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info -about us -news -order -contact -brewing -history -community -links teas -white -yellow -green -oolong -red -pu er -scented -blooming |
白茶 (bai cha) white tea White tea was the earliest tea to be made and consumed in China. It is made from new growth buds and young leaves which have been steamed or fired to inactivate polyphenol oxidation, and then dried. The buds may be shielded from sunlight to prevent formation of chlorophyll. White tea therefore retains the high concentrations of catechins which are present in fresh tea leaves. Green tea is made from more mature tea leaves than white tea, and may be withered prior to steaming or firing. Although green tea is also rich in catechins, it may have different catechin profiles than white tea. For white tea the little buds that form on the plant are covered with silver hairs that give the young leaves a white appearance. Produced almost entirely in China and being a speciality of the province Fujian, white tea is steamed and dried almost immediately after harvesting (in some situations in the fields themselves). It is possible that this method of minimal processing accounts for this tea's added benefits. Roderick H. Dashwood, an Oregon State University biochemist, has theorized that the polyphenols, called catechins, are destroyed through the processing used with other teas. One recent study demonstrated that it removes or prevents even more tumors from the stomachs of specially bred cancer-susceptible rats than green tea, or caffeine alone (although all three were shown to have benefit). (text exerpt borrowed from wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_tea) If you have never tried a white tea, please accept my invitation to have a free sample of any of the teas on the list. Our current white teas and prices:
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white - yellow - green - oolong - red - pu er - scented - blooming
about us - news - order - contact - brewing - history - community - links
page last updated: 01/22/06