White tea: Difference between revisions

White tea
White tea
	White Bai Hao Yinzhen tea leaves
Chinese	白茶
Literal meaning	White tea
Hanyu Pinyin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	báichá
IPA	[pǎɪʈʂʰǎ]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization	baahk-chàh
Jyutping	baak6-caa4
IPA	[pak̚˨.tsʰa˩]
Southern Min
Tâi-lô	pe̍eh-têe

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White tea may refer to one of several styles of tea which generally feature young or minimally processed leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant.^[1]

Currently there is no generally accepted definition of white tea and very little international agreement on how it can be defined. Some sources use the term to refer tea that is merely dried with no additional processing.^[2] Therefore, white tea is very close to the natural state of the tea plant. Other sources use the term to refer to tea made from the buds and immature tea leaves picked shortly before the buds have fully opened and allowed to wither and dry under the sun,^{[citation needed]} while others include tea buds and very young leaves which have been steamed or fired before drying.^[3] Most definitions agree, however, that white tea is not rolled or oxidized,^{[citation needed]} resulting in a flavor characterized as "lighter" than most green or traditional black teas.

In spite of its name, brewed white tea is pale yellow. Its name derives from the fine silvery-white hairs on the unopened buds of the tea plant, which give the plant a whitish appearance. The unopened buds are used for some types of white tea.

It is harvested primarily in China, mostly in the Fujian province,^[4] but more recently produced in Taiwan, Eastern Nepal, Thailand, Galle (Southern Sri Lanka) and northeast India.

History

What is today known as white tea may have come into creation in the last two centuries; scholars and tea merchants generally disagree as to when the first production of white tea (as it is understood in China today) began. White tea may have first appeared in English publication in 1876, where it was categorized as a black tea, because the leaves are not steamed first as in the making of green tea in order to denature intrinsic oxidative enzymes.^[5]

White tea is often sold as Silvery Tip Pekoe in the style of the tea leaf grading system, as well as under the simple designations China White and Fujian White.^[4]

Some tea from the related wild Camellia taliensis in Yunnan is made using white tea processing techniques.

Composition

White tea, like black and green tea, is made from the Camellia sinensis plant and contains polyphenols, a set of phytonutrients that are thought to be responsible for the health effects of tea.^[6]^[7] Different white teas have different amounts of catechins, a category of polyphenols, and the overall range of concentrations overlaps with that of green tea, meaning that some white teas have the same concentration of polyphenols as some green teas. This may be due to the variety of the tea plant from which the tea was picked, the cultivation technique, and the way in which the tea was processed.^[8]

Caffeine content

White tea generally contains less caffeine than green or black tea. However, the exact amount can vary depending on several factors such as the type of tea, how it's brewed, and the brand. Here's a general comparison:

White Tea: The caffeine content in white tea can range from 6 to 55 mg per cup (250 mL)^[9]

Green Tea: A 250mL cup of green tea contains around 30 mg of caffeine^[10]

Black Tea: The caffeine content in black tea is around 50 mg per cup (250 mL)^[11]

Manufacturing

The base process for manufacturing white tea is as follows:

Fresh tea leaf → withering → drying (air drying, solar drying or mechanical drying) → white tea^[12]

White tea belongs to the group of tea that does not require panning, rolling or shaking. However, the selection of raw material in white tea manufacture is extremely stringent; only the plucking of young tea leaves with much fine hair can produce good-quality white tea of a high pekoe (grading) value.^[12]

Plucking Style

Four primary plucking styles exist for Chinese white teas. The first, and highest quality, Baihao Yinzhen, is just the bud of the tea plant. Bai Mudan white tea is typically composed of one bud and two leaves. Gongmei white tea is similar to Bai Mudan, but includes three to four leaves. The lowest grade of white tea, Shoumei, has many leaves and few buds.^[13]

