WHITE TEA

Have you ever heard of white tea? Compared to green tea, what is white tea good for and where does white tea come from?


I haven't heard of white tea until Anneliese had mentioned about it from my last blog on green tea. Doing a little reasearch I have come to find that white tea is actually very popular out there compared to green tea.



Some info on white tea...





White tea is produced in a different way to all other teas. The leaves come from special varietal bushes and are not processed but are dried in the sun. Only special leaves are selected, the ideal is two leaves wrapped around a new shoot. After drying the leaves they are again selected and sorted by hand. White tea is especially potent in that it is has three times as many antioxidant polyphenols as green or black tea and has been shown to be 100% more effective in mopping up free radicals that cause skin to sag. Some of the world's top cosmetic companies are becoming very interested in white tea for skin creams and the result is that high grade white tea is becoming even more rare than before.






Where did white tea come from and how did it get its name?


Just like the popular green tea (which has been noted for its antioxidant qualities, particularly among Asian cultures, dating back centuries), white tea is derived from the Camellia sinensis plant. However, unlike most other varieties (including traditional black tea and oolong tea), the leaves of white tea are harvested before they are fully opened. Indeed, the name "white tea" is derived from the fine white hair that covers the uppermost tender buds of the plant. For this reason, white tea is sometimes referred to as the "Rolls Royce" of the tea family.