GreenSpot Tea House & Art Gallery
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White Tea (白茶，Bai Cha) by Dr. Yun-Yi Ho

Like all teas, white tea is the leaf of the plant camellia sinensis; yet unlike other teas, white tea uses only the young buds and the first sprouting leaf. They are covered by the white/silver colored downs; thus the name of white tea. White Peony (白牡丹，ba mudan) and Silver Needle (银针，yinzhen) are two better known brands of its kind.
The freshly picked buds and leaves are immediately steamed or dried to inactivate its process of oxidation. Since white tea is least processed, it retains richer antioxidants, higher catechins and other natural compounds that are beneficial to our health. A Chinese scholar Yiheng Tian (田艺蘅) of the 17th century listed its medical benefits of treating measles, fever, tooth pain/erosion and other discomforts in his book, Essay on Brewing Tea （煮泉小品）.

Tea drinkers outside of China also recognize the benefits of drinking white tea. According to a report in the Science Daily, July/August, 2008, the antioxidants in the white tea have shown to help decrease the incidences of cancer, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. A latest report even suggests that white tea might be the solution to obesity epidemic, for it may have inhibited the growth of fat cell (adipocytes) in the experiments (Science Daily, May 7, 2009).

Beside all the health benefits of white tea, its aroma, freshness, smooth taste, and enchanting color are tempting enough itself. Sipping a cup of white tea, enjoy its richness.