White Tea
白茶Bái Chá · Oxidation: 0-5%
The least processed of all teas. Buds and young leaves are simply withered and gently dried, retaining their delicate, subtle flavors and silvery down. The result is a luminous, pale infusion.
How White Tea is Made
Plucking
The careful harvesting of tea leaves. High-quality tea is almost entirely hand-plucked, focusing on the newest, most tender growth—usually a single unopened bud and the first two leaves below it.
Prolonged Withering
Leaves are laid out indoors or outdoors for up to several days. As moisture slowly evaporates, the leaves soften and chemical changes begin, developing subtle floral and sweet notes without active oxidation.
Drying
The final step in making tea. The leaves are baked, roasted, or pan-fired to remove almost all remaining moisture, locking in the flavor and ensuring the tea will not spoil over time.
Flavor Profile
“Naturally highest in antioxidants with minimal human intervention.”
Varieties of White Tea
Silver Needle
白毫银针Made entirely from plump, unopened leaf buds covered in white down. The most delicate and prized white tea, famous for its sweet, cucumber-like freshness.
White Peony
白牡丹Consists of one bud and two young leaves. It offers a slightly bolder flavor than Silver Needle with a fuller body and darker infusion.
Shou Mei
寿眉Made from older, larger leaves plucked later in the season. It brews a darker, amber liquor and ages exceptionally well into rich, medicinal flavors.