White Tea
White tea is tea made from the new growth - young buds and leaves - of the tea plant. After harvest, the leaves are heat shocked to prevent oxidation before they are dried. Not surprisingly, the brewed tea is very pale in color and delicately flavored. Don't take "delicate flavor" to mean that all white teas are the same. They aren't.
My ancient mother, a very old tigress, starts every morning with her favorite white tea, Xue Ya (Snow Buds) from Fujian Province, China. She reinfuses the leaves at least three times. Her next favorite is Bai Hao Yinzhen (silver needle), a very high-grade white tea.
Chinese white teas
Xue Ya
(Snow Buds)
|
Snow Buds is a relatively recent arrival among white teas, developed in the 1980s. Its flavor is fresh and slightly grassy, with enough body to start the day.
|
Bai Hao Yinzhen
(Silver Needle)
|
The Silver Needle tea is made from first flash spring buds that are long and slender in shape and a silvery, dusty green in color. The brew is softly flavorful and to be savored. Though the leaves can be reinfused, my ancient mother and I like it best when brewed in small quantities in a Xi Ying style clay pot and enjoyed while hot (to get the most from its subtle aroma and slightly sweet flavor) from small glazed tea bowls.
|
Bai Mu Dan
(White Peony)
|
The most common style of white tea, White Peony includes buds and leaves and is considered to be a lower grade than Silver Needle. This is reflected in its price. The amber infusion has a delicate, almost sweet flavor and aroma.
|
|
White Pu-Erh
|
The famous Pu-Erh tea from the Yunnan Province has a lesser-known cousin in this hand-processed white tea that is characterized by a rich fragrance.
|
Lower grades of white tea include Gong Mei (Tribute Eyebrow) ad Shou Mei (Noble, Long Life Eyebrow) and are made from less select parts of the tea plant.
White tea from other areas
Sri Lanka produces a highly regarded Ceylon White Tea. India also produces white teas known as Darjeeling White (from Darjeeling, India) and Assam White (from Assam, India).
|
|