White Tea

White tea is minimally processed; it is generally only picked and air dried. The highest-quality white teas are picked early in the spring before the leaf buds have opened and while still covered with silkywhite hair. The traditional varietals used for white tea have abundant downy hair on the young leaf shoots. These delicate teas have clear flavors that tend toward savory, nutty, and vegetal. Traditionally harvested in China, they are the focus of many studies on health benefits for their high levels of antioxidants.

• View a slide show on White Tea processing.
• Read the One-Minute Tea Tip on White Tea.
• In Pursuit of Tea offers many fine white teas such as White Peony and Yinzhen Silver Needle.