A Beginner’s Guide to White Tea: Types, Taste and Health Benefits
It is never a bad idea to learn before starting a new journey. So, if you are a beginner in the tea world and looking to learn about white tea, then you have landed in the right place.
White tea is common for people who love their tea light and low in caffeine, yet graceful. The white tea drink from the white tea leaves is full of antioxidants; and is amongst the most appreciated varieties of tea. Wondering the reason? Stay tuned with us, we are going on a tour to explore this awesome beverage.
What is White Tea?
Just like any other real tea, white tea is made from the tea plant we know as Camelia Sinensis. The harvester picks the finest new buds and unfurled leaves from the tea plant, ensuring the tea is packed with nutrition, minerals, and antioxidants when processed into white tea. It is the quick processing method that differentiates this uniquely aromatic and flavored tea from others as the minimal processing and oxidizing make it the most delicate and freshest tea.
The fine new buds and leaves are dried briskly, yet meticulously with an oxidation period very less as compared to the other teas. Usually, the processing steps are completed in just two steps; withering and drying for producing high-quality white tea.
White Tea Origins
White tea’s origin is still a mystery, as there is no strong historical evidence to show the actual beginning of white tea in the world. Many believe that white tea began to make its mark during the Song dynasty in Imperial China; however, there are many indications that white tea was in existence from the Tang dynasty, the antecedent of the Song dynasty.
In the Tang dynasty, there was a tradition of offering the finest tea prepared using young and finely plucked buds to the imperial ruler as a tribute to symbolize honor and respect. The culture moved forward with the Song dynasty with an improved production and preparation process. Chinese Emperor Huizong from the Song dynasty is acknowledged for beginning the tea culture and changing the way of producing and processing tea. In his writing, “Treatise on Tea”, Huizong stated that he loved consuming “Bai Cha” (White tea); it is the first historical record of the existence of white tea.
Types of White Tea
Today, many countries are in the cultivation of the varieties of best white teas; every variety has something unique to offer. Let’s go through some of the fine-quality types of white tea.
Nepal Special White Tea
The tea with fine buds and leaves, our white tea is tea from a high altitude (7000 - 7500 feet) in the Ilam region of Nepal.
As the winter comes to an end, the new buds are seen in the tea plants which are harvested soon, before any leaves unfurl. These hand-picked buds are quickly taken for processing without exceeding 72 hours after the harvesting period.
The tea smells like chocolate and watermelon when dry, appearing to be an attractive mixture of rusty brown and silver-green colored tea leaves and buds. After steeping, the tea looks just like riesling white wine with a smooth thick texture and provides you with the sweet taste notes of nut milk and vanilla.
Bai Hao Yin Zhen (Silver Needle White Tea)
Bai Hao Yin Zhen is produced using only the buds from the tea plants. Known to be one of the most expensive white teas, the original variety of the tea comes from the Fujian province of China. The selective tea buds are covered in downy white hairs which is also the reason behind its name.
The minimal processing including the steps – of withering and drying preserves the naturally fragrant aroma in the tea. After brewing, the tea with a bright golden color provides a taste note similar to a dried apricot.
White Peony
The white peony tea originated in the Fujian province of China. While many varieties of white teas use the maximum of the new tea buds, white Peony tea uses the maximum of the early leaves from the tea plant, usually the first and second shoots. The handpicked tea leaves go through a minimum withering process and are typically dried using the sun dry or bake dry method.
After brewing, it produces a pale golden-colored tea similar to the honey color and most often looks darker than other white teas. The taste is sweet and delicate with floral notes.
Nepal Silver Tips Tea
Nepal-Silver Tips Special White tea is the rare type of highest-grade white tea from Nepal. The farmers are very selective when picking the tea buds and leaves for the production of silver-tip white tea.
A lot of new buds appear in the tea plants in early springs retaining excessive antioxidants and nutrients. Those new downy buds are selectively picked before unfurling any leaves to minimally process Nepal-Silver Tips Special White tea.
With eye-catching silver-green downy buds, the dry tea provides a sweet smell of forest honey. After steeping, you will get a golden-colored tea with a velvety soft texture. The taste hits your taste buds with the sweet taste notes of banana cantaloupe, you might just get addicted to it.
Tasting White Tea
Sweet and delicious! As many people express.
The white tea flavor profile is typically described as fruity, chocolaty, sweet, herby floral, and grassy. The subtle flavor of the white tea makes it suitable for refreshment and relaxation at any time of the day.
Let’s note that the white tea taste differs based on its variety and other factors including cultivation place (soil type, climate, and temperature), processing process, as well as the way you brew the tea.
Benefits of White Tea
While “green tea” might be the most talked about tea for its health benefits, white tea might just surpass the health benefits offered by Green tea. Thanks to the abundant antioxidants, white tea is one of the healthiest beverages in the world.
