- were originally produced in Jian Yang county, Fujian province, China
- are processed from young shoots and early growth leaves
- are plucked and dried, either in the sun or an oven
- have a delicate appearance, gentle aroma and subtle, sweet taste
- are very low in caffeine and very high in antioxidants
True white tea comes only from the Chinese Da Bai Hao bush. This bush can be used for both green and white teas. One of the big differences between green and white tea is how the tea is processed. To make white tea the pickers choose the bud and the leaf together and then separate it into three general grades creating the three types of white tea: Silver Needle, Bai Mu Dan (White Peony) and Shou Mei (Long Life Eyebrow).
Unlike green tea production which involves relatively high temperatures to remove moisture, white tea is dried naturally in sunlight, or at lower temperatures indoors, which helps to preserve tea polyphenals. The preferred method is drying by the sun which occurs very quickly. If processed indoors, drying takes about 40 hours of careful monitoring at low temperatures.
Flavour profiles can include notes of melon, sweet chestnut, light peach and wood accents, with a velvety texture and clean aftertaste.