What should we know about white tea?
White tea is usually produced from the buds and from these youngest leaves. Because of this, it is considered precisely the best quality product that is available on the market, and at the same time the one that is most difficult to access. This is, of course, partly true opinion, while it is also quite a generalization. It turns out that the use of young leaves for drying makes it possible to penetrate more of the extracted substances into the infusion itself. The mentioned availability of this tea is a very contentious issue.
White teas we can find in various tea stores, and sometimes even at a very low price, because in our country it is a very popular product. On the other hand, it is worth exercising some caution, however, and reaching for goods in good tea shops, where we deal with fresh products and from reliable and trusted sources.
White tea and its origins
As with many other teas, white tea was grown and produced only in the imperial tea gardens. In the spring, these youngest leaves were plucked from the evergreen tea bush, and then they were heated over steam and rinsed with spring water. Immediately after they were dried, the leaves were ground into a white powder that was added to hot water. However, it was a drink that could only be afforded by the emperor himself. White tea as we know it today was first produced in Fujian province, in the southeastern part of China in the 13th century, but after a short time it spread to neighboring provinces. Due to its delicacy, and the lack of specific storage methods, it was unavailable outside of China for a very long time. However, the development of technology, as well as the product itself, and the increase in demand for this luxury commodity, made white tea available to people in many corners of the world.
White tea production
Unlike other teas, the processing of leaves for white tea is quite complex. The first stage after harvesting is wilting, the purpose of which is to reduce water in young leaves. Then comes the drying of the tea, after which, in some cases, it is rolled.
In the case of white tea, drying used to be done only in the sun, which is still found in some places today, with more orthodox producers. Nowadays, we are talking about a fully controlled process using special electrically controlled dryers.
White tea and its taste
It is worth knowing that here we are dealing with one of the most delicate teas, which applies not only to the very leaves from which it is made. This is because after brewing, we get an exceptionally bright and delicate in taste infusion. In the case of this tea, vegetable, fruit and floral flavor notes are the most common, while their occurrence depends on the particular tea you are brewing. Importantly, for those accustomed to more distinctive and distinctive flavors, white tea may be too weak. So before serving such tea to someone, it is worth asking about their preference, and when trying it yourself, you should give yourself more time to get used to its taste and aroma. It is also advisable to cleanse your taste buds before consuming it, by drinking plain warm water.
How to brew white tea
They have in mind the aforementioned delicacy, the correct brewing of white tea, somewhat resembles the preparation of green tea. The most important aspect here is the brewing temperature. This one must not be too high, as the infusion may turn out to be bitter. The key is to find the golden mean in the choice of temperature. Herbart white and green have a different degree of oxidation. The higher it is, the brewing temperature can also be higher. It is therefore considered that white tea should be brewed using water whose temperature is about 80 degrees Celsius.