White tea

From New World Encyclopedia


Bai Hao Yinzhen from Fuding in Fujian Province, widely considered one of the best grades of white tea

White Tea is the least processed form of tea, made only from buds and select leaves of the tea plant. Like green, oolong, and black tea, white tea comes from the camellia sinensis plant. The finest quality white tea, Silver Needle, is made only from unopened buds and gets it name from the fine silvery white hairs on the buds. Beautiful and pleasant tasting, white tea was a luxury only available to the emperor of China. Now it has become available to all around the world, albeit at a higher price than other teas.

White tea is fast-dried, while green tea is roasted in an oven or pan (while kept moving for even curing). Due to its minimal oxidation process, white tea retains higher concentrations of flavonoids (catechins) than green or black tea, and thus is thought to have greater health benefits.

White tea is a specialty of the Chinese province Fujian. 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.

History

See also: Tea: Origin and history

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.[1]

A form of compressed tea referred to as white tea was being produced as far back as the Tang Dynasty (618-907 C.E.). This special white tea of Tang was picked in early spring, when the tea bushes had abundant growths which resembled silver needles. These "first flushes" were used as the raw material to make the compressed tea. Steamed, crushed, and poured into molds, cakes of tea were baked until dry. These cakes were then roasted in the fire until soft enough to be crushed into a powder which was added to boiling water, often with flavorings such as ginger, orange peel, cloves, or peppermint.[2] During the Song Dynasty (960–1279 C.E.) white tea was the choice of the royal court, given as tribute to the emperor. The cakes of tea were ground into a very fine powder and whisked in boiling water to produce a frothy liquid; more subtle flavorings of jasmine, lotus, and crysanthemum flowers replacing the spicier additions of earlier times.[2] This method of tea preparation is still found in the famous Japanese tea ceremony.

Modern-day white teas can be traced to the Qing Dynasty in 1796. Teas were processed and distributed as loose tea that was to be steeped, and they were produced from chaicha, a mixed-variety tea bush. The white tea process differed from other Chinese green teas in that it did not incorporate de-enzyming by steaming or pan-firing. Also, the silver needle white teas that were produced from the chaicha tea bushes were thin, small, and did not have much silvery-white hair.

It was not until 1885 that specific varieties of tea bushes were selected to make "Silver Needles" and other white teas. The large, fleshy buds of the "Big White," "Small White," and "Narcissus" tea bushes were selected to make white teas and are still used today as the raw material for the production of white tea. By 1891, the large, silvery-white down-covered Silver Needle was exported, and the production of White Peony started around 1922.

Brewing

Generally, around 2 grams (0.071 oz) to 2.5 grams (0.088 oz) of tea per 200 ml (6 ounces) of water, or about 1.5 teaspoons of white tea per cup, should be used. White teas should be prepared with 185 °F (85 °C) water (not boiling) and steeped for 4 minutes. Many tea graders choose to brew this tea for as long as 10 minutes on the first infusion, to allow the delicate aromas to develop. Finer teas expose more flavor and complexity with no bitterness. Lower grade teas do not always stand this test well and develop bitter flavors or tannins. On successive brews (white teas produce three very good brews and a fourth that is passable), extend the time by a minute each brew. The third brew may require as long as 15 minutes to develop well. Temperature is crucial: if it is too hot, the brew will be bitter and the finer flavors will be overpowered. Antioxidants are destroyed at temperatures close to the boiling point, and the tea becomes astringent and loses some of its best qualities as the leaves are cooked.[3]

Varieties

Chinese white teas

Bai Hao Yinzhen (Silver needle)
Single leaf of Bai Hao Yinzhen tea. The length of the leaf is approx 30mm.

