Green tea, black tea, white tea, dark tea or red tea: tea comes in all colours and each colour corresponds to a very particular type of tea. At the root of this diversity is just the one plant: the tea plant, but its leaves have been processed in different ways and have undergone numerous transformations. The most important of these is fermentation, a chemical reaction that takes place as a result of enzymes contained in the fresh leaf. By setting off and controlling this process the tea planter gives its selected colour to the tea.

 

White teas

These are teas that have remained in their natural state. The leaves in this case only undergo two procedures: withering and firing. In order to obtain a level of moisture loss comparable to other teas, the leaves are left to wither for a much longer period of time: from 52 to 60 hours. They are then immediately dried in large pans for approximately half an hour. The process might appear simple but the production of white teas is nevertheless one of the most delicate. Withering in the open air is an operation impossible to control in terms of humidity and heat: the skill of the tea planter lies in accurately predicting weather conditions and organising the timing of the plucking accordingly. White teas are a Chinese speciality from the Fujian region.

See our selection of white teas.