White tea is obtained through minimal processing of the delicate tea leaves and buds. It is usually only dried in the fresh air or steamed. White tea is one of the most expensive and rare types of tea, the best varieties you cannot buy in a supermarket, and a select few cannot be found in specialized tea shops either. They can only be brought from the country of origin, or ordered over the Internet from sellers, of whom there are very few. Knowing the characteristics of the drink, varieties and regional varieties will help you choose white tea from the commercially available ones.
Instructions
Step 1
Packaged white tea It costs more than a packaged tea, because even the best and thinnest packet still introduces an extraneous note into the subtle and harmonious symphony of the taste of this drink. You should not buy such tea by weight or in large cans - the effect of oxygen is detrimental to it, it loses not only its taste, but also antioxidants, which, by the way, are more in it than in green tea. The ideal choice is small portions of tea in individually sealed packaging.
Step 2
Flavored White Tea White tea itself has a very delicate and delicate flavor that goes well with fruity, berry and floral aromas. Citrus fruits, hibiscus, lavender, vanilla, strawberries and blueberries are popular additions to white tea. Flavored tea can be a mixture of several varieties or represent a single variety (not the rarest and most expensive).
Step 3
Chinese White Tea There are four of the most famous varieties of white tea. These are "Silver Needles" (Hao Yinzhen), "White Peony" (Mu Dan) and teas with funny names for the European ear "Long-liver" (Shou Mei) and "Eyebrow offering" (Gong Mei).
Step 4
"Silver Needles" This variety produces a very pale brew - this is an indicator that the tea has a lot of buds. The more transparent the drink, the more of them it contains and the higher its quality. High-grade tea contains neither leaves nor dust, but only large fleshy buds covered with delicate white fluff. The brewed Hao Yinzhen tea is light straw in color, with a delicate sweetish taste and transparent airy aroma. Strong tea lovers may not immediately appreciate the soft beauty of white tea.
Step 5
"White Peony" This variety, as the name implies, has the uniqueness of this beautiful flower in its aroma and taste. The buds for this drink are harvested with two lower leaves, so its taste and aroma is richer than that of the Silver Needles. Mu Dan is a very voluminous tea: to brew one cup, you may need two teaspoons of tea at once.
Step 6
"Long-liver's eyebrows" This is a tea in which there are approximately equal parts of buds and leaves.
Step 7
Eyebrow Offering This is the most democratic of the four most famous teas. It has both buds and upper leaves, while the latter are slightly predominant. The brew made from it is darker, it is more aromatic and stronger, its rich fruity taste is close to that of oolong (a type of tea located between green and red teas in the Chinese classification).
Step 8
Among the Chinese teas, it is also worth mentioning "White Puerh". This is a very rare and expensive tea grown in the Yunnan province. It is very difficult to buy it somewhere other than China.
Step 9
Ceylon, Indian and Kenyan White Teas Sri Lanka offers a variety of white teas that combine distinct notes of pine needles and honey. Indian White Darjeeling is a delicate, mild sweetish beverage. White Assam has a characteristic malty flavor against the background of the richness of honey tones that are usual for this tea. Kenyan white tea is closest to the usual green tea, it even has a shade of tea not light straw, but pale greenish.
