White tea: how it differs from green and black tea, and how to brew it

White, green, oolong and black tea all come from the same plant: the tea bush, Camellia sinensis. What sets them apart is the processing after the harvest. White tea has the simplest processing of all: the leaves are withered and dried. No steaming, no roasting, no rolling.

How it's made

The picked leaves and buds are spread out on racks and left to wither, often for a day or longer. During this time they lose water and oxidise slowly and slightly. Then they're dried completely. Green tea is the opposite: it's heated right after the harvest to stop oxidation. Black tea is rolled and fully oxidised.

The name comes from the silvery-white down on the young buds. The most famous white teas come from Fujian province in China, from around Fuding and Zhenghe.

Types

• Bai Hao Yin Zhen (Silver Needle): buds only. The most delicate and the most expensive, sweet, with notes of hay and melon.
• Bai Mu Dan (White Peony): a bud and the two youngest leaves. Fuller in flavour, floral, with a note of honey. A good choice to start with.
• Shou Mei: more mature leaves from later harvests. Darker, fruity, sometimes slightly earthy.

What it tastes like

Gentle and sweet, without bitterness and without the grassy freshness of green tea. In Bai Mu Dan you can usually taste dried flowers, honey, apricot and hay. The infusion is light and golden.

How to brew it

• 4 g of leaves to 250 ml of water. White tea leaves are large and light, so 4 g is a generous handful.
• water at 80–85°C
• 2–3 minutes
• 3 infusions, each one a minute longer

White tea copes well with mistakes: even brewed for longer, it doesn't turn bitter, just thicker and sweeter. It also works beautifully cold-brewed: 8 g to a litre of water, 8–10 hours in the fridge.

Does white tea age?

Yes, and it's one of its more interesting traits. In China they say that white tea is a tea in its first year and a treasure after seven. It's only a saying, but there's something in it: over time the tea loses its freshness and gains notes of dried fruit and honey. At home, it's enough to keep it tightly sealed in a dry, dark place.

In our shop: Bai Mu Dan. It's also in the Explorer Set. You can find out how much caffeine white tea has in the article how much caffeine is in tea.