Popular types of white tea

References

^ "White Tea - A Comprehensive Guide". Dip Tea. Open Publishing. 30 April 2012.
^ Y. Hilal and U. Engelhardt (2007). "Characterisation of white tea – Comparison to green and black tea" (PDF). www.tu-braunschweig.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 August 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
^ "Tea". oregonstate.edu. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
^ ^a ^b Chow, Kit Boey; Kramer, Ione (1990). All the Tea in China. San Francisco: China Books. p. 142. ISBN 978-0-8351-2194-1.
^ Hanson, Reginald (1878). A Short Account of Tea and the Tea Trade. Whitehead, Morris and Lowe. p. 46. ISBN 1-4021-5748-7.
^ Dulloo, AG; Seydoux, J; Girardier, L; Chantre, P; Vandermander, J (February 2000). "Green tea and thermogenesis: Interactions between catechin-polyphenols, caffeine and sympathetic activity". International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders. 24 (2): 252–258. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0801101. PMID 10702779. S2CID 6895328.
^ Hursel, R; Westerterp-Plantenga, MS (December 2013). "Catechin- and caffeine-rich teas for control of body weight in humans". American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 98 (6 Suppl 1): 1682S – 1693S. doi:10.3945/ajcn.113.058396. PMID 24172301.
^ Unachukwu, UJ; Ahmed, S; Kavalier, A; Lyles, JT (August 2010). "White and green teas (Camellia sinensis var. sinensis): variation in phenolic, methylxanthine, and antioxidant profiles" (PDF). Journal of Food Science. 75 (6): C541 – C548. doi:10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01705.x. PMID 20722909.
^ "White Tea Caffeine Content is Higher Than You Think". Mansa Tea. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
^ "FoodData Central". fdc.nal.usda.gov. Archived from the original on 23 May 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
^ "FoodData Central". fdc.nal.usda.gov. Archived from the original on 23 May 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
^ ^a ^b Hui, Y. H.; Meunier-Goddik, Lisbeth; Hansen, Åse Solvejg (2004). Handbook of Food and Beverage Fermentation Technology. CRC Press. p. 961. ISBN 0-203-91355-8.
^ Wu Mountain Tea (7 August 2022). Discover the 6 Tea Types and a WORLD of Awesome Tea Sub-Types | Masterclass on Tea Ch. 1 of 8. Retrieved 18 August 2024 – via YouTube.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Tea from the Camellia sinensis plant}}
-[[Image:Bai Hao Yin Zhen tea leaf (Fuding).jpg|220px|thumb|[[Bai Hao Yinzhen tea|Bai Hao Yinzhen]] from Fuding in [[Fujian|Fujian Province]], widely considered the best grade of white tea]]
+{{Other uses|Milk tea}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
+{{Chinese
+|pic=Bai Hao Yin Zhen tea leaf (Fuding).jpg
+|piccap=White [[Bai Hao Yinzhen tea]] leaves
+|c=白茶
+|l=White tea
+|p=báichá
+|mi={{IPAc-cmn|b|ai|2|ch|a|2}}
+|j=baak<sup>6</sup>-caa<sup>4</sup>
+|y=baahk-chàh
+|ci={{IPAc-yue|b|aak|6|.|c|aa|4}}
+|tl=pe̍eh-têe
+}}
+[[Image:Bai Hao Yinzhen or Silver needle White Tea.JPG|thumb|right|The visible white hairs are a unique characteristic of the [[Bai Hao Yinzhen tea]]]]
+'''White tea''' may refer to one of several styles of [[tea]] which generally feature young or minimally processed leaves of the ''[[Camellia sinensis]]'' plant.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://diptea.com/tea/tea-processing/white-tea |title=White Tea - A Comprehensive Guide|publisher=Open Publishing |date=2012-04-30 |website=Dip Tea}}</ref>
-[[Image:Pai-mu-tan.jpeg|220px|thumb|[[Bai Mu Dan tea|Bai Mu Dan]], widely considered to be the second grade white tea]]
+Currently there is no generally accepted definition of white tea and very little international agreement on how it can be defined. Some sources use the term to refer tea that is merely dried with no additional processing.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tu-braunschweig.de/Medien-DB/ilc/w_t.pdf|title=Characterisation of white tea – Comparison to green and black tea|author=Y. Hilal and U. Engelhardt|date=2007|website=www.tu-braunschweig.de|access-date=14 April 2019|archive-date=12 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180812152716/https://www.tu-braunschweig.de/Medien-DB/ilc/w_t.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Therefore, white tea is very close to the natural state of the tea plant. Other sources use the term to refer to tea made from the buds and immature tea leaves picked shortly before the buds have fully opened and allowed to wither and dry under the sun,{{citation needed|date=December 2016}} while others include tea buds and very young leaves which have been steamed or fired before drying.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/food-beverages/tea|title=Tea|date=28 April 2014|website=oregonstate.edu|access-date=23 March 2018}}</ref> Most definitions agree, however, that white tea is not rolled or oxidized,{{citation needed|date=May 2020}} resulting in a flavor characterized as "lighter" than most [[green tea|green]] or traditional [[black tea]]s.
