{"product_id":"aged-white-tea-aged-shou-mei-cake","title":"Aged White Tea - Aged Shou Mei cake","description":"\u003ch2\u003eAged Shou Mei Cake — Sun-Dried Aged White Tea\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003eAlso known as: Aged Shou Mei, Aged White Tea Cake, Lao Bai Cha Cake, Gong Mei Cake\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA pressed \u003cstrong\u003eaged white tea cake\u003c\/strong\u003e — three years old, wild-grown, and made the traditional sun-dried way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is old white tea at its most comforting: smooth, mellow and honey-sweet, in a cake built for slow drinking and long keeping.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat Is a White Tea Cake?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost white tea is loose. But it's also pressed into cakes — and there's a good reason.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePressed tight, a \u003cstrong\u003ewhite tea cake\u003c\/strong\u003e takes up far less space, and it ages slowly and evenly — the leaves protect each other, so the whole cake matures as one. It's the traditional way to keep white tea for the long haul.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Store new, drink old,\" as the saying goes — and a cake is made for exactly that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThree Years Aged, Sun-Dried\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat makes this cake special:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAge:\u003c\/strong\u003e three years of natural ageing — long enough for the fresh notes to mellow into warm, honeyed depth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLeaf:\u003c\/strong\u003e wild-grown \u003cstrong\u003eShou Mei\u003c\/strong\u003e leaf, from Yunnan — with a natural floral, honeyed sweetness.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCraft:\u003c\/strong\u003e traditionally sun-dried, the old way, which keeps the flavour clean and helps it age gracefully.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCharacter:\u003c\/strong\u003e smooth and thick in the cup, with dried-plum and honey notes and a long, cosy finish.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDelicious now, and it'll keep deepening for years to come.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBest Simmered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAged white tea has a trick the fresh grades don't: it's wonderful simmered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter a few steeps, tip the leaf into a pot and let it simmer gently — the liquor turns thick, sweet and deeply warming, filling the room with a cosy, aged aroma. In cooler months, there are few nicer ways to drink tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Four Types of White Tea\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhite tea is graded by how much bud and leaf goes into the pick. This cake is made from the leafier, more mature grades — which is exactly what ages so well:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0743\/1798\/8019\/files\/4_types_of_white_tea.png?v=1783649930\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"333\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0743\/1798\/8019\/files\/4_types_of_white_tea_leaves.png?v=1783650031\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"333\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSilver Needle is buds only; White Peony adds a leaf or two; Gong Mei and Shou Mei use more mature leaf. That mature leaf is richest in the compounds that transform with age — which is why the Mei grades, not the delicate buds, are the classic white teas to press and lay down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Two Homes of White Tea: Fuding \u0026amp; Yunnan\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhite tea has two great homes, and they make quite different teas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFuding (Fujian)\u003c\/strong\u003e — the birthplace of white tea and the region regarded as the best in China for it. Small-leaf bushes, bright and delicately sweet.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eYunnan\u003c\/strong\u003e — big-leaf, ancient-tree country in the south-west. Fuller, deeper, honey-rich white teas. This cake is Yunnan-grown.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSee the whole range in our \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.valleygreentea.com.au\/collections\/buy-white-tea\"\u003ewhite tea collection\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, including the fresh \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.valleygreentea.com.au\/products\/fuding-shou-mei\"\u003eShou Mei\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e if you'd like to taste the young version.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhite Tea, Antioxidants \u0026amp; Ageing\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhite tea is the least processed of all teas — just withered and dried — so it holds on to a lot of what's naturally in the fresh leaf, including its antioxidants. That light touch is a big part of white tea's appeal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAgeing adds another layer. Over the years a white tea cake grows smoother, mellower and richer — the fresh notes softening into warm honey and gentle depth. It's long been treasured in China for exactly this. We'll leave the bigger health talk to others; we'd rather it earn its place by tasting wonderful.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBrew this \u003cstrong\u003eAged Shou Mei Cake\u003c\/strong\u003e the right way \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e— check out our professional \u003cstrong\u003eBrewing Guide\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eStorage Care\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eThe Origins\u003c\/strong\u003e below 👇\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ValleyGreenTea","offers":[{"title":"Full Cake","offer_id":45660688744627,"sku":null,"price":29.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0743\/1798\/8019\/files\/O1CN01RKPGE81DbgBJKqL8l__1632530235-0-cib_1.jpg?v=1783699664","url":"https:\/\/www.valleygreentea.com.au\/products\/aged-white-tea-aged-shou-mei-cake","provider":"Valley Green Tea","version":"1.0","type":"link"}