The production process of white tea is a unique and most natural one. It avoids stir-frying and rolling, instead employing natural withering, composite withering, or heated withering to evaporate the moisture from the fresh leaves, followed by gentle drying over a low flame. Due to its simple processing method and fewer steps, it retains a high level of enzymatic activity in the tea leaves while not promoting oxidation.

As a healthy beverage, white tea contains abundant beneficial substances such as catechins, Theanine, and polysaccharides, which have effects such as lowering lipids, reducing free radicals, and resisting radiation. Therefore, moderate consumption is beneficial for both body and mind. Studies have found that properly stored aged white tea has even more pronounced effects than newly produced white tea, also due to the simplicity of its processing method.

White Tea Processing

1. Harvesting

White tea is mostly harvested from regions like Fuding, Jinggu, and Jing'an, with the picking season being spring. Fresh leaves that are a single bud with one or two leaves just unfurling, characterized by their white jade color, are selected as raw materials. The leaves should be intact, clean, uniform in size, and have short stalks when picked.

2. Withering

There are three methods of withering: indoor natural withering, composite withering, and heated withering. The choice can be made flexibly based on weather conditions and the grade of the fresh leaves. After picking, the fresh leaves are spread out and then subjected to withering. When the leaves are about 70% to 80% dry, indoor natural withering and composite withering require sorting the leaves.

3. Drying

Drying includes initial drying, cooling, and secondary drying. The tea leaves are placed in a dryer at temperatures between 100 to 120°C for an initial 10-minute drying period. Then, they are taken out to cool for 15 minutes before being placed back into the dryer at a temperature of 80 to 90°C. For low-temperature long-term drying, the temperature is around 70°C.

The Characteristics of White Tea

The most distinctive feature of white tea is its silver-white down, giving it a beautiful appearance often described as “green attire and white wrapping.” The buds are plump, the liquor is bright yellow, the taste is fresh and mellow, and the infused leaves are tender and uniform. After brewing and tasting, the flavor is fresh and pleasant, and it can have medicinal properties. Traditional Chinese medicine confirms that white tea is cool in nature and has the effect of cooling and reducing fever. Overseas Chinese often regard Silver Needle tea as a rare treasure.

Main varieties of white tea include Silver Needle, Bai Mudan, Gongmei, and Shoumei. Especially Silver Needle, where the buds are entirely covered with white down, shaped straight like needles, is one of the most beautiful teas in terms of appearance, highly appealing. Its liquor is light yellow, fresh, mellow, and refreshing, leaving a lasting impression after drinking.

In its young phase, white tea is like a teenager, full of youthful vitality, exuberant, fresh, fragrant, and sweet. Drinking a Cup of new white tea during the cold and dry winter months imparts a refreshing sensation, whether it's floral, banana leaf, or bamboo shoot aromas. Brewing new tea in a relatively enclosed space fills the area with a pleasant aroma, which is very soothing to inhale.

In its aged phase, white tea is like a wise elder who has seen much of life's ups and downs. After years of aging and maturation, the fresh sensation diminishes, and the tea develops a richer, fuller, smoother, and more mellow character. The aroma transforms from the initial bamboo shoot scent to dried jujube, medicinal Herbs, aged, and bamboo leaf notes.