White Tea – glossary

Amino Acids

Amino acids like theanine contribute to the umami taste of white tea and interact with polyphenols to influence the sensory properties of the tea liquor.

Antioxidants

White tea contains antioxidant compounds like polyphenols and flavonoids that can help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals.

Astringency

Astringency is the dry, puckering mouthfeel caused by compounds like polyphenols in white tea binding to salivary proteins.

Bitterness

Bitterness is a taste stimulated by compounds like catechins and caffeine that is important to the flavor profile of white tea.

Black Tea

Black tea is an oxidized tea that goes through more extensive processing than white tea and has higher levels of caffeine.

Brewing Conditions

Factors like water temperature, infusion time, tea to water ratio, and number of infusions impact the chemical composition and flavor of the final white tea liquor.

Buds

The unopened buds used to make certain white teas like Silver Needle that are higher in antioxidants and lower in caffeine than mature leaves.

Caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant compound found naturally in the Camellia sinensis tea plant. White tea contains caffeine, but typically has lower levels than black, oolong, or green tea.

Camellia Sinensis

Camellia sinensis is the tea plant that white tea comes from, along with black, green, and oolong tea.

Catechins

Catechins are antioxidant polyphenol compounds found abundantly in white tea, especially EGCG. Catechins contribute to the potential health benefits and sensory qualities of white tea.

Chemical Composition

The make-up of a white tea’s chemical constituents like catechins, caffeine, and amino acids that are affected by processing and brewing conditions.

Consumer Preferences

Consumer preferences for the balance of bitterness, sweetness, astringency, and other taste attributes help determine optimal white tea steeping recommendations.

Decaffeination

Decaffeination is the process of removing caffeine from tea leaves before brewing to reduce the stimulant effects.

EGCG

EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) is the most abundant and potent catechin antioxidant found in white tea.

Fermentation

The enzymatic oxidation process used to produce black and oolong teas that white tea does not undergo.

Flavonoids

Flavonoids are a type of polyphenol found in white tea with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and other health-promoting activities. Catechins are a major subgroup of flavonoids.

Green Tea

Green tea is unoxidized like white tea but undergoes more rolling and heating during processing and has slightly higher caffeine levels.

HPLC Analysis

High performance liquid chromatography allows quantitative analysis of the levels of catechins, caffeine, amino acids and other compounds in tea samples.

Infusion Time

Infusion time refers to the steeping time for white tea, which affects the extraction of compounds like catechins and caffeine as well as sensory qualities.

Leaves

The young leaves or leaf buds used to make many white teas. More mature leaves have more caffeine.

Loose Leaf Tea

Loose leaf white tea can allow for fuller expansion and infusion compared to tea bags, potentially increasing caffeine and flavor extraction.

Oolong Tea

Oolong tea is partially oxidized and has a caffeine content between green and black teas.

Oxidation

The enzymatic process that black and oolong teas undergo. White tea has no oxidation.

Polyphenols

Polyphenols are antioxidant plant compounds like flavonoids and catechins found in white tea. They help scavenge free radicals and may offer protection against various diseases.

Processing Method

How the fresh tea leaves are treated after harvest – white tea is simply withered and dried with minimal processing compared to other teas.

Sensory Analysis

Sensory analysis techniques evaluate the taste, aroma, color, texture and other sensory attributes of white tea under different conditions to optimize quality.

Silver Needle

Silver Needle is a premium white tea made only from unopened bud tips that are especially high in catechins. It has a delicate flavor and pale color.

Steeping

Steeping refers to brewing white tea to extract flavors, caffeine, health compounds, and to develop its sensory qualities to an ideal balance.

Taste

The sensory experience of compounds in white tea interacting with taste receptors – bitterness, sweetness, umami, and astringency are key elements.

Tea Bags

Tea bags often contain small broken leaf pieces, dust, and less tea by volume, which can reduce caffeine compared to loose leaf tea.

Tea Plant

The Camellia sinensis plant that white tea and other true teas are derived from, as opposed to herbal tisanes.

Theanine

Theanine is an amino acid found in tea that provides umami taste and potential benefits for focus and relaxation due to its effects on brain waves.

Water Temperature

The temperature of the water used to steep white tea affects extraction of compounds like polyphenols and caffeine as well as sensory qualities.

White Tea

White tea is a lightly processed tea made from the buds and young leaves of the Camellia sinensis tea plant. It is harvested early in the season and then simply withered and dried, without rolling or oxidation.

White Peony

White Peony is a white tea blended with both buds and young tea leaves in varying proportions depending on the grade.

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