflower Fujian CNNP SowMee you see occasionally. It is White tea
leaves and not the Yinzhen bud. For practical purposes don't consider
the two the same. Don't be afraid to mush up a pot with SowMee for the
sweet toasty flavor mentioned on the box. BaiMuDan or White Peony is a
mid season transition from bud to leaf. The bud is more dry and the
hair creates a dust. I'd spend my money on a Yinzhen or save it on a
SowMee. If you like a froth that tickles the throat then BaiMuDan.

Jim

stePH wrote:
> Lewis Perin wrote:
> > Michael Plant > writes:
> >
> > > Aha! Bai Mu Dan has some buds and some adjacent leaves. Sow Mee -- I'm not
> > > sure this isn't Shu Mei
> >
> > Shou Mei.
>
> I just bought seven ounces of this for $3.29 at Ranch 99 Market in
> Shoreline, WA. FooJoy brand.
> It's pretty much like the loose-leaf "White Tea with Cantaloupe" from
> Zhena's Gypsy Tea that I bought at a T.J. Maxx, but that was 2.5 ounces
> for about four or five bucks. And without the cantaloupe flavoring.
>
> It doesn't really look very white, though. It looks like an assortment
> of green-to-greenish-brown leaf and twig pieces.
>
> Has anybody tried the "peony white" from CoffeeBeanDirect.com yet?
> I've got my eye on it, seriously considering ordering a bag.
>
>
> stePH
> --
> in cup: blend of Vietnamese green and FooJoy "Mao Feng" green.