What is White Tea ? And is it really white ?
White tea is a type of delicate and subtly floral tasting tea originated from Southern China. Its distinctive name comes from the fine silvery white hairs naturally found on the tea leaves.
The craft involved in making White tea is one of the most delicate and preservative of its natural goodness. The tippy tea leaves are carefully hand plucked around end of April, and laid flat on the bamboo trays to wither in the sun light.
With their back facing the sun, these tea leaves are slowly dried, whilst absorbing all the goodness of natural sun rays. This slow natural processing preserve the liveliness of tea and create a uniquely delicate flavour.
Because of its delicate character, and relatively higher concentration of amino acids present within, White teas are best steeped with water temperatures around 70-80 degree Celcius. Higher brewing temperature can lead to bitterness in its taste.