White tea is the most delicate of all the tea varieties. It is minimally processed and harvested before the teas leaves open fully. The young buds are still covered in white hairs, which gives the tea its name. The buds, along with unfurled leaves of the newest tea growth on the plant are carefully hand-picked, before quickly dried, stopping the oxidisation process.

The low oxidisation levels, along with minimal processing gives white tea a delicate and freshness to every cup. All tea, whether its white, black or green comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, which is indigenous to China and India. It is how the leaves are processed along with the amount of oxidisation that defines what tea you have in your teacup.

Oxidisation is how long the tea leaves are exposed to oxygen after being harvested. The longer they are exposed, the darker the leaves are and the deeper the flavour. Tea masters use a variety of methods to manage oxidisation, which includes shaping, rolling and crushing to speed up the oxidisation process.

When it comes to the processing of white tea, it is so minimally processed that minimal oxidisation occurs. Once the buds are collected, they are allowed to wither and air dry in the sun, sometimes they are placed in controlled indoor and outdoor environments. Some tea masters use steaming on a low heat to dry the buds quickly and stop the oxidisation process. As a result, white tea is softer and more delicate than black or green teas.

The Founder of Jing Tea in the United Kingdom, Ed Eisler said “Our Jasmine Silver Needle tea comes from Yinpan Garden in Yunnan, China. This mellow, refreshing and floral tea is delicately crafted using the sweetest spring picked white tea budget and scented with fresh jasmine flowers. The tea is picked in the spring.”

Ed Eisler, went on to say “Our Aged Fuding White Peony is a top seller with a smooth, sweet and complex flavour from Shanhugang Garden in Fujian, China. This complex and mellow tea takes six years to make. The tea we have in stock right now was picked in spring 2015 and has been allowed to naturally age to develop incredible character and depth with notes of hay and dark honey.”

About Us: Jing Tea is a United Kingdom based single garden tea specialist, bringing high end single garden teas to homes throughout the world. The company focuses on providing teas with distinctive flavours and incredible tastes and connecting the diverse cultures, wild landscapes and master craftspeople who make them with tea drinks throughout the world. The distinctive teas on offer provide the best flavours, aromas and colours. The company has been building relationships with the best tea makers in Asia based countries since 2004, they believe in supporting biodiversity and sustainable tea growers. Jing Tea offers tea subscriptions, virtual guides, online tasting and one on one consultations, which they offer from their base in the heart of London’s West End. Visit https://jingtea.com to find out more.