white tea

WHITE TEAS:

Steep 2-3 minutes (175 degrees, just before boil)

General: China is known to produce the world’s highest quality white teas. White tea retains most of its natural color and has the broadest range of antioxidants and enzymes. White teas are delicate, subtle, and have a lighter taste because they come from the newly sprouted buds (white tea is a bud or bud and leaf) of the tea plant. This tea is handpicked, withered, does not go through a rolling or oxidizing phase, and is the least processed of all teas.

History: White tea dates back as far as the T'ang Dynasty (618-907 AD) and soon became the choice of royal courts. According to legend, only Imperial families were allowed to drink white tea. White tea did not undergo much change until 1885 when specific varietals of tea bushes were selected to make Silver Needle and other specialty white teas. Chinese exportation of these fine teas began in 1891.

Tea Descriptions: White teas are naturally flavored and are said to be best without milk or sugar because it does not enhance the flavor and instead masks the light, delicate tea.

Silver Needle - Reserved for the Chinese Imperial family for centuries, this tea is hand-harvested only two days of the entire year. With silver tipped leaves, the tea is known to be light and grassy in taste.

Dharma (White Monkey Picked) - The finest tea buds collected from the highest mountains and tree tops in China. Refreshing notes of honey-suckle chestnut, and sage. According to legend, monks trained monkeys to climb the trees for the most tender and youngest leaves that got the best sunlight which is where the name“White Monkey Picked”was chosen. This was long before PETA or Fair Trade.

Pai Mu Tan (White Peony) - Has a muscatel flavor, which is grape flavor without the sweetness, and a thicker body filled with the fragrance of bright liquor.