White tea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
White tea is tea made from new growth buds and young leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis. The leaves are steamed or fried to inactivate oxidation, and then dried. White tea therefore retains the high concentrations of catechins which are present in fresh tea leaves. The buds may also be shielded from sunlight during growth to reduce formation of chlorophyll. White tea is a specialty of the Chinese province Fujian.
Green tea is 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.
White tea is steamed and dried almost immediately after harvesting (sometimes before even leaving the fields). This method of minimal processing may account for white tea's higher than normal medical benefits. Roderick H. Dashwood, an Oregon State University biochemist, has stated that the polyphenols, called catechins, are altered through subsequent processing to other teas (green, oolong, and finally black).[citation needed]Kit Chow notes in All The Tea In China that in hard times, very poor Chinese people would serve guests boiled water if they could not afford tea. Host and guest would refer to the water as "white tea" and act as if the tradition of serving guests tea had been carried out as usual. (This usage is related to plain boiled water being called "white boiled water" in Chinese).
Contents |
[edit] Health benefits
One recent study demonstrated that it removes or prevents even more tumors from the stomachs of specially bred cancer-susceptible rats than green tea, or caffeine alone (although all three were shown to have benefit)[citation needed]. Another study has shown it has greater effect than green tea in destroying certain pathogenic microorganisms[citation needed]. See also Health benefits of tea.
However if you already have a history of stomach pains white tea can also have the opposite effect and revive a gastrite or an ulcerus. [citation needed]
[edit] History
 |
Please expand this section. Further information might be found on the talk page or at Requests for expansion. Please remove this message once the section has been expanded. |
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 (non-oxidized), oolong (semi-oxidized) and black (oxidized) teas. See also Tea History.
Emperor Huizong is said to have become obsessed with producing the best white tea, amongst other arts, that his military weakened and his dynasty lost much of its territory due to this pursuit.
[edit] Varieties of white tea
[edit] Chinese white teas
- Bai Hao Yinzhen (Silver needle)
- 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 (White Peony)
- 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. (Sometimes spelled Pai Mu Tan.)
- Gong Mei (Tribute Eyebrow)
- The third grade of White Tea, the production uses leaves from the Xiao Bai or Small White tea trees.
- Shou Mei (Noble, Long Life Eyebrow)
- 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 Province and Guangxi Province in China
[edit] Other white teas
- Ceylon White
- A highly prized tea grown in Sri Lanka. Ceylon White tea can fetch much higher prices than Black tea from 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.
