White Tea
Pic.1. White Tea: White Silvery Needle
The name White Tea now refers to two different concepts.
One refers to a tea classification: white tea is the least processed tea, the tea is originated from Fujian, China. It is slightly oxidized during withering, the dry tea is coated with white hairs, that is how the name white tea is called. There are two outstanding white tea: white peony (made from a bud and one leaf, and a bud and two leaves), and white slivery needle (made from buds only, see picture). Due to the strict requirement on tea species, plucking, and external environment during processing, the amount of white tea produced is lesser as compared with green tea.
Researches found white tea contains natural antioxidants and other nutrients. The tea taste delicately sweet, and slowly gain the attention of more consumers. Even India and Sri Lanka now produce such white tea, but on a very marginal quantity.
Another white tea refers to a particular green tea, it's full name is Anji White Tea. According to tea classification ( processing methods), it is not the white tea mentioned above, but belong to green tea group. It's made from a low chlorophyll tea species (called white tea bush), undergoing the normal green tea processing steps, the dry tea has a lighter green color as compared with green tea from normal tea bush.
Pic.2. Green Tea: Anji White Tea
