White TeaEverything old is new again! White tea is new in North America, but Chinese tea drinkers have been hip to its benefits since the Ming Dynasty. Until recently it was virtually unknown outside of Asia. Now chefs are praising its delicate flavor and medical researchers purport its many health benefits. White tea may soon be the hottest new food trend. What is white tea? Most tea aficionados know that all tea comes from the same source: the Camilla Sinensis tea bush. Whether a tea leaf winds up in a cup of green, black, or oolong tea depends entirely on how it is processed after it’s picked. Black tea derives its dark color and full flavor from a complex oxidation process of exposing the tea leaves to the air for a strictly defined amount of time. 
Tea leaves meant for green tea are not oxidized at all. They are merely withered in hot air and quickly steamed or pan-fried. A gentle rolling and final heating stabilizes the tea’s natural flavors. Oolong teas fall somewhere in the middle: partial fermentation gives them a distinct reddish color and a “flowery” flavor.White tea is made from tea leaves that are picked shortly before the buds have fully opened. The tea takes its name from the silver fuzz that still covers the buds, which turns white when the tea is dried. The exact proportion of buds to leaves varies depending on the variety of white tea. For example, White Peony contains one bud for every two leaves, while Silver Needles, the champagne of white teas, is made entirely from downy buds picked within a two day period in early Spring. So why this tea’s sudden surge in popularity? The secret lies in the fact that these tender buds undergo less processing even than green tea. The leaves are not dried, but merely steamed. This results in a pale tea with a sweet, silky flavor. White tea lacks the “grassy” tannin aftertaste so often associated with green tea. Studies indicate that white tea is better for you. White tea contains more polyphenols, a powerful anti-oxidant that fights and may kill cancer-causing cells. A 2004 study at Pace University concluded that white tea may help your body’s immune system to fight off viruses and dangerous infection-causing bacteria. The same study concluded that fluoride-rich white tea helps prevent the growth of dental plaque, the chief cause of tooth decay. Of course, nothing in life is perfect. Expect to pay more for white tea than other tea types - up to $25 US for a 2-ounce tin (40 to 50 cups) of Silver Needles. And, while many tea shops are starting to carry white tea, shopping online is also a good place. At our tea salon, we sell some of the finest white teas available. When we first opened our shop, we rarely had requests for white tea. Now it’s one of our best sellers. It’s obvious that savvy tea drinkers are educating their taste buds and enjoying this fine delicate leaf.
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