I had the opportunity to try some Teavana Silver Yin Zhen Pearls White Tea recently. What a delightful, refreshing tea! As the “pearls” unfurl, they release tiny bubbles and make a slight fizzing sound. I was not expecting the sound at all, and searched around for a few minutes until I realized it was coming from the tea. What a surprise!
The sound wasn’t the only surprise. I had read that white teas have a very subtle flavor, so I was not expecting a very strong tea. There were even some reviews on the Teavana website that called the Silver Yin Zhen Pearls “flavorless” or “like dirty dish water,” which are more good reasons to be concerned about the flavor. I added a few extra pearls and steeped the tea longer than the recommended 4-5 minutes, just in case the bad reviews were correct, to make sure I could really taste what Silver Yin Zhen Pearls has to offer.
I don’t know why I was so worried. While the flavor is very different than what I thought it would be, it is certainly not flavorless or “like dirty dish water.” It is actually quite pleasant. I had anticipated it tasting somewhat like a green tea, but that is not really accurate. It has astringency and a lingering aftertaste like green tea, but the flavor is sweeter, and overall it reminds me of a really light, mellow black tea.
I was also quite surprised to find that the Silver Yin Zhen Pearls lasted through 3 brewings. I did add a few extra pearls for a stronger initial brew, so your mileage may vary. 🙂
Interesting notice on the slight sizzle sounds! I think I need to try this tea just for that haha. Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Oh, if you try it, please let me know if you hear the noise too!