White Tea is a Tea Connoisseur’s Delight : Read out it's History and Health Benefits!

White tea is the least processed tea, being plucked and air dried without any heat source other than the sun. The production utilizes the gentle process of withering, curing, and drying which give white tea it’s delicate flavor, a smooth mouthfeel, as well as a subtly fruity or sweet finish. White teas tend to have less bitterness than other teas and can be more forgiving of water temperature and infusion times than green teas.

The first mention of White Tea appeared in “Treatise on Tea”, written by the Emperor Huizong (1107-1110).?The emperor was a well-known tea connoisseur, while white tea was his tea of choice. The known history of white tea processing goes as far back as the known history of tea.?In early tea drinking cultures, such as the Shang Dynasty of China, tea leaves were air dried and then typically added to a boiling pot full of water and herbs and spices in order to create a blend used for medicinal purposes.?This blend tended to have a very strong, bitter flavor. During the Tang dynasty, tea drinking started to emphasize drinking “pure” tea, and also began to take on a more aesthetic and spiritual role in Chinese society.?Lu Yu, a famous tea master from that time, encouraged tea drinkers to drink pure tea without the addition of spices, berries, etc. Most tea during this period was either pressed into disc-shaped molds, giving the compressed leaves a disc, or cake-like look, in order to better transport, preserve, and store the tea; or ground into a powder and then whisked when added to hot water, like Matcha in Japan.?At this point in time, the Da Bai and Da Hao white tea plants had been discovered and were being cultivated and harvested in the Fujian Province of China. The tea farmers in Fujian were starting to produce the earliest and most famous form of white tea, called Silver Needle, as well as another white tea that we have today, called White Peony.?

Silver Needle white tea consists of only the most delicate buds from the top of the tea plant.?These delicate buds are covered in beautiful white, downy hairs, which is where white tea gets its name. During the Ming Dynasty, white tea started to become more well known due to the development of more refined techniques for drying and storing the tea leaves, making white tea easier to transport and trade.

Health Benefits of White Tea:

1. White tea contains high amounts of antioxidants which protect the body against free radicals that cause oxidative damage. Antioxidants in white tea help in neutralizing these free radicals and boost overall health.
2. White tea is a good source of caffeine and catechins like EGCG. These two compounds may have a synergistic effect that helps the body burn fat and boost metabolism.
3. White tea is a great source of fluoride, catechins and tannins. Several studies have shown that these compounds can help fight bacteria that cause plaque on teeth.
4. Studies have shown that polyphenols like those found in white tea may lower the risk of insulin resistance and improve blood sugar control.
5. White tea and its compounds may protect the skin from damage linked to aging. This includes external damage from the sun’s UV rays and internal damage from cellular components that may harm the skin’s fiber network.

Tip:?To make white tea, simply steep loose white tea in hot water for five to eight minutes. It has a subtle yet refreshing taste, so you can add more leaves if you prefer a stronger tea.

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