Snow Dragon is a unique hybrid tea, hand-gathered in Fuding County along the rugged northern coast of Fujian Province. This crop combines an heirloom white tea cultivar with a traditional green tea crafting style for an entirely unique taste, reminding us of a less vegetal and slightly creamier-tasting Dragonwell.

The tea's name, Xue Long in Chinese, pays homage to its dual heritage. Xue means "snow", and refers to the downy white fuzz covering each leaf — a hallmark characteristic of the Da Bai variety from which it is crafted. This white tea cultivar gives Snow Dragon its soft texture and a flavor reminiscent of rice milk.

Long means "dragon" and refers to the tea's pan-roasted crafting method, borrowed from that of Dragonwell green tea. The hour-long folding and pressing of the leaves against a hot pan gives Snow Dragon its toasted, nutty finish, similar to that of traditional longjing.

As the least oxidized tea style, green tea offers the highest potency of antioxidants, caffeine, theanine, and more. While this high concentration makes green tea very healthy, it also means this style can be more sensitive to your brewing method. We recommend a lower brewing ratio and cooler temperature to produce a smooth and refreshing brew with minimal bitterness or astringency.

Learn the fundamentals of tea brewing and master your technique .