An Article to Quickly Understand White Tea (1): The Origins, Crafting Process, and Regions

The name "white tea" first appeared during the Tang Dynasty and is one of the six major tea categories in China, with a long history. Before formally understanding white tea, there are two points to clarify:

Firstly, Anji white tea is not white tea but a type of green tea. Anji white tea is made from the "Bai Ye 1 Hao" cultivar, named for its white leaves during sprouting in the spring. Although it belongs to the green tea category, it is an extremely delicious green tea.

Secondly, while the name "White Peony" (白牡丹) sounds like a floral tea, it is actually a type of white tea and not a flower tea. White Peony is one of the classifications under white tea.

So, why is it called white tea? Let’s start with Silver Needle (白毫银针). Silver Needle generally commands the highest price at the same quality level for a simple reason: it is made from the buds of the tea tree, covered with white fuzz that resembles silver frost, hence the name. This is also the primary source of the name white tea.

The production process of white tea falls under light fermentation and utilizes a method without frying or rolling. Frying tea, known as "stir fixation," involves heating fresh tea leaves in a pan. The term "not rolling" means that after fresh tea leaves are harvested, they are piled together to allow the release of juices without being rolled. Some teas, like Tie Guan Yin (Iron Buddha), can be rolled into small ball shapes or elongated strips, whereas white tea is not rolled and instead undergoes withering and drying. Withering involves spreading the leaves on the ground to naturally evaporate moisture. This is followed by drying, which reduces the moisture content to 6% for better preservation and to prevent mold.

In Canada, many novice tea drinkers may ask whether there are specific tea trees for black tea, white tea, and oolong tea. The answer is no. The six major tea categories are classified based on fermentation levels and processing methods. A single tea tree can be transformed into white tea through withering and drying, while the same tree can produce green tea through kill-green, rolling, and drying. Therefore, there is no distinction between black tea trees and green tea trees; it is all dependent on whether the tea leaves are suitable for making green tea, and the quality and flavor of the tea are the results of human selection.

Which tea-producing region is best suited for making white tea, and which white tea tastes best? To answer this question, we can borrow the concepts of the New World and Old World in red wine. Without comparison, we cannot easily conclude, but Old World red wine production certainly has a longer history. Among the various regions for white tea, Fujian Province is undoubtedly the most authoritative place, which can further be divided into Fuding and Zhenghe. Although Yunnan white tea has gradually gained popularity in recent years, the main production area for white tea remains Fuding, which is subdivided into four key areas: Diantou Town, Taimu Mountain, Guanyang Town, and Panxi Town. 

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