White tea

White Bai Hao Yinzhen tea leaves.

White tea (Chinese: 白茶; pinyin: báichá) is a lightly oxidized tea grown and harvested almost exclusively in China, primarily in the Fujian province.

White tea comes from the delicate buds and younger leaves of the Chinese Camellia sinensis plant. These buds and leaves are allowed to wither in natural sunlight before they are lightly processed to prevent oxidation or further tea processing. This preserves the characteristic flavour of the white tea.

The name "white tea" derives from the fine silvery-white hairs on the unopened buds of the tea plant, which gives the plant a whitish appearance.

History

White tea originated in China; however, the history of white tea is contested and complicated. Finding adequate citation is not easy when discussing China's teas in general because the system of knowledge is often orally transmitted. Scholars and tea merchants generally disagree as to when the first production of white tea (as it is understood in China today) began. What is today known as white tea may have come into creation in the last two centuries. White tea may have first appeared in English publication in 1876, where it is categorized as a black tea because it is not initially cooked like a green tea, to deactivate internal enzymes and external microbes. It is worth noting that at this time Hanson only identified two types of tea, black and green.

When working loosely with sources, claims are made that white tea is the oldest type of tea for various reasons, though it should be noted that among university-appointed tea scholars in China, debate focuses on whether green or black tea (known as "red tea" in China) is the oldest form of tea, and white tea is conspicuously absent from this dialogue. Stories do appear referring to a "white" tea as the preferred tea of Chinese royalty, where it was first produced during the Tang Dynasty (618‒907 A.D.). For some time, only the emperor and his courtiers would drink white tea as it was rare and expensive. However, this "white" tea was produced differently than it is today. At this time leaves were compressed into cakes. By 1200 A.D., around the time of the Song Dynasty, immature silver white leaf-buds were immediately steamed, dried, and ground into a powder. Another story discusses the need for those who pick white tea to be virgins so that their fingers will not crush the buds when they are harvested. It is likely that these stories do not refer to white process tea but rather to the picking of undamaged buds, which can then be used to make any of the six types of tea.

White tea has now become more widely available, often being sold as Silvery Tip Pekoe, a form of its traditional name, and now also under the simple designations China White and Fujian White.

Contents

Because white tea is derived from the Camellia sinensis plant, it contains polyphenols, a phytonutrient that is thought to be responsible for the tea’s health benefits.

Catechins

White tea contains high levels of catechins, a type of compounds that is responsible for lessening atherosclerotic plaques, reducing carcinogens, reducing risk of stroke, heart failure, cancer (including tumor formation), diabetes and for the protection of skin from damage caused by UV light.

Manufacturing

The manufacturing of white tea is simple compared to the manufacturing of other teas. The base process for manufacturing white tea is as follows:

Fresh tea leaf → Withering → Drying (air drying, solar drying or mechanical drying) → White tea

White tea belongs to the group of tea that does not require panning, rolling or shaking. Therefore, its manufacture saves time and labour. However, the selection of raw material in white tea manufacture is extremely stringent; only the plucking of young tea leaves with much fine hair can produce good-quality white tea with lots of pekoe.

Health

Main article: Tea and health

The visible white hairs are a unique characteristic of the Bai Hao Yinzhen tea

Like black and green tea, white tea is also derived from Camellia sinensis. Thus, white tea shares many of the same chemical properties and health effects of tea. The particular amount and ratio of the polyphenol compounds found in tea varies widely from one type of white tea to another, frequently overlapping with chemical compositions found in green tea. This is due both to the variation between strain of Camellia sinensis, as well as the preparation process itself. These compounds have been shown to protect against certain types of cancer both in vitro and in vivo.

Improved cardiovascular function

Catechins, a group of polyphenol antioxidants found in white tea, have been found to reduce cholesterol, decrease blood pressure, and improve the function of blood vessels, thereby decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Antibacterial and antiviral

White tea has been shown to protect animals from certain pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella tryphimurium. The antioxidants found in white tea may also help bolster the immune system, particularly in immunocompromised humans and animals.

Studies

A 1984 study at Pace University revealed that white tea extract may help slow viruses and bacterial growth, thus reducing the incidence of staphylococcus and streptococcus infections, pneumonia, fungus growth, and even dental plaque.

Findings from another study conducted at the Skin Study Center at University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University reveal indicators that white tea helps skin cells by boosting immune systems when exposed to harmful ultra-violet radiation.

An article published in the Carcinogenesis journal by scientists from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University found that consumption of moderate amounts of white or green tea may hedge against colon tumors consistent with the prescription drug, sulindac. When used in combination with the drug, the results were more effective.

A study at Kingston University in 2009 showed that white tea has high anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-collagenase, and anti-elastase properties which could potentially reduce the risks of developing rheumatoid arthritis, some cancers, heart disease and slow the enzymatic break-down of elastin and collagen, traits which accompany aging.

See also

• Silver Needle tea
• White Peony Tea
• Shou Mei tea
• Darjeeling tea (white)

References

• The Tea Guardian. "White & other lightly oxidized teas". Retrieved 19 December 2010.
• Chow, Kit Boey; Kramer, Ione (1990). All The Tea in China. China Books. p. 187. ISBN 0-8351-2194-1.
• Hui, Y. H.; Meunier-Goddik, Lisbeth; Slovejg Hansen, Ase (2004). Handbook of Food and Beverage Fermentation Technology. CRC Press. p. 1000. ISBN 0-2039-1355-8.
• Pettigrew, Jane (2004). The Tea Companion: A Connoisseur's Guide. Running Press Book Publishers. p. 129. ISBN 0-7624-2150-9.
• Ho, Chi-Tang (2008). Tea and Tea Products: Chemistry and Health-Promoting Properties. CRC Press. p. 305. ISBN 0-8493-8082-0.
• Hanson, Reginald (1878). A Short Account of Tea and the Tea Trade. Whitehead, Morris and Lowe. p. 127. ISBN 1-4021-5748-7.
• American Chemical Society (14 August 2009). "White Tea Could Keep You Healthy and Looking Young". Science Daily. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
• American Chemical Society (13 April 2000). "Cancer-Preventive Potential Of White Tea". Science Daily. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
• Thiring, T. S. A (2009). "Anti-collagenase, anti-elastase and anti-oxidiant activities of extracts from 21 plants". BMC Complementary & Alternative Medicine. 9: 231–41. PMID 19653897. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)