White tea has caught the wide attention of tea lovers, nutritionists, and scientists. The countless studies indicating that white tea is abundant in anti-oxidants, anti-viral and anti-bacterial benefits, are leading lots more people to consume white tea. Combined with increasing demand, more brands and also tea producing countries have become offering white tea. But it’s vital that you realize that you’ll find great variants quality at brands that offer white tea products. Just how do the consumer distinguish the high quality and expense of the white tea that they’re buying? Bill Lee, tea master of China Flair Tea Company and founder of the Institute of Masters of Tea Arts, explains the way to distinguish the standard of white tea by its most significant aspect–taste.

Varieties of White Tea

White tea is a category of tea created in many aspects of China, Taiwan and countries such as India and Nepal. White tea gets its name from the beautiful silvery white down that covers the young leaf buds. However, to get viewed as what is white tea requires to even be processed in accordance with the orthodox white tea method. That is why silvery young leaf buds are also seen in other tea categories like green teas and black teas, however they are not classified as a white tea.

The most traditional and prized white tea arises from Zhenghe and Fuding counties in China’s southeastern province of Fujian. Traditional white teas from China are broken into several grades, each having a different name. Each grade represents how much young leaf buds which might be included and perhaps the lower leaves within the bud are incorporated. White teas with increased silver leaf buds are likely to be considered a finer grade. Are mainly the regular grades of white tea by name:

o Bai Hao Yin Zhen (White Downy Silver Needles, or simply just Silver Needles) – made entirely of young silver leaf buds

o Bai Mu Dan (White Peony) – includes the young silver leaf bud along with the two lower leaves

o Shou Mei (Longevity Brows) also referred to as Gong Mei (Tribute Brows) – almost entirely consists of mature leaves, with few silver buds.

Names Silver Needles, White Peony, and Shou Mei represent grades of white tea, however, these names particularly indicate the appearance of white tea, rather than the specific quality of white tea. Each name only indicates the proportion of young silver buds and mature leaves which can be incorporated to create that style of tea. Styles of white tea with an increase of silver leaf buds and much less mature leaves can provide a lighter flavour plus a more delicate character. Incorporating more mature leaves will make a warmer and nuttier style.

The key reason why these styles are known as grades happens because producing white tea with an increase of silver leaf buds requires higher costs. White teas like Silver Needles, that are composed of 100% silver leaf buds, are therefore costlier and regarded a better grade.

Hence the issue of quality isn’t in regards to the grade we choose, though the actual tea we buy within that specific grade. Natural meats decide to drink a White Peony because we love that design of white tea, but we have to distinguish its quality by comparing it to White Peony teas. Many brands now provide a white tea called White Peony, but the quality of White Peony available from brand X just isn’t necessarily the identical quality as brand Y. Factors that determine its quality for example the period of harvest, age the trees, their environment, along with the proper processing with the leaves are not shown by its name.

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