-'''White tea''' is [[tea]] made from new growth [[bud]]s and young leaves of the plant ''[[Camellia sinensis]]''.  The leaves are steamed or fried to inactivate [[polyphenol]] [[redox|oxidation]], and then dried. White tea therefore retains the high concentrations of [[catechin]]s which are present in fresh tea leaves.  The buds may also be shielded from [[sun|sunlight]] during growth to reduce formation of [[chlorophyll]].  White tea is a speciality of the [[China|Chinese]] province [[Fujian]].
+In spite of its name, brewed white tea is pale yellow.  Its name derives from the fine silvery-white hairs on the unopened buds of the tea plant, which give the plant a whitish appearance. The unopened buds are used for some types of white tea.
-[[Green tea]] is made from more mature tea leaves than white tea, and may be withered prior to steaming or firing. Although green tea is also rich in catechins, it may have different catechin profiles than white tea. For white tea, the little buds that form on the plant are covered with silver hairs that give the young leaves a white appearance. The leaves come from a number of varieties of  tea cultivars, the most popular are ''Da Bai'' (Large White), ''Xiao Bai'' (Small White), ''Narcissus'' and ''Chaicha'' bushes. According to the different standards of picking and selecting, White teas can be classified into a number of grades, further described in the [[White_tea#Chinese_White_Teas|varieties section]].
+It is harvested primarily in [[China]], mostly in the [[Fujian]] province,<ref name="Chow_142">{{cite book |last1=Chow |first1=Kit Boey |last2=Kramer |first2=Ione |title=All the Tea in China |date=1990 |publisher=China Books |location=San Francisco |isbn=978-0-8351-2194-1 | url=http://www.chinabooks.com/shop/china-books/all-the-tea-in-china/ |page=142}}</ref> but more recently produced in [[Taiwan]], Eastern [[Nepal]], [[Thailand]], [[Galle]] (Southern [[Sri Lanka]]) and northeast [[India]].
-White tea is steamed and dried almost immediately after harvesting (sometimes before even leaving the fields). This method of minimal processing may account for white tea's higher than normal medical benefits.  [[Roderick H. Dashwood]], an [[Oregon State University]] biochemist, has stated that the [[polyphenol|polyphenols]], called [[catechin|catechins]], are altered through subsequent processing to other teas (green, oolong, and finally black).{{citation needed}}
+== History ==
-[[Kit Chow]] notes in ''All The Tea In China'' that in hard times, very poor Chinese people would serve guests boiled water if they could not afford tea. Host and guest would refer to the water as "white tea" and act as if the tradition of serving guests tea had been carried out as usual. (This usage is related to plain boiled water being called "white boiled water" in Chinese).
+What is today known as white tea may have come into creation in the last two centuries; scholars and tea merchants generally disagree as to when the first production of white tea (as it is understood in China today) began. White tea may have first appeared in English publication in 1876, where it was categorized as a [[black tea]], because the leaves are not steamed first as in the making of [[green tea]] in order to denature intrinsic oxidative enzymes.<ref>{{cite book | last= Hanson | first= Reginald | title= A Short Account of Tea and the Tea Trade | publisher= Whitehead, Morris and Lowe | year= 1878 | isbn= 1-4021-5748-7 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=KnbkZTazs3sC |page=46}}</ref>
+White tea is often sold as ''Silvery Tip Pekoe'' in the style of the [[tea leaf grading]] system, as well as under the simple designations ''China White'' and ''Fujian White''.<ref name="Chow_142"/>
-__TOC__
+Some tea from the related wild ''[[Camellia taliensis]]'' in [[Yunnan]] is made using white tea processing techniques.
-==Health benefits==
