Discovering White Tea: Origins, Aging Secrets, and Brewing Tips

Fuding city of Fujian Province is the origin of Chinese white tea and hence has been named as “the hometown of Chinese white tea”. The area has different grades and quality of white tea, which depending on the year when it was harvested. Baihao Yinzhen is top grade, followed by White Peony and Shoumei. Sometimes white tea is compressed, but most often it is sold in a loose form. Storage in this loose form can expose the tea to air, which circulate easily through the leaves, which is good for further aging.

White tea is indeed worth storing for a long time, and aged white tea can be very expensive. There is a saying about white tea: one-year old tea is only tea, it will become medicine three years later, and seven-years later will turn into treasure. The color of new white tea (one that is less than 3 years old) liquor is light yellow, while aged white tea has a warmer yellow or amber color. The longer white tea is preserved and the higher the maturity it reaches through transformation, the softer and mellower the flavor of tea infusion will have. It is worthy to note that the tea should be stored under appropriate conditions. If the tea smells sour, moldy, burnt, and so on, this will be the result of improper storage, and such tea will be no longer worth drinking.

Because of the processing method that excludes rolling, the cell walls of white tea leaves are not broken. At the same time, compared to other kinds of tea, it is hard to abstract compounds contained in white tea leaf cells. Therefore, high temperature of 95-100°C (203-212°F) is recommended for brewing white tea, no matter whether new or aged and in loose or compressed form. Loose white tea leaves are much less dense than those of other kinds of tea, which means that the amount of tea leaves used needs to be increased. For aged compressed white tea, rinsing once is necessary for awakening the leaves before drinking. Shoumei can also be boiled in a kettle and one can add dried tangerine peel when suffering from a sore throat. To prepare this tea, simply boil a kettle of water, add 5g leaves and simmer for some time. It provides a truly full mouthfeel, yet it is clean and offers a naturally sweet, herbaceous lingering aftertaste.

White tea is highly prized for its health benefits. It is rich in antioxidants and is believed to have anti-aging properties, support immune health, and aid in weight management. The low caffeine content also makes it a popular choice for those sensitive to caffeine.