- Amino Acids
- Antioxidants
- Astringency
- Bitterness
- Black Tea
- Brewing Conditions
- Buds
- Caffeine
- Camellia Sinensis
- Catechins
- Chemical Composition
- Consumer Preferences
- Decaffeination
- EGCG
- Fermentation
- Flavonoids
- Green Tea
- HPLC Analysis
- Infusion Time
- Leaves
- Loose Leaf Tea
- Oolong Tea
- Oxidation
- Polyphenols
- Processing Method
- Sensory Analysis
- Silver Needle
- Steeping
- Taste
- Tea Bags
- Tea Plant
- Theanine
- Water Temperature
- White Tea
- White Peony
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.