White tea

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White tea is teamade from new growth budsand young leaves which have been steamed or fired to inactivate polyphenoloxidation, and then dried. The buds may be shielded from sunlightto prevent formation of chlorophyll. White tea therefore retains the high concentrations of catechinswhich are present in fresh tea leaves.

Green teais 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 Chinaand 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 Universitybiochemist, has theorized that the polyphenols, called catechins, are destroyed through the processing used with other teas.

Kit Chownotes 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).

Health Benefits

One recent study demonstrated that it removes or prevents even more tumorsfrom the stomachsof specially bred cancer-susceptible ratsthan green tea, or caffeinealone (although all three were shown to have benefit). See also Health benefits of White tea.

White 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

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

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 

The third grade of White Tea, the production uses leaves from the Xiao Bai or Small White tea trees.

Shou Mei

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 Provinceand Guanxi Provincein China

Other White Teas

Ceylon White

A highly prized tea grown in Sri Lanka. Ceylon White tea can fetch much higher prices than Black teafrom 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.

Reference

• Babelcarp on Bai Cha, Da Bai.
• Greentealovers (2005): White Tea types and their proper preparation
• Chow, Kit with Ione Kramer (1990). All The Tea In China. San Francisco: China Books and Periodicals. ISBN 0835121941.
• Linus Pauling Institute on white tea
• TeaMuse on White Teacs:Bílý ?aj

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It uses material from the Wikipedia article White tea.