Understanding White Tea: Origin, Processing, Types
White tea belongs to the lightly oxidized category of Camellia sinensis, with a fermentation level typically ranging from 5 % to 10 %. This minimal processing preserves the delicate silvery hairs on the buds and yields a liquor that is pale, sweet, and subtly floral. Historical records trace white tea’s emergence to the Fujian province during the Tang dynasty, where it was prized as a tribute tea for the imperial court. The classic text Chájīng (The Classic of Tea) by Lu Yu (8th century) mentions “white buds” as a rare treasure, while the Song‑dynasty treatise Chálù (Tea Record) by Cai Xiang (11th century) explicitly describes the production of “bái chá” from young shoots harvested before full leaf expansion.
Modern white tea production follows four core steps: withering, gentle rolling (often omitted), low‑temperature drying, and sorting. Freshly plucked buds and leaves are spread on bamboo trays or withering racks for 12–20 hours