With over 1,000 years of history behind it, white tea is one of the oldest kinds of tea still made today. It's also among the most misunderstood. The category is sometimes referred to as the most natural style, because it's defined by simply dehydrating fresh picked leaves in the open air with no further handling. The resulting light and delicate brews shine with subtle flavors that can take a trained palate to recognize. Both of these points are partially true, but that's not the whole story. The category of white tea is diverse and complex, and as tea makers in far-afield regions experiment with new styles, the meaning and flavor of white tea is unfurling before us. Come with us on a tour of this both ancient and modern tea!

A brief history of white tea

Written records of bai cha ("white tea" in Mandarin) date back as far as Song Dynasty China (920 to 1269 CE), and possibly older. Often served as a tribute tea for the imperial elite, the leaves would be ground into a fine powder and whisked in a bowl like matcha. (This method of preparation was one of the inspirations for Japan's matcha tradition, brought over through Buddhist monks.) In the subsequent Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644), looseleaf tea gained popularity over powdered versions, and whisked white tea faded into history.

Details on the production of these historic teas is scarce, but they probably didn't taste like the white teas made in China today. Contemporary production methods for white tea date back around 200 years to Fujian Province, particularly around Fuding County. The most famous and prestigious kinds still come from Fujian, although nearby provinces including Guizhou, Hunan, and Jiangxi also make popular Fujian-style white teas.

How white tea is made

White tea is seemingly simple to make, but the devil is in the details and climate is everything. Once plucked, fresh tea leaves are laid out into a thin, even layer, then left to wither until their moisture reduces to—depending on whom you ask—5% to 10%. Like yellow teas, white teas undergo a slight oxidation that tones down the leaves' innate vegetal flavors in favor of soft, creamy and floral notes. Timing is critical: Too short of a withering period and the leaves won't gain those signature characteristics; too long and they'll develop unwanted flavors or lose their vitality.

Traditionally this is done in the open air, however if it's a cloudy or rainy day, producers may need to give the leaves a helping hand with the aid of solar dryers or low-temperature ovens that can increase airflow. Imagine it's your job to perfectly cook a piece of fish, but you're not allowed to touch it. That's how white tea makers feel!

Types of traditional white tea

The character of a specific white tea is mediated by the leaves used to make it. Different plucking standards can create dramatically different types. As examples, let's start with the most famous traditional white teas from Fujian.

There are four major styles here, which are usually made in descending order as the growing season progresses.

Silver Needle

Silver Needle (bai hao yinzhen) is made exclusively from unopened buds on the growing tips of the tea plant. The most expensive lots are from the new spring growth, which is where plants direct their energy after a winter dormancy. Silver Needle teas taste soft and subtle with a marshmallowy mouthfeel and long-lasting sweetness. Because it takes a lot of those tiny buds to yield just a pound, it's also the most expensive kind of white tea.

 

White Peony

White Peony (bai mudan) has a flavor reminiscent of Silver Needle, but with more  floral depth and a notably creamy texture. It's made from the unopened growing tip and top two leaves on the plant, so the flavor is less pure than bud-only Silver Needle, but fuller. This is what most people think of when they think of white tea, and White Peony offers a beautiful balance of delicate white tea character in a more accessible package.

 

Gong Mei

Gong Mei is usually made later in the season when the plants have a chance to mature. The plucking standard includes some young buds but mostly larger leaves lower down on the plant. This makes for a stronger flavor than Silver Needle or White Peony, and a dark color during brewing that could be mistaken for a black tea. Gong Mei's flavor is less complex than higher white tea grades, but the syrupy brew offers soothing notes of nectar and cinnamon.

 

Shou Mei

Shou Mei is the lowest grade of Fujian white tea, made from mature leaves and few to no young buds. It's typically harvested towards the end of the growing season and develops a flavor similar to Gong Mei, but mellower and less rich. This affordable tea is an everyday brew for many Chinese tea fans, and it's especially popular in Cantonese restaurants as an accompaniment for dim sum.

Newer types of white tea

Although Fujian Province is still most closely associated with white tea production, tea makers in other parts of China and beyond have put their own spins on this versatile style, to delicious results. Here are some other types that you may encounter.