Bai Hao Yinzhen (Traditional Chinese: 白毫銀針, Simplified Chinese: 白毫银针) is a white tea which is chiefly produced in Fujian Province in China with only limited or negligible production outside. It is more commonly known just as Yinzhen. Amongst white teas this is the most expensive variety and the most prized as only top buds are used to produce the tea. Most Yinzhen is made from the Da Bai or Large White tea tree race, however there are exceptions such as the Big Bud teas from Yunnan.

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 undamaged and unopened buds are chosen.

This tea is best prepared with below boiling water (at about 75 °C (167 °F)) and produces a slightly viscous glittering pale yellow color with evidence of floating white hairs that reflect light. The flavor and fragrance should be delicate, light, fresh, and slightly sweet. Steeping should be for slightly longer than other white teas, up to 5 minutes, and the amount of tea to be used is usually higher. The taste is very mild which may lead to confusion and even disappointment when tried for the first time, especially since this delicate tea is rather expensive.

Bai Mu Dan (White Peony)

Bai Mu Dan (Chinese: 白牡丹) is a white tea that includes new leaves as well as the center needle sprout. While widely considered to be a lower grade than Yinzhen, it is actually a separate category of white tea that includes grades of its own. Bai Mu Dan style is often preferred by white tea drinkers for its fuller flavor and greater potency than the Bai Hao Yinzhen style tea.

The processing rules require this tea only be picked between March 15 and April 10. It is not picked on days that may be raining or if the dew has not dried or if there is frost on the ground. No purple buds are allowed and the stems must not be too long or too short. Leaves damaged by wind, handling, insects, or partially open are rejected and put into a lower grade. The best Bai Mu Dan is produced using the "two leaves and a bud" proportion and is naturally or mechanically withered to produce leaves that are not black or red but green in color.

A very mild peony aroma is apparent when brewing the tea. The brew is a very pale green or golden color. It is fruity and darker than Silver Needle, yet not as strong as Shou Mei. The finest quality should have a shimmering clear infusion with a delicate lingering fragrance and a fresh, mellow, sweet taste devoid of astringency and grassy flavors.

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)
Shou Mei tea

Shou Mei (Traditional Chinese: 壽眉; Simplified Chinese: 寿眉) is produced from naturally withered upper leaf and tips, with a stronger flavor reminiscent of lighter Oolong teas. It is mostly grown in the Fujian Province or Guangxi Province in China. Because it is plucked later than Bai Mu Dan the tea may be darker in color, but it should still have a proportionate green color. Some lower grades of Shou Mei may be golden in color with many of black and red leaves, making a darker brew with more depth.

Other white teas

Ceylon White
Ceylon White Tea (Silver Tips)

Ceylon White tea is grown on the island of Sri Lanka and is highly prized, fetching much higher prices than black tea from the area. It is grown, harvested, and rolled by hand with the leaves dried and withered in the sun in the Nuwara Eliya region of Sri Lanka near Adam's Peak between 2,200 meters (7,200 ft) - 2,500 meters (8,200 ft) above sea level. The tea has a delicate, very light liquoring with notes of pine and honey and a golden coppery infusion.

Darjeeling White
Darjeeling white tea

Darjeeling White Tea has a delicate aroma and brews to a pale golden cup with a mellow taste and a hint of sweetness. Darjeeling white tea leaves are very fluffy and light; thus, it is recommended to use more (by volume) when preparing it than one would of other teas.

The tea is hand picked and rolled by hand and then withered in the sun, making it a rare and popular tea. It is grown in the rainy and hot climate of Darjeeling in India at altitudes of 2000 meters.

Assam White

White tea production in the Assam region is rare. Much lighter in body than the traditional black Assam teas, a white Assam yields a refined infusion that is naturally sweet with a distinct malty character.

African White

African white tea is produced in Malawi and Kenya, mostly as Silver Needles (Yinzhen) type made of assamensis buds. It is usually higher in caffeine and richer in flavor than Chinese whites.

White Puerh Tea

White Puerh tea is harvested in the spring from plantations found high on remote mountain peaks of Yunnan Province, China. Each step is processed by hand, and the tea is rich in fragrance, possessing a sweet nectar-like quality.

