An incredibly delicate and subtle tea, white tea is truly within a class by itself. Continue reading to find out more about its past and usage through the years.
White teas are the term used to describe uncured and unfermented tea leaves. Just like the green, oolong and black tea varieties, white tea arises from the camellia sinensis plant. White teas are typically exposed to a timely drying process, unlike green tea-which is roasted in a oven or pan while being tuned constantly to make certain even curing-and Oolong and black teas, that are afflicted by fermentation before curing.
White tea contains mostly the buds and young leaves from the plant, which may have considerably lower levels of caffeine than older leaves. It’s because of this that white teas are believed to own less caffeine content than green teas.
White tea is grown in a number of places around the globe nowadays, but it is a certain specialty of Fujian province in China. There are a number of sorts of tea cultivators in the region, some of the most popular ones being Da Bai (Large White), Xiao Bai (Small White), Narcissus and Chaicha. White teas can in fact be classified into a number of different grades, depending on the different standards of picking and selection procedures that are used.
It is said who’s particularly crisis in China, poor people would serve their guests boiled water rather than tea. This is explained by the host as well as their guests as “white tea” and they might behave as if the custom of serving tea towards the guests had been performed as was usual. This gave rise to the technique term “white boiled water” in mention of plain boiled water in the nation.
Many of the more prevalent Chinese white teas are highlighted below.
Bai Hao Yinzhen or Silver needle. The very best grade of Bai Hao Yinzhen tea is characterized by fleshy, bright colored leaves which are engrossed in tiny white hairs. The contour needs to be quite uniform, without discernible stems or leaves. The finest kinds of Yinzhen are often picked from between March 15 and April 10, if you have no rain that will otherwise damage the unopened buds. Bai Hao Yinzhen comes from Fujian Province in China.
Bai Mu Dan or White Peony. This teas are a stride down from Bai Hao Yinzhen tea with regards to grading, and incorporates the bud and 2 leaves which might be covered with a superb, silvery-white down. This tea also comes from Fujian Province, China.
Gong Mei or Tribute Eyebrow. This is the third grade of white tea available, and uses leaves harvested in the Xiao Bai or “small white” tea trees.
Shou Mei or Noble, Long Life Eyebrow. This is a fruity, furry white tea which is an interesting melange of tips and upper leaf. It features a somewhat stronger flavor than other white teas, with a striking similarity to Oolong tea. It’s the fourth grade of white tea available which is plucked later within the harvest season than Bai Mu Dan, which leads to its somewhat darker color. This tea emanates from the Fujian and Guangxi Provinces in China.
Other white teas:
Ceylon White. This is a highly prized tea that is grown primarily in Sri Lanka. Ceylon White tea typically commands greater market prices than black tea that is certainly also produced in the area. This tea carries a distinctive light flavor with subtle hints of pine and honey, and exhibits a coppery gold color.
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