So, what are the health benefits of white tea? Well, there are so many. Get ready to be surprised to know some of the most dazzling white tea health benefits.
May Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death on a global level, so, every step you take to protect your heart is always crucial. What could be an easier initiative than drinking a warm cup of tea? Yes, white tea might help lower the risk associated with different heart diseases, thanks to the rich polyphenols in the drink.
Studies show polyphenols contained in white tea may help control cholesterol levels and relax the blood vessels resulting in the good functioning of the heart.
Aiding Weight Loss
Obesity is common these days and considering its unhealthiness, it is always better to maintain our fitness. White tea, with a combination of caffeine and epigallocatechin gallate, results in a high-fat burn. With the boost in metabolism, the tea breaks the existing fat in your body and prevents the fat from multiplying; effective against obesity.
Dealing with an unfit body? White tea may be helpful for you to lose that stubborn fat, especially from your belly.
Good for Brain Health
Test Tube studies show that the EGCG in white tea prevents the proteins from improper clumping and reduces the risk of brain nerve damage. So, white tea may help in protecting against the brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Also, white tea with its amino acid L-theanine improves the cognitive function of your brain aiding in calmness and focus.
Good for Tooth Health
With white tea, you get a lot of tannins and fluoride that help prevent your teeth from decaying as those compounds are effective in fighting against harmful bacteria.
Good for Bone Health
The Manganese in white tea; supports your bone health to reduce the risk of osteoporosis. The catechin protects against chronic inflammation and free radicals to aid bone growth and prevent bone breakdown.
May Provide Protection against Lung Cancer
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death on a global level. So, every step taken toward cancer protection is a crucial step. Drinking white tea can be one of those steps as it may also contribute to protection from lung cancer. Research has shown that the antioxidants in white teas minimize the growth of colon cancer cells as they prevent harmful cells from spreading.
May Help Protect against Insulin-Resistance
Insulin resistance is the reason for chronic health issues like heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. Polyphenols in white tea have been linked with lowering the risk of insulin resistance to ensure that all your cells get sufficient nutrients from your bloodstream.
Maintain a Healthy Cholesterol Level
High cholesterol level contributes to plaque buildup in your heart’s arteries. So, it is important to maintain a healthy cholesterol level to protect your heart. The catechins and antioxidants in white tea help in lowering cholesterol levels and prevent blockage of blood flow.
Caffeine Content in White Tea
With less processing, White tea, the most delicate tea contains less amount of caffeine compared with other teas. In an eight-ounce serving, you will generally find a 15 to 30-milligram white tea caffeine level. However, many factors including tea type, steeping temperature, and steeping time affect the white tea’s caffeine content.
Storing White Tea
There is no joy in drinking tea once it has lost its quality. Not only the taste, flavor, and aroma, but the degradation in the quality also impacts the health benefits that tea has to offer. So, make sure you take every important step to store your tea in a way that maintains its flavor and usefulness. Here are some useful tips.
Tip 1: Choose a container that does not allow any lights and air to pass through.
Tip 2: Many of us may have habits of storing the teas in the same cabinet where we also store the different spices. Well, if you are also doing the same, then it's time to make a change. Teas can soak the strong odors which impact their original smell and flavor. So, always keep your tea far from strong smells.
Tip 3: Do not keep the container open for a longer period to prevent the frequent oxidation of the tea from the air.
FAQs
What is white tea good for?
White tea contains abundant antioxidants that are linked with many health benefits including the reduction of the risk associated with cancer and heart diseases.
Which is better, green tea or white tea?
Studies show that white tea may have more antioxidants than green tea as white tea is less processed. Both are full of health benefits including protection against heart disease, cancer, and obesity.
Is white tea tea?
Yes, white tea is a true tea coming from the Camellia Sinensis plant.
Is it good to drink White tea every day?
Yes, you can drink white tea daily to get its many health benefits. However, it is usually recommended to limit your white tea intake to two cups a day.
Is White tea good for anxiety?
L-theanine found in white tea calms your brain. So, white tea helps reduce and manage your anxiety.
Is White tea the healthiest tea?
White tea is full of antioxidants studies have shown that white tea contains more antioxidants than green tea making it one of the healthiest teas in the world.
Why is white tea expensive?
Only the finest young leaves and buds are selected for processing into white tea. It makes harvesting time very time-consuming with limited production. So, the price is higher than most teas.
Conclusion
If you are looking for white tea that guarantees the highest antioxidant content with delightful taste and flavor from the Himalayas, then do visit Danfe Tea. We only process the selective handpicked new buds that appear right after the winter to ensure the highest flavor and nutrient-packed white tea.
The Finest Himalayan Loose-Leaf Teas
Danfe Tea brings you the finest loose-leaf teas in the Himalayas. With robust flavors and many health benefits, we invite you to try our high-quality black teas. These teas are available in 2.5-3.5 oz or 1 lb variants. We also offer monthly subscriptions to these products.
