I have been hearing about White Monkey Tea, also called “Bai Mao Hou”, lately. I got curious and decided to give it a try. I remembered seeing it mentioned that this tea comes from the Fujian province, so I looked up for tea shops specializing in Fujian teas.

I found one nearby, and headed over there. Once I got there, I asked the store owner about White Monkey Tea. He showed me a few options, explaining that it’s actually a type of green tea. Who knew? He said it’s picked really early in the spring, like late March to early April. Then he explained that the tea is made from the leaves and buds of the green tea plant. The store owner also told me that the name came from some old story where monkeys were the only ones who could pick the tea leaves because they grew in such hard-to-reach places on the mountains. Pretty cool, right? After much sniffing and comparing, I picked out a small bag to take home.

Back home, I heated up some water, making sure it wasn’t boiling because I didn’t want to burn the delicate leaves. I used about a teaspoon of the tea leaves for my little teapot. After letting it steep for a few minutes, I poured myself a cup.

The tea had a really light, almost pale green color. The smell was interesting—kind of flowery but also a little bit fruity. I took a sip. It was really smooth, not bitter at all. It did have that floral and fruity taste, which was pretty unique. It was refreshing, like a spring day in a cup.

• I made myself another cup, and decided that I quite liked this White Monkey Tea.
• It’s definitely going to be my go-to on mornings when I need a gentle pick-me-up.

Conclusion

It’s a nice change from my usual black tea. Overall, trying White Monkey Tea was a fun little adventure. From finding the right tea shop to brewing it just right, it felt good to explore something new. And discovering that I actually enjoy it? That’s a win in my book!