White tea

White tea is tea made from new growth buds and young leaves which have been steamed or fried to inactivate polyphenol oxidation, and then dried. The buds may be shielded from sunlight to prevent formation of chlorophyll. White tea therefore retains the high concentrations of catechins which are present in fresh tea leaves.

Green tea is made from more mature tea leaves than white tea, and may be withered prior to steaming or firing. Although green tea is also rich in catechins, it may have different catechin profiles than white tea. For white tea the little buds that form on the plant are covered with silver hairs that give the young leaves a white appearance. The leaves come from a number of varieties of tea cultivars, the most popular are Da Bai (Large White), Xiao Bai (Small White), Narcissus and Chaicha bushes. According to the different standards of picking and selecting, White teas can be classified into a number of grades, further described in the varieties section.

Produced almost entirely in China and being a speciality of the province Fujian, white tea is steamed and dried almost immediately after harvesting (in some situations in the fields themselves). It is possible that this method of minimal processing accounts for this tea's added benefits. Roderick H. Dashwood, an Oregon State University biochemist, has stated that the polyphenols, called catechins, are altered through subsequent processing to other teas (green, oolong, and finally black).

Kit Chow notes in All The Tea In China that in hard times, very poor Chinese homes would serve guests boiled water when they could not afford tea. Host and guest would call the water "white tea" and act as if the tradition of serving guests tea had been carried out as usual. (This particular usage is related to the fact that plain boiled water is called "white boiled water" in Chinese).

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Health benefits

One recent study demonstrated that it removes or prevents even more tumors from the stomachs of specially bred cancer-susceptible rats than green tea, or caffeine alone (although all three were shown to have benefit). See also Health benefits of tea.

History

White tea was really the first tea consumed and it involved the least amount of processing. Later sophistication of processing techniques involving Camellia sinensis, the plant all true teas are made from, led to green (steamed and roasted) teas and black (semi-fermented and fermented) teas. See also Tea History.

Varieties of white tea

Chinese white teas

Bai Hao Yinzhen (Silver needle): The highest grade of the Bai Hao Yinzhen should be fleshy, bright colored and covered with tiny white hairs. The shape should be very uniform, with no stems or leaves. The very best Yinzhen are picked between March 15 and April 10 when it is not raining and only using undamaged and unopened buds. Fujian Province, China.
Bai Mu Dan (White Peony): A grade down from Bai Hao Yinzhen tea, incorporating the bud and two leaves which should be covered with a fine, silvery-white down. From Fujian Province, China.
Gong Mei (Tribute Eyebrow): The third grade of White Tea, the production uses leaves from the Xiao Bai or Small White tea trees.
Shou Mei (Noble, Long Life Eyebrow): A fruity furry white tea that is a chaotic mix of tips and upper leaf, it has a stronger flavor than other white teas, similar to Oolong. It is the fourth grade of White tea and is plucked later than Bai Mu Dan hence the tea may be darker in color. From Fujian Province and Guangxi Province in China

Other white teas

Ceylon White: A highly prized tea grown in Sri Lanka. Ceylon White tea can fetch much higher prices than Black tea from the area. The tea has a very light liquoring with notes of pine & honey and a golden coppery infusion.
Darjeeling White: It has a delicate aroma and brews to a pale golden cup with a mellow taste and a hint of sweetness. This tea is particularly fluffy and light. A tea from Darjeeling, India.

External links

whitetea.cc, Resource page
Tea Guide