Potential health benefits

Teas have been used as medicines in China for centuries. Now the Western world has become interested in these health benefits.


White tea compared to green tea

White tea usually contains buds and young tea leaves, which have been found to contain lower levels of caffeine than older leaves, suggesting that the caffeine content of some white teas may be slightly lower than that of green teas. [4]

A study at Pace University in 2004 showed white tea had more anti-viral and anti-bacterial qualities than green tea. [5]

White tea contains higher catechin levels than green tea due to its lack of processing. [6] Catechin concentration is greatest in fresh, unbroken and unfermented tea leaves. [7] Furthermore, one study examining the composition of brewed green and white teas found that white tea contained more gallic acid, and theobromine. [8]

Caffeine content of green and white teas are similar, though both depend on factors such as the variety of tea, the cut and of the leaf, and the length and method of steeping.

White tea contains less fluoride than green tea, since it is made from young leaves only. [9]


White tea has been claimed to be even more effective that green tea in protecting against a range of cancers, based upon preliminary work by Santana-Rios et al.[10]

A study at Pace University reported in American Society For Microbiology (May 2008) found that white tea extracts effective at treating bacterial infections, such as Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, pneumonia and dental caries [11]. White tea was also found to be effective in treating fungal infections from Penicillium chrysogenum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Researchers also reported that white tea extracts showed a greater effect than green tea extracts.

Potential drawbacks

Effects of fluoride

All tea leaves contain fluoride; however, mature leaves contain as much as 10 to 20 times the fluoride levels of young leaves from the same plant.[12][13][14][15][16][17] In general, the level of fluoride in tea is inversely related to the EGCG contents: the more EGCG, the less fluoride. White tea contains less fluoride than green tea and black tea, because it is made of buds and young leaves only.

The fluoride content of tea depends directly on soil and air pollution; tea plants absorbs this element at a greater rate than other plants. Care in the choice of the location where the plant is grown may reduce the risk.[18]

According to Andreas Schuld of the Canadian Parents of Fluoride Poisoned Children, tea is very high in fluoride content, much higher than the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) set for fluoride in drinking water.[19] Decaffeinated teas have an even higher fluoride content, which is thought to be due to high fluoride levels in the water used in decaffeination. According to Schuld, fluoride could reduce the anti-cancer properties of tea, or even possibly cause cancer at continued toxic levels of the mineral. For instance, Schuld references a 1998 study which found positive correlation between colon cancer and tea intake. The high fluoride content could also cause neurological and renal damage, especially in the presence of aluminum. Additionally, the high fluoride content could cause osteoporosis, arthritis, skeletal fluorosis[20] and other bone disorders.

Effects associated with caffeine

Caffeine is an addictive substance and overuse of tea can result in harmful side effects, such as an increased likelihood of certain sleep disorders. Decaffeination reduces total catechins in both black and green dry teas by about 15 times and 3 times respectively.[21]

Oxalates

Tea contains oxalate, overconsumption of which can cause kidney damage, as well as soak up free calcium in the body; other minerals could be soaked up as well. The bioavailability of oxalate from tea is low and because of this a negative effect requires large amounts of tea.[22]

Tannin

It has been suggested that the chemical known as tannin may increase the risk of nasal and esophogeal cancer. [4] However, some studies have found tea drinking might be negatively associated with risk of esophageal cancer.[23][24]


