WAKING UP to white tea's pleasures
Subtle, soothing brew may have powerful health benefits, too
With its mild flavor and subtle, almost nutty aroma, white tea doesn't seem like much at first. But the tea is an aesthetic heavyweight on its own terms, and the light golden beverage packs a wallop in health benefits.
Though this has been common knowledge in Asia for centuries, Westerners are finally catching on. The beverage is in enough demand here that the Republic of Tea offers unbleached round bags filled with ''Emperor's White Tea." The canister reads: ''Rare white tea buds from China's Fujian Province." Tea shops around town are also serving it more and more as it gains popularity.
White tea -- harvested from the first spring buds -- is probably as ancient as its green and black cousins. Called white either because of the white ''hairs" that cover the young spring buds or because of the infusion's light translucent color, this is also the least processed form of the camellia sinensis plant, from which all true tea comes. Unlike black teas, which are made by letting the leaves wilt and oxidize before being dried and rolled, or green teas, for which the leaves are quickly dried and then rolled, white teas are simply air dried, according to Sebastian Beckwith, one of the owners of In Pursuit of Tea, a Brooklyn-based tea importer.
Beckwith's company carries several varieties of the pale brew (available at Whole Foods Markets), including Yinzhen Silver Needle, which has a hint of a buttery taste, and the slightly fruity White Peony (available in half-ounce sample sizes for $6.99 and $3.99, respectively). Like the Republic of Tea offerings, both of Pursuit's are from China's Fujian Province, the original source for white tea, according to Beckwith. Recently, however, tea growers in Darjeeling, India, and in Sri Lanka have begun producing their own white teas.
Breathing in the fragrant steam over a cup or earthenware bowl at a teahouse such as Dado Tea or Tealuxe, the brew's minimal processing is apparent. ''The closest thing to the natural living tea plant that you can get," is how Julie Garry, general manager of Tealuxe, describes the drink. That doesn't mean you can't mishandle it: Julie Song, co-owner of Dado, warns that to keep the natural sweetness of white tea, be sure not to steep it too long. How long that is may be a matter of personal preference: Song recommends two minutes, while Beckwith pushes for a full six minutes.
To see which you prefer, set the timer: If your tea tastes bitter, steep it for a shorter period next time. If it's too mild, try giving it another minute. Experts agree on one thing: White tea, like green tea, should not be brewed with boiling water. Water in the 170- to 185-degree range is best, they say. For at-home brewers, that means water that has just started to steam, with small bubbles rising to the top. If you let your water boil, take it off the heat for a moment and let it cool. This is a gentle tea and works best with appropriately gentle treatment. When its natural sweetness is brought out, it needs no sugar, cream, or honey. In fact, those who love white tea blanch at the suggestion of any of these -- ''You'd lose the tea!" says Beckwith -- even if they ordinarily offer them with more robust black teas.
White tea, even when perfectly prepared, will never shout out its flavor of flowers and fruit. This is a subtle and soothing drink -- a nonalcoholic answer to a fine wine.
Recent research suggests that white tea, like green and black teas, may have strong anticancer properties. In fact, white tea may prove to be the healthiest of all. All tea is high in flavonoids and antioxidants, which help repair cell damage and may guard against cancer and heart disease. Tea may also help strengthen the immune system, according to studies done at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Researchers attribute these immunity-boosting powers to the presence of the amino acid L-theanine, which exists in high concentration in tea.
But white tea may go further: Studies at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University recently tested four kinds of white tea for their ability to inhibit the mutation of bacteria -- cell mutation has been linked to cancer -- and found that they all did so, and seemed even more effective than green tea, which had previously been promoted for its healthful properties. White tea also seemed to have more polyphenols, which may inhibit the growth of certain tumors, than other teas.
The only drawback to these health benefits is the presence of caffeine. While white tea is usually perceived as having less caffeine than either black or green tea, the Linus Pauling Institute study found that when it was brewed to be strong enough to have significant health benefits, it actually had more of the common stimulant. Which doesn't make a cup of white tea any less healthful or relaxing. It just means that your dreams of fragrant, faraway hillsides might be a little more wide awake.
Dado Tea is at 955 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-497-9061 and 50 Church St., Cambridge, 617-547-0950. Tealuxe is at 0 Brattle St. Cambridge, 617-441-0077 and 108 Newbury St., 617-927-0400. 