Yunnan white tea

Pu-erh is the specialty of Yunnan Province in southwestern China, and there it's made with the local large-leaf assamica variety of the tea plant. In the last few decades, more and more pu-erh producers have been experimenting with a sun-dried white tea made with this assamica stock. Plucking standards range from pure buds to a bud and several leaves. The resulting Yunnan white tea usually tastes robust, like Gong Mei, with abundant notes of hay and leather. There's nothing subtle about this stuff, but it does maintain white tea's characteristic floral and creamy flavors—just in a more potent package.

Yunnan tea makers also produce a shade-dried version of white tea called Moonlight White (yue guang bai). This is made from regular tea plants or Camellia taliensis, a close botanical relative. Because it's not dried in the sun—and often with the aid of low-temperature ovens that circulate air—this style takes on a distinctive two-toned color scheme of silvery leaves on the side exposed to air and a jet-black hue on the bottom. The flavor is akin to a bolder, brawnier White Peony: still full of subtle white flower notes, but with a vivaciousness that lasts through several infusions.

Himalayan white tea

Tea makers in Darjeeling and nearby Nepal have expanded their repertoire of high-elevation styles to white tea varieties. These unique brews offer an intriguing way to taste Himalayan terroir. They're made much like Chinese white teas, but often boast airy and piney notes that feel like a deep breath of crisp mountain air. Our Himalayan White from the esteemed Jun Chiyabari Estate in Nepal is an unusual and delicious example of this burgeoning style.

 

Aged white tea

Less a regional style than a temporal one, this is white tea that's intentionally aged like pu-erh or certain oolongs. The sale of aged white tea is quite new, dating back to around 2010 in Fujian Province. Because white teas don't undergo any finishing heating step, oxidative enzymes in the leaves continue to be active after drying. After a couple of years, white tea can develop deeper flavors, and after several more, it brews almost as dark as a black tea, delivering spicy-sweet notes of dried fruit and old books.

We find this aging most effective with Gong Mei and Shou Mei grades, as their more mature leaves benefit the most from deeper oxidation. Our Gong Mei Bingcha is made from leaves harvested in 2015, then aged until 2018 when it was pressed into a cake similar to a pu-erh style. With ten years of combined aging under its belt, it's in prime condition to drink right now, especially if you enjoy woody, red date flavors.

Even if you don't intend to age white tea yourself, it's worth knowing that this style can last longer than a green tea or many black teas, so don't throw out a bag just because it seems a little long in the tooth. Hold onto that Silver Needle and see how it gains depth and complexity over time!

Caffeine and health benefits of white tea

White teas are often touted as especially healthy due to their high levels of antioxidants compared to other styles. While it's true that white tea is high in antioxidants, that doesn't make it functionally different from other teas—and keep in mind, these particular antioxidants just morph into others through the process of oxidation. Research on white tea usually focuses on isolated chemical components rather than holistic drinking. We enjoy white teas because they taste good and make us feel good. Any marginal benefits beyond that are just gravy.

It's a popular myth that white tea contains more caffeine than other tea types. In truth, the style of a tea has little to do with its caffeine content. Climate, elevation, leaf grade and growing season all impact a tea's caffeine levels far more. Bud-heavy grades of white tea may pack a caffeinated punch, but lower grades like Gong Mei and Shou Mei can be relatively light on caffeine. As caffeine is water soluble, how a tea is brewed also dramatically affects how much of the chemical is released: hotter water, a longer steeping time or a larger dose will all yield more caffeine in the cup. 

How to brew white tea

Broadly speaking, there are two ways we like to prepare white tea. Delicate grades like Silver Needle and White Peony usually do best with cooler water to highlight their thick texture and preserve their subtle aromatics. We use water between 180° and 195°F with longer steeps: about one minute for gong fu preparations, closer to three minutes for larger Western style pots. And keep in mind, the tightly furled spirals of Silver Needle buds can benefit from slightly hotter water—if it's too cool, the sides of the leaf won't be able to unfurl and release their elegant flavor.

Lower grade white teas and hearty Yunnan styles thrive with water just off a boil to properly extract. You can even try simmering these teas on the stove to make a strong and comforting brew that'll warm you up on a cold day.

As with all our teas, we encourage experimenting with brewing times and temperatures to find your favorite. Also keep in mind these styles are quite light and fluffy compared to many other teas, so if you're not measuring with a scale, you may want to use an extra spoonful of leaf for a full-flavored cup. Explore our collection of white teas and discover the subtle pleasures of this diverse and delicious style!

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