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White Tea UK, Silver Needle, White Peony, every variety we ship.
White tea is the least processed tea on the spectrum. The leaves are picked young (sometimes still bud stage, before they unfurl), withered briefly in the sun, then dried, no rolling, no oxidation, no firing. The result is a delicate, sweet, hay like cup with very low astringency, low caffeine, and a flavour profile closer to a good white wine than a black tea. White tea is also the most expensive category of tea by weight, partly because of the labour intensive picking and partly because high grade whites only come from a few specific Chinese provinces (Fujian, Yunnan).
White tea bags
Twinings White Tea, Clipper, Pukka, the everyday introduction
Common questions
What is white tea?
The least processed tea variety. Leaves are picked young, withered, and dried, no rolling, no oxidation, no firing. The result is a pale, delicate cup with low caffeine (15-30mg per 200ml), low astringency, and a sweet hay flavour. Comes mostly from Fujian and Yunnan provinces in China.
Is white tea less caffeinated than green tea?
Slightly, on average. White is typically 15-30mg per 200ml; green is typically 30-40mg. The exact numbers depend on leaf grade, brewing time, and water temperature. Both are noticeably lower than black tea.
What is the best white tea?
For a first cup, Twinings White Tea (bagged, easy to find, fairly priced) or Clipper Organic White Tea. For a step up, look for "Silver Needle" or "Bai Hao Yin Zhen" on the label, that means you are getting buds only leaf grade, which is the premium tier.
How do you brew white tea?
85°C water (boil and let sit 90 seconds), 2g of loose leaf per 200ml cup, steep 3-5 minutes. White tea is forgiving, over steeping does not produce as much bitterness as green tea. Most loose leaf whites can be re infused 2-3 times.
What does white tea taste like?
Subtle. Hay, honey, melon, very faint floral. Much lighter than green tea, almost wine like. If you are coming from black tea, expect to find white tea "weak" on first taste; the flavour is there but the volume is lower. Drink at 85°C without milk to taste it properly.
Recommended brands for this category
Related pages
Green tea hub
