White Tea

White tea is the most restrained, the most delicate, the least processed of all teas. The leaves are plucked, withered in the sun, and finally gently dried in warm rooms — that's all. No pan-firing, no rolling, no heating. Nature does the work, the maker watches.

The name «white» comes from the fine, silvery-white hairs that cover the unopened buds, and from the pale, peach-golden colour of the finished infusion.

The classic white teas of Fujian

The homeland of white tea is the province of Fujian in southeast China — and in particular the local Da Bai («Big White») varietal. Four traditional grades distinguish the Fujian-style teas:

Yin Zhen (Silver Needles) — Also called Bai Hao Yin Zhen. The finest Yin Zhen consists exclusively of the fleshy buds of Da Bai bushes, plucked between mid-March and the end of March, before the Qing Ming festival. Dry: upright, downy, silvery. In the cup: pale gold, velvety, with notes of honey, hay and fresh spring flowers. The king of white teas.

Bai Mu Dan (White Peony) — From the same varietal, but plucked a little later in April. Bai Mu Dan consists of one bud and one or two young, open leaves. Fuller and more floral than Yin Zhen, but less refined — and considerably more affordable.

Gong Mei (Tribute Eyebrow) — Made from the small-leaf Xiao Bai varietal. The dried leaves are smaller and narrower, the infusion stronger, darker and more pronounced than Bai Mu Dan.

Shou Mei (Longlife Eyebrow) — From the later, larger leaves of the Da Bai bushes. A colourful mix of silvery buds and green, brown, plum-coloured leaves. The most robust, least refined white tea — but precisely for that reason, ideal for ageing.

Yunnan — white tea from the forests

The province of Yunnan in southwest China also produces exceptional white teas. Made from large-leaf assamica varietals and partly from the buds of wild, centuries-old tea trees, these teas are often more striking in flavour and depth than their Fujian cousins.

• Yunnan Da Bai Silver Needle — From the buds of cultivated assamica bushes. • Gu Shu Yin Zhen (Old Tree Silver Needle) — From ancient trees, with a particularly complex, fruity-sweet profile. • Wild-tree buds (Ya Bao or Nan Mei) — From the mountains of Lincang and Dehong, plucked in February from primordial Camellia taliensis trees. Scaly, robust buds with a warm, fruity and resinous taste.

From Taiwan comes our unusual Wild Garden Lugao Qi Yun — a white tea from semi-wild bushes that combines the Fujian tradition with the terroir of Taiwan.

Aged white tea

When white tea is stored under the right conditions, it undergoes a slow, fascinating transformation. Residual moisture must be below 5 %. Storage is at room temperature, low humidity (below 60 %), in the dark, ideally in airtight containers or compressed cakes.

After 5 to 6 years, the tea develops deeper, mellower, honeyed notes. Teas that have aged 10 to 20 years are rare, precious and comparable in flavour to old Madeira wine: dark, sweet, with hints of date, tobacco and dried fruit. A similar transformation through storage is described in our article on fermented tea.

Preparation

White tea calls for patience and gentle water:

• Water temperature: 75–85 °C • Steeping time: 4–5 minutes • Suggested quantity: 2–3 g per 200 ml of water • Multiple infusions: Yin Zhen and aged white teas can easily be infused 3–5 times, with the flavour profile subtly evolving with each steep.

Tip: Use a glass teapot. There are few sights more beautiful than watching silver needles slowly dancing in clear water. Browse our full white tea selection.