Notes

  1. Kit Chow and Ione Kramer, All the Tea in China (China Books & Periodicals Inc., 1990, ISBN 0835121941)
  2. 2.0 2.1 Jane Pettigrew, The Tea Companion (Connoisseur's Guides) (Running Press, 2004, ISBN 0762421509)
  3. Preparation Planet Tea. Retrieved October 21, 2008.
  4. PubMed Medline, "National Taiwan University - PubMed"., Institute of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
  5. Science Daily "White Tea Beats Green Tea In Fighting Germs"., (May 28, 2004).
  6. "New" white tea, surprisingly, may have a healthful edge. Environmental Nutrition. Sept 2003. FindArticles.com. 10 Dec. 2007. [1]
  7. Linus Pauling Institute: Micronutrient Information Center. [2]
  8. Santana-Rios G, Orner GA, Amantana A, Provost C, Wu SY, Dashwood RH. "Potent antimutagenic activity of white tea in comparison with green tea in the Salmonella assay."., Mutation Research-Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis, Vol. 495, no. 1-2, pp. 61-74. (22 Aug 2001).
  9. Linus Pauling Institute: Micronutrient Information Center. [3]
  10. Santana Rios, G.; Orner, G. A.; Amantana, A.; Provost, C.; Wu, S-Y.; Dashwood, R. H.; Potent antimutagenic activity of white tea in comparison with green tea in the Salmonella assay Mutation Research, 495 61-74 (2001)
  11. White Tea Beats Green Tea In Fighting Germs
  12. M. H. Wong, K. F. Fung and H. P. Carr (2003). Aluminium and fluoride contents of tea, with emphasis on brick tea and their health implications. Toxicology Letters 137 (12): 111–120.
  13. Yi Lu, Wen-Fei Guo, and Xian-Qiang Yang (2004). Fluoride Content in Tea and Its Relationship with Tea Quality. J. Agric. Food Chem. 52 (14): 4472–4476.
  14. K. F. Fung, Z. Q. Zhang1, J. W. C. Wong and M. H. Wong (1999). Fluoride contents in tea and soil from tea plantations and the release of fluoride into tea liquor during infusion. Environmental Pollution 104 (2): 197–205.
  15. Lung SC, Cheng HW, Fu CB (2008). Potential exposure and risk of fluoride intakes from tea drinks produced in Taiwan. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 18 (2): 158–66.
  16. Malinowska E, Inkielewicz I, Czarnowski W, Szefer P (2008). Assessment of fluoride concentration and daily intake by human from tea and herbal infusions. Food Chem. Toxicol. 46 (3): 1055–61.
  17. Calls for FDA to introduce tea fluoride safety standard
  18. Jianyun Ruan and Ming H. Wong (2001). Accumulation of Fluoride and Aluminium Related to Different Varieties of Tea Plant. Environmental Geochemistry and Health 23 (1): 53–63.
  19. Green Tea
  20. Whyte MP, Totty WG, Lim VT, Whitford GM (2008). Skeletal Fluorosis From Instant Tea. J Bone Miner Res 23: 759.
  21. Bhagwat, T et al., "Flavonoid composition of tea: Comparison of black and green teas", USDA Agricultural Research Service
  22. Michael Liebman and Shawnna Murphy (2007). Low oxalate bioavailability from black tea. Nutrition Research 27 (5): 273–278.
  23. Hung HC, Huang MC, Lee JM, Wu DC, Hsu HK, Wu MT (2004). Association between diet and esophageal cancer in Taiwan. J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 19 (6): 632–7.
  24. Wang JM, Xu B, Rao JY, Shen HB, Xue HC, Jiang QW (2007). Diet habits, alcohol drinking, tobacco smoking, green tea drinking, and the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in the Chinese population. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 19 (2): 171–6.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Arnold, Chloe. White tea - pick of the crop, BBC, 2004.
  • American Society For Microbiology. White Tea Beats Green Tea In Fighting Germs. ScienceDaily, May 28, 2004. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
  • Higdon, Jane and Victoria J. Drake. Tea Micronutrient Information Center, Linus Pauling Institute, 2008. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
  • Pettigrew, Jane. The Tea Companion (Connoisseur's Guides). Running Press, 2004. ISBN 0762421509
  • Chow, Kit, and Ione Kramer. All the Tea in China. China Books & Periodicals Inc., 1990. ISBN 0835121941


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