White Tea the King of teas

Tea ceremony

While all verities of tea are very healthy 
for you, white tea is the best but unfortunately the most expensive; it comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. And is the least processed of all the teas it has a higher antioxidant level than green, black or yellow tea?

According to some studies white tea can thin the blood thereby lowering high blood pressure and in turn, help to maintain a more healthy heart, white tea also contains Catechins, which is another group of antioxidants, these have been found to reduce cholesterol, and white tea is brimming with these antioxidants

Apart from the health giving antioxidants
white tea also has small amounts of fluoride which we all know, helps to keep teeth and gums healthy, although green tea contains a higher level of fluoride.

Chinese tea drinkers have known about the health benefits since the early days of the Ming dynasty but now it is available freely in most of the supermarkets and health stores around the world it can be bought both loose or in tea bags.

Just like the regular green,
black and yellow verities white tea is also found in many verities, the best are considered to be.

• Silver Needle 
• White Peony 
• Tribute Eyebrow

The Chinese silver Needle 
tea buds are fleshy, bright colored covered with fluffy white hairs, they are picked only between March 15 and April 10 and have only two processes, these are withering and drying, which explains why it is so expensive

As with green tea, it is important not to make white tea with boiling water as this will impair the flavour, the best way is to use pure water boiled and then left for one minute

I have found that is the easiest way 
of getting the temperature about right, although if you want to be more technical no hotter than 80°C (180°F) and then steeped for two to three minutes, if the water is too hot or the tea is brewed for too long it will take on a bitter taste, which is why the Chinese make an art of tea making, it is simply worth taking one's time over it.

White tea should have a pale yellow/light red colour with a slightly sweet taste, unlike green tea which can be a little bitter at times.


White tea is not just grown in China 
but can be found in Sri Lanka and India some are even grown in small quantities in Africa.

So how much white tea should you drink to get all these marvellous benefits? From various studies between five to ten cups a day should do it but in fact, within reason, there is no limit to how much you can drink but remember tea contains Caffeine and too much of that is not so good.