White Teas

Moody Teas currently offers several white teas, in both strict and blend form. White teas are the least processed teas, and their subtle flavor is simple, fresh and delicate. White teas come from the Camellia sinensis plant, typically the sinensis varietal. This type of tea variety is said to originate in China.

While black and greens are also made from the Camellia sinensis, what makes white tea different is the processing method, or rather lack of processing. During production, white teas are picked, withered, and heated to prevent any oxidization, without any further processing to maintain the soft, delicate flavors. Typically, white teas are only picked, withered and dried, leaving the leaves as whole as possible.

Within white teas there are many different varieties, varying depending on the “terroir” or environment the tea is produced in. While many countries around the world have begun producing their own versions of white tea, the traditional types of white tea include Silver Needle, White Peony, and Monkey picked (Chinese), or White Darjeeling (Indian). Silver Needle comes from the Fujian province of China and is made using the original varieties of white tea plant. It is named for the silver sheen given by the white hairs that give the long tea buds their “silver” color. White Peony is made up of a mixture of buds and young white tea leaves, and can be grown from any variety of tea. Monkey picked tea is said to have once been harvested by monkeys trained by the Buddhists to pick tea from the highest tea trees in the mountainous regions of China. Now, “Monkey picked” refers to a high quality, Chinese white tea made from the buds and young leaves of the plant. Darjeeling white tea is a white tea grown in the Darjeeling region of India. It is processed similarly to Chinese white tea, but the flavors can be very different.

White teas are floral, grassy, honey, fruity, melon, peach, apricot, vanilla, chocolate, citrus, herby, mild, subtle, delicate and sweet, depending on the tea. They contain the least amount of caffeine of the tea varieties. White teas brew between 160-190 degrees (f) for anywhere from 2 – 5 minutes. Use about 2 teaspoons of tea per 8 ounces of hot water, double for iced teas and cold brews.

Learn more about the white teas Moody Teas offers below!