What Is White Tea? Here’s Everything You Need to Know

If you’re like me and love a good cup of tea, you need to try making white tea at home.

The fresh and delicate flavors are just what you need to cleanse your palate and have a refreshing start to your day.

White tea is typically served on its own or paired with a light snack and it’s best consumed when it’s freshly brewed.

In this blog post, you’ll learn all about white tea and how to brew it in a few, easy steps.

What Is White Tea?

White is easily one of the most delicate types of tea that exist in the world today.

The leaves are harvested before they’ve had a chance to blossom and the young buds are covered with white fuzz.

The young buds and leaves are dried quickly after they’re handpicked to make sure the flavors stay delicate and fresh. 

Types of White Tea

Eyebrow White Tea (Shou Mein)

Eyebrow white tea, also known as Shou Mein, is quite common in China.

It’s prepared with leaves that are picked out later in the harvest season.

The flavors of eyebrow white tea are described as strong and fruity, and known to be quite similar to oolong tea.

White Peony Tea (Bai Mudan)

White peony tea is prepared from the first leaves of the tea plant.

It’s known to have a strong flavor because the leaves are allowed to oxidize for some time. 

Silver Needle White Tea (Bai Hao Yin Zhen)

Silver needle white tea is prepared from the buds of the plant. It’s one of the most expensive tea varieties that exist out there.

The flavor is incredibly smooth and mellow and has a strong honey-like aroma. 

What Does White Tea Taste Like?

Even though both white tea and green tea come from the same tea plant, white tea is known to be a lot more delicate in taste.

It’s prepared from the buds and shoots of the plant which is why it has a less bitter and lighter aroma than green tea. 

If you’re partial to strong drinks, white tea may taste quite bland to you.

Some notable traits like grassy, floral, herby, honey-like, subtle and sweet are often used to describe the flavor profile of most white tea categories. 

Does White Tea Have Caffeine?

The caffeine content in white tea is not much lower than other kinds of tea.

Typically, one cup of white tea can have as low as 6 or as high as 75 milligrams of caffeine, it really depends on the type of white tea you’re making.

How to Make White Tea

You need to be very careful when you’re handling the delicate white tea leaves so you can get the best flavor. 

Let’s take a look at how you can brew the most delicious cup of white tea at home.

What You Need

• White tea leaves (or teabags)
• Lemon, honey, or sugar (optional)

Instructions

1. Boil some water in a pot, and then let it cool for about 5 minutes before adding in the leaves to make sure it doesn’t scald them.
2. Infuse the water with the white tea leaves or teabag for around 1 to 3 minutes. You can leave it in for longer if you have a preference for strong flavors.
3. Once the leaves have been infused, pour the tea into the cups and serve.
4. Add sugar to taste (optional)

It may take a couple of tries before you can get the flavor just right. You can add lemon or honey to your cup as well for a more enriched taste.  

Watch this video to learn how to make white peony tea at home in a few, simple steps. 

Tips

• White tea needs to be prepared at a lower temperate than other types of tea to make sure the leaves stay fresh and the flavors are delicate. It’s advisable to use water that’s clean and pure, not distilled, and is somewhere between 175 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit. 
• The water needs to be hot before you add in the leaves, but it shouldn’t be simmering. You can leave the tea leaves in the water for as long as five minutes. Don’t leave them in for longer or the tea will turn bitter. 
• The amount of tea you need to use depends on the kind of leaves you have at hand. You can use about a tablespoon of open and lightweight tea leaves per an eight ounce cup, but if the tea mixture consists mostly of compact buds, you just need to use about a teaspoon per cup. 
• List Give it a taste before adding in the sugar or any additional ingredients as they may not be necessary. 

The bottom line

White tea can get stale in a short amount of time, so you need to buy it in small quantities and consume it right away.

It’s also necessary to store it in a cool, dark place and make sure it’s not exposed to any moisture. Click here to learn how to store it the right way.

5 of our favorite cooking gadgets lately

• Large Saucepan
• Le Creuset Baking Pan
• Le Creuset Frying Pan
• Le Creuset Spatula
• Cuisinart Food Processor