White tea has caught the wide attention of tea lovers, nutritionists, and scientists. The many studies indicating that white teas are rich in anti-oxidants, anti-viral and anti-bacterial benefits, are leading the best way to to drink white tea. Combined with improving demand for services, more brands and in many cases tea producing countries are offering white tea. But it is vital that you realize that you’ll find great differences in quality at brands that supply white tea products. Just how do the consumer distinguish the product quality and price in the white tea that they’re buying? Bill Lee, tea master of China Flair Tea Company and founding father of the Institute of Masters of Tea Arts, explains the way to distinguish the standard of white tea by its most crucial aspect–taste.
Types of White Tea
White teas are a group of tea created in many aspects of China, Taiwan and countries such as India and Nepal. White tea gets its name from your beautiful silvery white down that covers the young leaf buds. However, to be classified as a white tea it should be also processed based on the orthodox white tea method. That is why silvery young leaf buds are also seen in other tea categories such as green teas and black teas, but they’re not considered a white tea.
Essentially the most traditional and prized white tea emanates from Zhenghe and Fuding counties in China’s southeastern province of Fujian. Traditional white teas from China are separated into several grades, each which has a different name. Each grade represents the volume of young leaf buds which might be included and whether or not the lower leaves underneath the bud are incorporated. White teas with increased silver leaf buds are often considered a finer grade. Are mainly the original grades of white tea by name:
o Bai Hao Yin Zhen (White Downy Silver Needles, or simply just Silver Needles) – made entirely of young silver leaf buds
o Bai Mu Dan (White Peony) – contains the young silver leaf bud as well as the two lower leaves
o Shou Mei (Longevity Brows) also referred to as Gong Mei (Tribute Brows) – almost entirely made up of mature leaves, with few silver buds.
What they are called Silver Needles, White Peony, and Shou Mei represent grades of white tea, these names more specifically indicate the style of white tea, instead of your quality of white tea. Each name only indicates the proportion of young silver buds and mature leaves which are incorporated to create that style of tea. Types of white tea with increased silver leaf buds and much less mature leaves will create a lighter flavour and a more delicate character. Incorporating more mature leaves will produce a warmer and nuttier style.
The reason why these styles are termed as grades is really because producing white tea with an increase of silver leaf buds requires higher costs. White teas including Silver Needles, which are consists of 100% silver leaf buds, are thus more costly and considered an increased grade.
Therefore the issue of quality isn’t really concerning the grade that people choose, though the actual tea we buy within that one grade. Organic beef opt to drink a White Peony because we love that kind of white tea, but we ought to distinguish its quality by comparing it along with other White Peony teas. Many brands now offer a white tea called White Peony, however the quality of White Peony made available from brand X is not necessarily the same quality as brand Y. Factors that determine its quality for example the period of harvest, the age of the trees, their environment, as well as the proper processing of the foliage is not indicated by its name.
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