What Is White Tea And Which Are The Two Most Popular Types?

White tea can refer to one or more styles of tea that generally offer young or slightly processed leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Currently, there is no generally accepted definition of white tea;

Some sources use the term to refer to tea, which is simply dried with no further processing, while others include tea buds and very young leaves that have been burned or steamed before drying. Most definitions agree, however, that white tea is not oxidized, resulting in an aroma that is characterized as lighter than traditional black or green tea.

General Information

White tea comes from immature tea buds and leaves that are harvested shortly before the buds have fully opened. The leaves and buds are left to dry in natural sunlight. The name comes from the fine white-silver hairs on the unopened buds of the tea plant, which give the plant a whitish appearance. The drink itself is not white or colorless, but light yellow and delicate in taste.

White tea is famous for "Pekoe", fine white hairs that cover its leaves. The tea buds have a green-gray color, and the tea leaves are pale yellow-green, with a subtle, sweet taste.

Considered to be the highlight of Chinese teas, it is mainly produced in the Fuding, Zhenghe, Songxi, and Jianyang areas of Fujian Province. Without any rolling or roasting process, white tea is unique in its taste and appearance.

White tea is considered to be the oldest form of tea discovered in China, based on the fact that the processing consists essentially only of drying the leaves and therefore must have been the first method used by users to allow buds. to be stored after being harvested.

White tea was first produced in the Fuding area of ​​Fujian Province and then spread to the nearby Shuiji and Zhenghe areas. The oldest types of white teas grown in these areas were Silver Needle, White Peony, and later Gongma and Shoumei.

To say that this type of tea is new is a mistake. It can be considered new only because it has experienced greater popularity only in recent years. White tea has been cultivated and used by the Chinese for at least a thousand years. It took hundreds of years for the rest of the world to smell it.

The componing elements of white tea

White tea contains a considerable amount of phenolic compounds, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, and catechins. In addition, the composition of white tea also contains theaflavins, caffeine, and amino acids such as L-theanine, but also minerals, volatile oils, and vitamins A, B, C, and E.

White tea is known for the relatively small amount of theine it contains but offset by a large number of antioxidants, white tea contains 3 times more polyphenols than any other tea.

Types of White Tea:

 There is a multitude of types of white tea, some named after the region of origin, others depending on the special ingredients added to the leaves and buds of the tea. But each variety has something to offer, and we encourage you to experiment and find your favorites. You can also buy white tea from our website.

Among the most popular types of white tea are:

Silver Needle White Tea (Yin Shan Yin Zhen)  - Towards the end of March, in the Zhenghe and Fuding regions of the famous Chinese province of Fujian, on a sunny morning, when the dew has blown, the most appreciated, expensive, and best tea is harvested. white in the world.

Zhenghe is located further inland than Fuding, and this influences to a certain extent the climate and implicitly the properties of the teas. Also, in Zhenghe a unique variety is cultivated, called Zheng He Da Bai Hao, a local specific assortment, described by connoisseurs as being less pleasant in appearance than the one cultivated in Fuding, but with a richer taste.

The buds that did not open in the leaf, covered with fine silver hairs from the Da Bai type, are kept dry on special bamboo screens. After slight oxidation, they will delight all connoisseurs, becoming one of the ten most famous Chinese teas in the world.

White Peony Tea - White Peony, or Bai Mudan / Pai Mu Tan White Tea, as it is known in the province of origin, Fujian, is a white tea obtained from the buds and the first two leaves on each stem, thus being recognized for its taste. more intense than teas made exclusively from buds.

The plants from which they are harvested are grown at altitudes of about 1500m and harvested in early spring, depending on weather conditions. Peony means peony and the infusion has a delicate taste that subtly recalls the fragrance