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For a tea lover placing all white teas in the same basket is unacceptable. Although the white tea category is not as wide as green, oolong or black, it still includes dozens of important and amazing teas you should know about. And try, of course. Learn what are the main types of white tea.

What is white tea?

White tea is the most unprocessed, elegant and lightest real tea type. It’s made from the buds and leaves of special cultivars of Camellia sinensis. What makes white tea white is the processing method. Unlike for green or black tea, harvested material is usually only either air-dried or sun-dried and only lightly roasted.

Although considered the oldest known tea type in the world, preceding even green tea, modern white tea has a relatively short history of only a bit over 200 years. It first appeared in the Fujian, China. China is still the biggest producer of white tea, but other countries like Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, Nepal, Kenya, Rwanda and Malawi are trying to catch up too, and are producing and introducing their own take on white tea.

White tea cultivars

Even today, the best white tea comes from Fujian and is usually made from only specific cultivars, famous for its big buds and silvery hair. They are Fuding Da Bai, Zhenghe Da Bai and Bai Hao. Teas made in Fujian come from Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, while in Yunnan Camellia sinensis var. assamica is also a choice for making white tea.  Nowadays, there are many other cultivars and regions producing white tea, but the authentic ones always come from Fujian, and always from the original cultivars. 

Types of white tea

Unlike green or black, there is only a handful of white tea types in the world. The production of true white tea does not include steps such as rolling or steaming. However, the traditional “one-step-production” or drying includes a slight baking too. Production requires a lot of skills and effort, making high quality tea relatively rare.

All the most popular white teas come from Fujian – Bai Hao Yin Zhen, Bai Mu Dan, Shou Mei and Gong Mei.

Silver Needle

Silver Needle or Yin Zhen is a very wide category teas. The word needle represents the shape, and silver stands for the silvery white hair covering the buds. Spring harvested Bai Hao Yin Zhen is the most expensive white tea in the world, made only in Fujian from a Bai Hao cultivar. The highest quality is produced from young unopened buds harvested in spring and covered in fine silver hairs that give a pale and delicate tea.

(Source: Tea Bespoke ©)

Almost every country in the world that is producing white tea, is producing Silver Needle. However, the flavor, scent and appearance will depend on many factors. Flavor might range from delicate and sweet, to nutty and spicy. However, they will all have one thing in common – gentle and delicate character and sweetness typical for teas made of young buds.

White Peony

White Peony or Bai Mu Dan contains a bud and two leaves, being less subtle than Silver Needle. Although it’s often regarded as a lower grade of Silver Needle, they should be treated as two different teas. Good White Peony should be green and contain visible big buds with white hairs, made from same cultivars as Silver Needle. Today, White Peony can also be a generic name for white teas with buds and leaves produced in other countries rather than China.

Gong Mei

Slightly different from White Peony, Gong Mei is usually made from a different cultivar with smaller buds. The production of Gong Mei in China is higher than production of any other white tea. This tea undergoes withering, drying and roasting.

Shou Mei

Shou Mei is the lowest category of Fujian white tea. It can be recognized by less buds and much darker brown leaves. Both Shou Mei and Gong Mei are often sold under the name of White Peony. Although both of them have their own charm, they are considered inferior in quality.

New Craft White Tea

Created about 50 years ago to satisfy the needs of tea drinkers, New Craft White tea comes from Fuding and looks nothing like a typical white tea. Leaves are withered, rolled and dried, giving a more intense orange color and stronger flavor.

Yue Guang Bai

Yue Guang Bai or Moonlight White is a Yunnan white tea made from the assamica tea plant, the same plant used for making black tea. It has very big fluffy buds and purple leaves. This two-tone tea is very different from other standard white teas, both in appearance and flavor. 

Shui Xian Bai Zhen

Shui Xian Bai Zhen is a Chinese white tea made from Shui Xian cultivar common for making Wuyi oolong tea. 

White teas from other countries

The most expensive Sri Lankan white tea comes from Adam’s Peak. Grown on high altitude, this tea is rare, exclusive and expensive. Vietnamese Silver Needle has a plumper and bigger buds, while the Darjeeling Silver Needle is darker and smaller, usually with a bit more leaves besides buds too.

Scented and flavored white tea

Because of its delicate flavor, white tea is more often scented than flavored. However, some flavors match the delicacy of white tea leaves perfectly, like the frozen yogurt in Caribbean Cream. Typical flowers for scenting include jasmine, rose or osmanthus. The most popular scented white tea is rolled in tiny pearls and scented with jasmine flowers.

Aged white teas

White teas can be aged as well. It’s not unusual to age loose leaf tea leaves, and drink later. Aged tea has a stronger flavor and can be found in loose leaf form or compressed tea bricks.

How many types have you tried?