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White tea
is dried in the open air and remains in almost the same form
as when it was picked, unlike black tea which fermented or oxidised
before it is sold.
Guy Stephenson,
a tea expert who runs the Mulberries Coffee Shop in Bulcote,
just outside Burton Joyce in Nottinghamshire, says white tea
is the purest form of tea available.
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| White
tea is pale gold in colour when it is brewed. |
A typical
white tea sells for about £4.70 per 100 grams, which would
probably last the normal tea drinker for two weeks or so.
Unlike black
tea, its leaves can be used several times throughout the day
before they are thrown away.
Green tea,
very popular in Japan and China, is steamed and withered before
it is sold to sterilise the tea. White tea contains a high proportion
of buds and is simply dried.
The most
expensive white tea is known as yinzhen, or silver needles,
and can be sold for as much £280 a kilogram.
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| The
tea leaves can last for an entire day. |
White tea
has less tannin and less caffeine than other teas, so it is
healthier than most drinks.
The white
tea is pale gold in colour and has a soft, mellow flavour. One
of the most popular types is Pai Mu Tan, which means white peony
and comes from Fujian Province in China.
If you have
any questions about white tea, you can e-mail
Guy Stephenson at Mulberries Coffee Shop.
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