Plucked young, then barely touched.
Every tea type starts on the same plant, Camellia sinensis. White tea is what happens when that leaf gets the least intervention of any style: young buds and top leaves are picked early in the season, often still covered in fine silvery hairs, then left to wither and dry with almost no rolling or bruising to force oxidation along. That light touch is exactly why it stays pale, soft, and low in caffeine compared to black or green tea from the same plant.
Plucked
Young buds and the top leaf are hand-picked early in the season, before they’ve had time to toughen or darken.
Withered
The leaf is spread out and left to lose moisture slowly, with almost no handling to keep it from bruising into oxidation.
Dried
A brief, low-heat drying locks in the pale color and soft character before the leaf is sorted for steeping.
One plant, two real origins.
Tea comes from a single plant, Camellia sinensis, and white tea is traditionally associated with China, where the style originated. Three of our four white tea blends start with a Fair Trade White Peony grown in China; AmmuniTea takes a different route, built on a Fair Trade Kumaon White from the tea-growing hills of northern India.
China
The traditional home of white tea. The base of our White Peony, Cool as a Cucumber, and Blueberry Lemon-Aid.
Northern India
Himalayan-foothill growing region known for its lighter, floral character. The base of our AmmuniTea.
Go gentle. Never boiling.
White tea’s leaf is the most delicate on the shelf, and boiling water scorches it. Use 1 teaspoon per 8 oz of water, heated well below a boil, and steep 2–4 minutes depending on the blend.
Hot
Heat water to 150–185°F depending on the blend and steep for 2–4 minutes. Avoid boiling water, which scorches the delicate leaf and pulls out bitterness instead of sweetness.
Iced & cold steep
For iced: steep 2 teaspoons in 8 oz hot water for 2–4 minutes, then pour over ice. For cold steep: add ½ ounce of tea (about 4 tablespoons) per 64 oz of cold water and refrigerate for 8–12 hours.
Four ways to steep it soft.
AmmuniTea
Antioxidant-rich Kumaon White paired with elderberry and echinacea, two of the most researched herbs in traditional immune support, plus lemon balm and spearmint to keep the cup clear and cooling. This tea blend contains a light amount of caffeine and is built for everyday resilience.
White Peony
A Fair Trade white tea made from young buds and tender leaves, minimally processed to keep its natural character. Light, softly floral, and naturally sweet. This tea blend contains low caffeine and is built for quiet composure.
Blueberry Lemon-Aid
White Peony lays a soft floral foundation under mellow blueberry, bright lemon, and lemongrass, with a touch of lavender to keep it grounded. This tea blend contains very little caffeine and a portion of every sale supports mutual aid efforts.
Cool As a Cucumber
A light white tea base with lemon balm, spearmint, and lime, finished with freeze-dried cucumber and a whisper of blackberry. This tea blend contains low caffeine and is built for warm days that call for calm.
Go deeper on white tea.
Tea for Calm: Blends That Help You Slow DownWhere our calmer white tea blends fit into a slow-down ritual.
Soothe Your Mind, One Cup at a Time: Tea’s Role in Mental WellnessThe wellness side of a daily tea ritual.
Tea Term Tuesday: The Buzz About Caffeine in TeaWhy white tea runs so much lighter than black or green.
Tea Term Tuesday: Let’s Chat About OxidationThe process white tea skips almost entirely.
Tea for Good: Why We Created a Tea That Gives BackThe mutual aid story behind Blueberry Lemon-Aid.
Explore the rest of the tea spectrum in our Tea Type Guide.
Steep something soft.
Four white tea blends, from immune support to a calm reset. All built with the same light touch.