-One recent study demonstrated that it removes or prevents even more [[tumor]]s from the [[stomach]]s of specially bred cancer-susceptible [[rat]]s than [[green tea]], or [[caffeine]] alone (although all three were shown to have benefit). See also [[Health_benefits_of_tea#Benefits_of_White_Tea|Health benefits of tea]].
-==History==
+== Composition ==
+White tea, like [[black tea|black]] and [[green tea]], is made from the ''[[Camellia sinensis]]'' plant and contains [[polyphenols in tea|polyphenols]], a set of phytonutrients that are thought to be responsible for the [[health effects of tea]].<ref name=Dulloo2000>{{cite journal|last1=Dulloo|first1=AG|last2=Seydoux|first2=J|last3=Girardier|first3=L|last4=Chantre|first4=P|last5=Vandermander|first5= J|title=Green tea and thermogenesis: Interactions between catechin-polyphenols, caffeine and sympathetic activity|journal=International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders|volume=24|issue=2|pages=252–258|date=February 2000|pmid=10702779|doi=10.1038/sj.ijo.0801101|doi-access=|s2cid=6895328 }}</ref><ref name=Hursel2013>{{cite journal|last1=Hursel|first1=R|last2=Westerterp-Plantenga|first2=MS|title=Catechin- and caffeine-rich teas for control of body weight in humans|journal=American Journal of Clinical Nutrition|volume=98|issue=6 Suppl 1|pages=1682S–1693S|date=December 2013|pmid=24172301|doi=10.3945/ajcn.113.058396|doi-access=free}}</ref> Different white teas have different amounts of [[catechin]]s, a category of polyphenols, and the overall range of concentrations overlaps with that of green tea, meaning that some white teas have the same concentration of polyphenols as some green teas. This may be due to the variety of the tea plant from which the tea was picked, the cultivation technique, and the way in which the tea was processed.<ref name=Unachukwu2010>{{cite journal|last1=Unachukwu|first1=UJ|last2=Ahmed|first2=S|last3=Kavalier|first3=A|last4=Lyles|first4=JT|title = White and green teas (''Camellia sinensis var. sinensis''): variation in phenolic, methylxanthine, and antioxidant profiles|journal=Journal of Food Science|volume=75|issue=6|pages=C541–C548|date=August 2010|pmid=20722909|doi=10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01705.x|url=https://scholarworks.montana.edu/xmlui/bitstream/1/15184/1/Ahmed_JFS_2010_final.pdf}}</ref>
-{{expandsection}}
-White tea was really the first tea consumed and it involved the least amount of  processing. Later sophistication of processing techniques involving [[Camellia sinensis]], the plant all true teas are made from, led to green (steamed and roasted) teas and black (semi-fermented and fermented) teas. See also [[Tea#History|Tea History]].
-==Varieties of white tea==
+=== Caffeine content ===
+White tea generally contains less caffeine than green or black tea. However, the exact amount can vary depending on several factors such as the type of tea, how it's brewed, and the brand. Here's a general comparison:
-===Chinese white teas===
-; [[Bai Hao Yinzhen tea|Bai Hao Yinzhen]] (Silver needle): The highest grade of the  Bai Hao Yinzhen should be fleshy, bright colored and covered with tiny white hairs. The shape should be very uniform, with no stems or leaves. The very best Yinzhen are picked between March 15 and April 10 when it is not raining and only using undamaged and unopened buds. [[Fujian|Fujian Province]], [[China]].
-; [[Bai Mu Dan tea|Bai Mu Dan]] (White Peony): A grade down from [[Bai Hao Yinzhen tea]], incorporating the bud and two leaves which should be covered with a fine, silvery-white down. From [[Fujian|Fujian Province]], [[China]].
-; [[Gong Mei tea|Gong Mei]] (Tribute Eyebrow): The third grade of White Tea, the production uses leaves from the ''Xiao Bai'' or Small White tea trees.
-; [[Shou Mei tea|Shou Mei]] (Noble, Long Life Eyebrow): A fruity furry white tea that is a chaotic mix of tips and upper leaf, it has a stronger flavor than other white teas, similar to Oolong. It is the fourth grade of White tea and is plucked later than Bai Mu Dan hence the tea may be darker in color. From [[Fujian|Fujian Province]] and [[Guangxi|Guangxi Province]] in [[China]]
+'''White Tea''': The caffeine content in white tea can range from '''6 to 55 mg''' per cup (250 mL)<ref>{{Cite web |title=White Tea Caffeine Content is Higher Than You Think |url=https://mansatea.com/blogs/learn/white-tea-caffeine |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=Mansa Tea |language=en}}</ref>
-===Other white teas===
