When it comes to tea, green tea has always been my go-to tea for everything. This month I decided to visit a tea expo in Beijing and try some new varieties. To my surprise, there was not much green tea there. In fact, most of the vendors were exhibiting white tea. I knew nothing about it prior to this visit. After tasting and learning more about the white tea benefits, I decided to buy some of this goodness so I can enjoy it at home.

What surprised me the most was that they pack white tea as “tea cakes”.

In this post I am going to share what I learned after talking to the tea vendors.

What is White Tea?

White tea grows in Fujian province in China. When brewed, the tea has a dark, brown-golden color. However, it is named “white tea” because the tea leaves and buds are harvested before they fully open, while still covered in furry white hairs.

White tea has a floral, fragrant taste and is one of the most delicate teas because it is only minimally oxidized and processed compared to the rest of teas. Therefore white tea retains most of its antioxidant properties, which are responsible for the majority of its health benefits. This makes white tea superior when compared to green tea. 

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White Tea Over Green & Black Tea

The most fascinating thing about teas is that no matter which variety you choose to drink, green tea, black tea, Puerh tea, or white tea, they all come from the same tea tree. It is called “Camellia Sinensis”, which is native to China and India. However, it is the growth region, how long the tea has been exposed to oxidation as well as the processing methods it undergoes that results in so many different varieties of tea.

White tea is handpicked, after which it is allowed to dry briefly in the sun or at carefully controlled temperatures. In this way, it is minimally oxidized, and it doesn’t need to go through the roasting process in order to stop oxidation, as is the case with black and green teas.

On the other hand, black tea is allowed to fully oxidize, and its leaves turn dark black before they are processed. Similarly, green tea is allowed to dry for a brief period of time, after which its leaves are roasted to stop oxidation.

Related Reads:

Green Tea Health Benefits: Why Drink Green Tea 

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White Tea Health Benefits

As white tea originates from the same tea plant as green tea (Camellia Sinensis), it naturally shares the same health benefits as green tea.

The only major difference is that white tea is minimally oxidized and processed. which enables it to retain a higher amount of its antioxidant properties. It is this quality that gives white tea a slight edge of superiority when it comes to health benefits.

However, no matter which tea you choose, you will still enjoy a wide array of health benefits, some of which include:

Strengthening your immune system

Reduced risk of serious health conditions such as cancers, diabetes, osteoporosis, etc.

Improved cardiovascular health

Enhanced metabolism and effective weight loss management

Reduced signs of premature skin aging

Fight bacterial infections

Better Dental Health

Caffeine Content in White Tea

Since white tea is the least processed and oxidized kind of tea, therefore it contains the lowest amount of caffeine compared to other tea varieties. Depending on its origin, a cup of white tea grown in China could contain as little as 6mg of caffeine, compared to 80 to 200 milligrams in a cup of coffee. However, its counterparts grown in other parts of the world might contain more caffeine.

The Best White Tea Varieties

The most popular varieties of white tea come from the Da Bai variety of the tea plant Camellia Sinensis. Originally, this variety was only grown in Fuding, Fujian province of China.

Silver Needle White Tea (Bai Hao Yin Zhen)

The Silver Needle variety of white tea contains only tea buds and is therefore the gold standard. As a result, this is the most expensive variety of white tea.  It has a light sweet taste with a floral aroma. 

White Peony (Bai Mudan)

White Peony tea is a combination of young buds and tea leaves. While White Peony is more affordable than the Silver needle, it doesn’t take away from the taste. Slightly stronger in flavor than Silver Needle, this tea has a pale green color, with floral hints and a nutty aftertaste.

Tribute Eyebrow (Gong Mei)

Gong Mei is harvested later than Silver Needle and White Peony. It has a darker color and a stronger, fruity flavor. Even though this is considered a third-grade variety, the health benefits of white tea do not diminish.

Long Life Eyebrow (Shou Mei)

Shou Mei comes from the latest harvests and consists of the lower quality leaves. That’s why it is classified as fourth-grade white tea and is more affordable than other varieties. It has a slightly dark brown-golden color with a stronger taste.

Related Reads:

Best Black Tea Types: Chinese vs Indian Black Tea

Best Time to Drink Green Tea for Health & Wellness

Presentation

Another very interesting fact about white tea is that not only is it available in the form of loose-leaf tea, but it also comes in “cakes”. Due to the fragility of the tea leaves which caused all sorts of storage and transportation inconvenience, tea farmers started to compress the tea leaves into round cakes.

This not only resulted in easier transport but also allowed for longer storage times.

How to Store White Tea for Optimal Benefits

While loose-leaf tea is good to drink fresh, the aged vintage cakes aren’t time-sensitive. You can store them for many years. As the cakes age over time, the tea acquires a much smoother and sweeter flavor. It takes on a softer finish and mellow taste.

An old Fu-ding town saying about tea claims that ‘tea is only the beginning: in three years it becomes medicine, and in seven years it becomes a treasure’. 

When it comes to storing white tea, it is best to avoid exposure to sun and humidity. Also, do not keep it in the refrigerator. 

If you only have a couple of tea cakes, it is better to use “sealed, waterproof bags”. Zip them carefully after usage, to avoid letting air in; which can cause oxidation.

If you have more of them, buy a storage pot for protecting tea cakes. In this way, you can stack them one over another, without affecting the tea flavor.

Pricing

As a rule of thumb, the older the tea cake, the higher its price.

I usually pay about $70-100 for a 357g aged tea cake from 2008.

If you don’t intend to spend that much on tea, what you could do is buy more of this year’s tea cakes, store them and wait for the tea to age. After some years, you will have a premium tea quality without paying a premium price.

How to Drink White Tea

As is the case with other kinds of teas, white tea can also be steeped. However, if you want to get the best flavor and enjoy the benefits of white tea, you should brew it.

Directions:

Depending on the size of your teapot and how strong would you like your tea to taste, use about 6-8 grams (1-2 Tbsp per 200ml of water) of tea leaves.

In China there is even such a thing as tea scale if you don’t know how much 6 grams is.

You would need to apply some pressure and “break” a small chunk off the tea cake which contains heavily compressed tea leaves. You could also use a butter knife to cut it off.

As for teapots, my Chinese friend recommended I buy a traditional Japanese cast iron teapot (tetsubin) to brew tea in. It is a temperature-controlled tea kettle, and the tea would taste much better. Also, it would keep your tea warm for at least an hour, so you don’t need to reheat it.

Put the tea leaves into the teapot and cover them with water. When it comes to steeping or brewing tea in China, they usually use the first brew as a way to wash tea. After you’ve washed the tea, then fill the teapot with pure, filtered water, as opposed to tap water.

Brew for anywhere between 10-20 minutes, depending on how strong you would like your tea to taste.

A great thing about white tea is that no matter how long you choose to brew it, the taste never gets too bitter and it is lower in acidity. It just tastes sweeter and mellower.

Final Word

White tea has been revered highly in Chinese culture for centuries. While it used to be grown only in China, nowadays it is available in many countries across the globe.  Though white tea is not as popular as green tea is for Western tea lovers, it deserves more attention. Whether for its plethora of health benefits or for its fragrant and mellow aroma, if you haven’t tried white tea yet, you could choose to add it to your tea repertoire and enjoy the delicate flavor of this loose-leaf tea.

Read Next:

Pu’erh: The Tea With Probiotic Health Benefits

Oolong Tea Benefits: In Between Green and Black Tea 

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