Where to Find White Tea Chicago IL

White Tea Recognized as
Fine Chinese Tea Offering

Fine White Tea: Once a Rare Chinese Tea Delicacy

White tea used to be reserved only for the most elegant affairs in China. Though, in recent years, this white tea has rapidly gained popularity for its appealing flavor and reported health benefits.

White tea is much milder and sweeter than black tea and lacks the grassy flavor of many green teas. It brews to a pale color and has a delicate aroma.

The tea is thought to be one of the healthiest of all types and has the lowest caffeine content. All white teas come from the Camellia Sinensis plant. What separates white teas from black and green Chinese tea blends is the time of harvest and the method of processing.

White tea is harvested just once each year -- in the spring before the buds have opened and while they retain a fine white hair. It is simply steamed and dried, often right in the fields, without going through any oxidation process.

This not only means that white tea has a much more delicate and sweet flavor than other teas, but also means that it retains more anti-oxidants in their natural state than green or black tea.

The antioxidants in white tea have been shown to fight cancer, heart disease and high cholesterol. White tea has also been shown to improve the immune system, too.

In particular, this delicate beverage seems to have the ability fight off bacteria and viruses. White tea is also high in fluoride, making it great for preventing tooth decay and inhibiting the formation of plaque.

The addition of licorice also increases the health benefits of the white tea. Licorice has long been renowned for its ability to calm the stomach and ease headaches.

For centuries Chinese herbalists have prescribed star anise to treat colic in babies, as well as headaches, abdominal pain and intestinal distress in adults.

Brewing White Licorice Tea

White licorice tea is brewed in the same manner as other white teas. It should be brewed with water just below the boiling point and steeped for about 5 minutes. Because it is very fluffy, it requires a bit more tea per cup to brew.

Begin by using about two teaspoons per cup and adjust to your taste. A good white licorice tea should provide a minimum of two infusions.

The addition of licorice flavor to white tea makes for a bolder and more exotic flavor than many other white teas. White licorice tea is also a bit sweeter than other white blends since it derives sweet flavor from both...

White Tea

White Tea: A Relatively Recent Phenomenon

Even though tea has been enjoyed for about 5000 years since its serendipitous discovery by Chinese Emperor and divine healer Shen-Nung in 2737 BC, the white variety did not come into existence until much later.

It has only about 200 years of history and is the youngest among the major tea types -- green, oolong and black tea.

Legend and History

According to legend, the white tea tree variety was discovered by a girl named Lan Gu from Fuding county of Fujian Province in China, where the beautiful Taimu Mountain is located. While taking refuge in a cave in the mountain, Lan Gu found a special tea tree whose young buds were covered by silvery hair during spring.

When wide-spread disease was hurting the villagers, Lan Gu used the leaves from this special tree to help cure them. For her kindness and courage, people honored her with the name of Mother Taimu and named the mountain Taimu Mountain.

This legend parallels historical accounts that indicate the brew was first produced in Fuding in 1796 and later spread to two other counties (Zhenhe and Jianyang) in Fujian.

Varieties

There are three varieties of white tee trees -- Big White, Narcissus White and Vegetable White, with Big White considered the finest and most popular.

In addition, the tea is differentiated based on plucking method -- Silver Needle (only one bud is plucked), White Peony (one bud together with one leaf down) and Longevity Eyebrow (one bud with two to three leaves down). Silver Needle, also known by its original Chinese name "Bai Hao Yin Zhen," is the most precious and exotic.

As the least processed among all types, white tea leaves are only withered and dried. This light oxidation process preserves natural compounds that potentially deliver the most health benefits of any variety.

Health Benefits

In 2002, Oregon State University scholar Roderick H. Dashwood published "White Tea - A New Cancer Inhibitor" in Foods a...

White Tea Attributes

White tea comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant, the same shrub from which black, green and oolong teas are made. The types of tea are distinguished by the oxidation or fermentation process of the tea leaves after they are plucked, which creates marked distinctions in flavor, aroma, and color.

The tea undergoes minimal processing compared to other varieties. First, the young tea leaves are harvested before the buds have fully opened.

The leaves are then dried by steaming rather than air drying. And unlike other tea processes, they are not rolled or crushed.

As a result, the natural enzymes inside the leaves are never exposed to air.

The processing of the leaves keeps the tea closer to its natural state, which is why white varieties have more polyphenols than other teas - and potentially greater health benefits.

A Pace University study showed that drinking the white brew may inhibit the growth of viruses and bacteria. This helps reduce infections and promote overall wellness. The tea has also shown to reduce dental plaque and support oral health.

Findings by the Skin Study Center at University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University suggest the tea helps promote healthy skin cells by boosting immune systems when exposed to harmful sun rays.

White brews have a pale liquor, delicate woody flavor, and almost no caffeine.

According to Tina Pennington of differenttypeofteas.com , a six-ounce cup has approximately 15 mg o...