WHITE TEA AND ITS BENEFITS

As a layman what makes you wonder as what is this White Tea .. right !! Many of my friends who are not into tea industry but yes who want to explore more on teas especially Speciality teas have always asked me with sheer curiosity about the origin and existence of white teas like Silver needles, Bai-mudan, White peony etc. This has made me to write this article on white teas to give a glimpse of this majestic brew.

Yes, indeed Silver Needles White tea as the name implies is not made with silver.. its the appearance of the teas which has given the name to this tea. So lets dive deep into the story of white teas- how they are made, basic taste notes, health benefits etc.

HOW WHITE TEAS ARE MADE :

White teas are also made from the same plant Camellia Sinensis from where other teas like Green tea , Oolong tea, Black teas etc are made. The best time to manufacture White Teas is during spring and winter. White teas are picked early in the season when the leaves are young and tender, preference being given to the tender unopened buds and one shoot / young leaf . White tea gets its name from the soft downy white hairs covering the young tea buds, these hairs give this tea its iconic thick and velvety touchfeel. Generally its taken care that the unopened buds are plucked early in the dawn with utmost care and only experienced workers are deputed for this work. The picking is done very delicately by hand to avoid bruising the leaf which would result in the leaf becoming oxidized turning the leaf to give black appearance which is not desirable. In a shift of 2 hours one worker can hardly pluck around 100 to 150 gms of buds which makes around 20 to 30 gms of dry made tea. This increases the cost of producing the teas as the mandays are high .Due to the delicate picking and handling required, and the limitations on how many young buds a plant will produce, white tea carries a much higher price than green tea. The more silvery appearance the higher the prices it fetches

These leaves are then slightly withered and dried under the shade, and further no additional processing is done such as the rolling, shaping, roasting or fermenting you see in other styles of tea. As a result white tea is some of the purest tea you can buy, being as close as possible to the pure leaf. Thus, most of the original compounds of the tea leaves and buds are preserved and the health benefits properties are retained to their fullest in the process.

POTENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF WHITE TEAS :

White teas are actually the purest form of teas as very less processing is done on the leaves unlike other forms of tea. This helps to preserve its potent properties which are beneficial for the overall well-being .

Now lets discuss upon some potential health benefits of White tea.

Help reduce cholesterol and blood sugar level and improve heart health.
Provide defense against bacterial infections and boost immune system and digestion.
Its therapeutic properties help relieve stress anxiety and even cold and flu.
Detoxify body and increase metabolism & fat burning process.
Its anti-microbial and anti bacterial properties helps fight our body from infection causing bacteria & germs.
Its anti-oxidant properties, reduces the risk of premature & visible signs of ageing and helps in rejuvenating & maintaining healthy & youthful skin.
The presence of polyphenols , flavonoids & tannins can help improve dental health & heart health.

ESSENTIALS OF MAKING A GOOD WHITE TEA :

Water Qty: 180-190 ml

Tea Qty: 2-3 Grams or 2 tsp

Temp to Boil: 75°c – 80°c

Steep Time: 2-3 Minutes

Heat the water to the said temperature. Take 2-3 grams of White tea of your choice in a cup and pour the boiled water over it and cover it with a lid. After steeping for 2-3 minutes strain the teas and serve hot with or without your favorite snacks.

BASIC TASTE NOTES:

White teas have a basic peculiar taste and are Delicate , Mellow, Sweet and Vegetal . Also some other taste and flavor characteristics develop in these teas due to its vicinity to other things like if the teas are grown in the vicinity of say orange orchards then you can experience some citrusy flavor profile in the teas and so on.

These teas can be re-steeped up to 3 times . Just add hot water to the infused leaves and keep the steeping times longer than the first cup.

We hope that our article on White teas was able to satisfy your eagerness on the topic and yes now its time to satisfy your taste buds too…so don’t forget to shop these premium teas from our website www.theteaaddress.com .

HAPPY STEEPING AND SIPPING….CHEERS !!