-; [[Ceylon tea (white)|Ceylon White]]: A highly prized tea grown in [[Sri Lanka]]. Ceylon White tea can fetch much higher prices than [[Black tea]] from the area. The tea has a very light liquoring with notes of pine & honey and a golden coppery infusion.
-; [[Darjeeling tea (white)|Darjeeling White]]: It has a delicate aroma and brews to a pale golden cup with a mellow taste and a hint of sweetness. This tea is particularly fluffy and light. A tea from [[Darjeeling]], [[India]].
+'''Green Tea''': A 250mL cup of green tea contains around '''30 mg''' of caffeine<ref>{{Cite web |title=FoodData Central |url=https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171917/nutrients |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=fdc.nal.usda.gov |archive-date=23 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230523232832/https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171917/nutrients |url-status=dead }}</ref>
-==External links==
-* whitetea.cc, [http://www.whitetea.cc/ Resource page]
-* [http://tea-guide.blogspot.com/ Tea Guide]
+'''Black Tea''': The caffeine content in black tea is around '''50 mg''' per cup (250 mL)<ref>{{Cite web |title=FoodData Central |url=https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173227/nutrients |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=fdc.nal.usda.gov |archive-date=23 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230523232832/https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173227/nutrients |url-status=dead }}</ref>
-[[Category:Tea]]
-[[Category:Chinese cuisine]]
+== Manufacturing ==
-[[cs:Bílý čaj]]
+The base process for manufacturing white tea is as follows:
-[[de:Weißer Tee]]
+:Fresh tea leaf → withering → drying (air drying, solar drying or mechanical drying) → white tea<ref name="Hui_961">{{cite book
-[[eo:Blanka Teo]]
+| last1= Hui
-[[fr:Thé blanc]]
+| first1         = Y. H.
-[[it:Tè#Lavorazioni]]
+| last2         = Meunier-Goddik
-[[ja:白茶]]
+| first2        = Lisbeth
-[[pt:Chá branco]]
+| last3         = Hansen
-[[ro:Ceai alb]]
+| first3        = Åse Solvejg
-[[sv:Vitt te]]
+| title         = Handbook of Food and Beverage Fermentation Technology
-[[zh:白茶]]
+| publisher     = [[CRC Press]]
+| year          = 2004
+| isbn          = 0-203-91355-8
+| url           = https://books.google.com/books?id=PC_O7u1NPZEC
+| page=961}}</ref>
+White tea belongs to the group of tea that does not require panning, rolling or shaking. However, the selection of raw material in white tea manufacture is extremely stringent; only the plucking of young tea leaves with much fine hair can produce good-quality white tea of a high [[pekoe]] (grading) value.<ref name="Hui_961"/>
+=== Plucking Style ===
+Four primary plucking styles exist for Chinese white teas. The first, and highest quality, [[Baihao Yinzhen]], is just the bud of the tea plant. [[Baimudan tea|Bai Mudan]] white tea is typically composed of one bud and two leaves. Gongmei white tea is similar to [[Baimudan tea|Bai Mudan]], but includes three to four leaves. The lowest grade of white tea, [[Shoumei tea|Shoumei]], has many leaves and few buds.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAYRZeDJ4Pc |title=Discover the 6 Tea Types and a WORLD of Awesome Tea Sub-Types {{!}} Masterclass on Tea Ch. 1 of 8 |date=2022-08-07 |last=Wu Mountain Tea |access-date=2024-08-18 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
+== Popular types of white tea ==
+* [[Baimudan tea|Bai Mudan (white peony)]]
+* [[Shou Mei tea]]
+* [[Silver Needle tea]]
+== References ==
+{{reflist|30em}}
+== Further reading ==
+{{Refbegin}}
+* {{cite book
+| last          = Pettigrew
+| first         = Jane
+| title         = The Tea Companion: A Connoisseur's Guide
+| publisher     = Running Press Book Publishers
+| year          = 2004
+| pages         = 129
+| isbn          = 0-7624-2150-9
+| url           = https://books.google.com/books?id=ISBN0762421509
+| ref           = CITEREFRThe Tea Companion2004
+}}
+* {{cite book
+| last          = Ho
+| first         = Chi-Tang
+| author-link    = Chi-Tang Ho
+| title         = Tea and Tea Products: Chemistry and Health-Promoting Properties
+| publisher     = [[CRC Press]]
+| year          = 2008
+| pages         = 305
+| isbn          = 978-0-8493-8082-2
+| url           = https://books.google.com/books?id=qYwbBxD6jh0C
+| ref           = CITEREFRTea and Tea Products2008
+}}
+{{Refend}}
+{{Teas}}
+{{Authority control}}
+{{DEFAULTSORT:White Tea}}
+[[Category:White tea| ]]
+[[Category:Chinese tea]]