Friday, December 14, 2007
Posted by Miss Neddy at 08:00 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink
Categories: Tea White

White tea has been known since at least the Tang dynasty, but it has always been rare. To make white tea, only the unopened leaf buds can be used, and cannot be fermented or roasted. Of all teas, other than decaffeinated ones, white tea has the least amount of caffeine.

White tea is also known as the “dancing lady”, as the fine leaf buds will bob up and down gracefully when it is steeping.

A popular white tea is known as Yin Zhen Bai Hao (银针白毫) (Silver Needles White Fuzz), so named because the pale fuzz coating the leaf buds make them look silver. Don’t worry about fuzz in your tea, it disappears once the tea leaves are steeped.

Another white tea I’ve had the privilege to enjoy is Bai Yu Huan (白玉环) (White Jade Rings), which are from China. The white tea leaves are rolled into rings that are large enough to fit an average finger. The flavour is very light, slightly flowery, and the colour of the tea is almost indistinguishable from plain water. Remember the famous Imperial concubine from the Tang dynasty? Her personal name was Yang Yu Huan (扬玉环), just the same as this tea. In many ways, they are similar: fair, soft, round and delicate, like a cloud and like a blossom (to paraphrase Li Bai 李白 the drunken poet most hideously).

White tea is delicate in all ways. Store the leaves loosely, and do not compress or place any pressure on them. As with all tea leaves, store white tea in a cool dark place; like green tea, you can put this tea in the vegetable chiller, although be sure to use an airtight container. The water used for steeping tea must be well below boiling, and do not steep overlong. Use more tea leaves initially, as the elusive taste of white tea may not be detectable when you first drink it. It may take a few more brews of tea before one learns to discern the faintly sweet, slightly grassy and cleansing flavour. 

The taste and fragrance of white tea are also delicate and ethereal. Because of this, white tea is unsuitable to accompany any but the lightest and blandest snacks. Anything with a strong flavour will overpower the lightness of the white tea, and it will taste like plain water. Drink it on its own, and you may find that it rewards a patient and relaxed mind.

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