Chinese White Tea Why It's A Must Try!

Tea is becoming almost as popular in the west as it has been for centuries in the east. Chinese white tea, green tea, black tea and oolong are all widely available everywhere. Just what is the difference among all these teas?

 Tea Plant

 All tea comes from the same plant, Camellia Senensis. The type of tea we end up with depends on a few factors. First, the time of picking. Second, the combination of buds and leaves. And third, the processing of the tea once it is picked. It is this last variable that determines the basic type of tea.

 Black tea is fermented after picking. Green tea is not fermented at all, and oolong is somewhere in the middle. Chinese white tea is closer to green tea. It is considered slightly fermented. It is picked while there is still fine silvery white hair on the buds, which gives us the name.

 Different types

 High quality Chinese white tea is picked early in the spring, when the buds are just opening. Different types have different proportions of leaves to buds. The higher the quantity of buds, the more expensive and rare the tea will be.

 Silver Needles, one of the most valuable of all white teas, is made entirely of buds. This is why it is so much more rare than the others. Great care must be taken when picking and storing this tea, so that the leaves and buds will not become bruised or oxidized.

 Flavor

 It has a delicate, sweet flavor, very different from the sharp grassy taste of green tea. Because it is unfermented, you get the full flavor of the tea bud, completely unaffected by processing.

 Health Benefits

 Studies have found white tea antioxidants to be very powerful. These powerful compounds help fight cancer and high blood pressure. They reduce the signs of aging, and aid in weight loss. They also help strengthen the immune system.

 Of course, this rare healthful tea comes with a price! This tea will cost you more than its more processed cousins. However the flavor and health benefits still make it a cost effective treat.

 It is making its mark outside of China, and researchers are just beginning to test its health benefits. New studies should tell us just how much we could benefit from daily consumption of this tea.