White tea – the simpler, the more complex

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There’s so much I want to say about white tea, but I just can’t organize my thoughts. Because it’s too plain, simple to make, and has few varieties. But when its benefits are examined in detail, it becomes clear that this tea is by no means ordinary. The taste also varies from person to person, and after being stored for several years, both its taste and its effects change. One of the simple aspects is that it comes from a single region, with a single type of tea plant, and its varieties are easy to distinguish. White tea is produced in Fuding, Zhenghe, Jianyang, and Songxi in the northeastern part of Fujian; it is hardly produced in any other areas. It is thus the tea category with the simplest origin among the six main tea types. White tea is generally made from Fuding Dabai Tea, Fuding Dahao Tea, Zhenghe Dabai Tea, Minbei Shuixian, and the Caicha variety group from northeastern Fujian; it is the tea category with the most limited source of fresh leaves among the six major tea categories. The varieties of white tea can also be considered as different grades; from Baihao Yinzhen, which consists entirely of tender buds, to Bai Mudan with one bud and one leaf or one bud and two leaves, and then to Shoumei, which is primarily made up of leaves – it’s easy to tell them apart at a glance. Simpleness No. 2: The production process is natural. Unlike oolong tea, which takes pride in its complex and intricate manufacturing processes, the production process for white tea is so simple that there’s little to mention about it. After the fresh leaves are picked, they are left to dry naturally until they are 80% dry; then they are baked at high temperatures until they reach 90% dryness. Finally, the yellow leaves and other impurities are removed, and the process is complete. Such a simple production process is what gives white tea its exceptional health benefits, while also holding infinite possibilities for future transformations. One of its advantages: it has numerous and strong therapeutic effects. A quick search on Baidu will show that white tea boasts a wide range of health benefits, covering areas such as anti-aging, cancer prevention, and the management of common chronic diseases like diabetes; there is also scientific research from both domestic and international sources to support these benefits. Therefore, white tea has become a choice for many people to show respect to their elders. At the same time, aged white tea is also highly effective for toothache, sore throat, and infantile urticaria. According to medical explanations, its active ingredients are similar to antibiotics but it is safe with no side effects. Complexity No. 2: Its taste is highly variable, varying from person to person and over time. In terms of taste, there is no tea that lacks consensus like white tea does. Some say it has a freshness similar to that of green tea, while others describe it as having a mild flavor akin to black tea. Some detect floral scents, while others sense a taste reminiscent of the sun; some think of the rice soup they drank in their childhood, and others recall the bamboo leaves used during the Dragon Boat Festival... Perhaps because it retains its natural qualities, compared to the flavors created through various processing techniques used in other teas, white tea carries the scent of the mountains, fields, sunlight, and rain. Over time, it continues to change, offering a familiar yet ever-new experience that delights those who taste it.