Light & Shadows of Chalandor

White Tea

I'm sure you've heard of black and green tea, but white?

Black tea has been fully fermented during processing, and green has not been fermented at all. Oolong teas are somewhere in the middle. So what is 'white tea'?

Well, just like those other teas, white tea come from the Camellia sinensis plant. But the leaves are picked and harvested before the leaves open fully, when the buds are still covered by fine white hair. Hence the name. White tea is scarcer than the other traditional teas, and quite a bit more expensive.

White tea is similar to green tea, in that it's undergone very little processing and no fermentation. But there is a noticable difference in taste. Most green teas have a distinctive 'grassy' taste to them, but white tea does not. The flavour is described as light, and sweet. You should steep white tea in water that is below the boiling point.

If you are drinking tea for your health, you may want to consider white teas. There is also considerably less caffeine in white tea than the other varieties (15mg per serving, compared to 40mg for black tea, and 20mg for green). Some studies have also shown that white tea contains more active cancer-fighting antioxidants than green tea.

As with all teas, there are many varieties of white tea, with poetic names such as: white peony, golden moon, silver needle and white cloud. White teas are produced mostly in China and Japan, but the Darjeeling region of India also produces some fine white teas.

White Tea
Rarer, Healthier

April 13 2000. White tea, known mostly to tea connoisseurs, may have the strongest potential of all teas for fighting cancer, according to Oregon State University researchers. They presented the first research ever on white tea March 29th at a national meeting of the American Chemical Society.

Among the rarest and most expensive varieties of tea, white tea is produced almost exclusively in China. It belongs to the same species (Camellia sinensis) as other tea plants, but has a higher proportion of buds to leaves. The buds are covered by silvery hairs, giving the plant a whitish appearance.

Some teas are processed more than others. White tea is rapidly steamed and dried, leaving the leaves “fresh.�?Green tea, composed of mainly leaves, is steamed or fired prior to being rolled. Oolong and black teas get their dark color and flavor from additional processing.

The researchers think that processing may play a part in tea’s cancer-fighting potential. The key is a class of chemicals called polyphenols.

"Many of the more potent tea polyphenols ('catechins') become oxidized or destroyed as green tea is further processed into oolong and black teas," says Roderick H. Dashwood, Ph.D., a biochemist in the university’s Linus Pauling Institute and principal investigator of the study. "Our theory was that white tea might have equivalent or higher levels of these polyphenols than green tea, and thus be more beneficial."

Chemical analysis confirmed their theory. White tea contains the same types of polyphenols as green tea, but in different proportions. Those present in greater amounts may be responsible for white tea’s enhanced cancer-fighting potential, says Dashwood.

Lab tests on four varieties of white tea showed that it may prevent prevent DNA mutations, the earliest steps leading to cancer. The researchers say that their latest data indicate that white tea may protect against colon cancer in particular.

The researchers say more studies are needed to determine whether white tea actually protects people against cancer. “White tea, and tea in general, is a healthy alternative to other popular drinks, such as sodas,�?says Dashwood. “But to be on the safe side, one should maintain a healthy lifestyle that includes a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, regular exercise, and avoidance of smoking.�?/FONT>

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