How To Buy White Tea
White tea comes in many varieties, and more and more tea vendors are stocking white tea as its popularity increases. This means that the wealth of choice for the consumer can only become greater, which of course is a good thing. White tea is the rarest and most expensive of all teas, and many would consider it a luxury. It is, of course, but while "luxury" is sometimes understood to mean something that is unnecessary, expensive, and outrageous, white tea is anything but. Subtle and elegant, white tea is also the tea with the highest concentration of antioxidants. It is the healthiest tea there is.
These are some factors to keep in mind when you shop for white tea.
- Buy from a solid, reputable vendor. Specialized tea stores are not that common in the Western world, and not all of them stock white tea in several varieties. For that reason, there is a good chance that you will be buying your white tea from an online vendor. Most tea sellers are on the level, but there might be a few bad apples. Check the quality of the website, scour their policies on deliveries and returns, try to find customer ratings, and check the specialized tea online forums to see how other tea lovers talk about that vendor. Buying white tea should be a painless procedure with a quick delivery. We can heartily recommend Adagio Teas
, the biggest and most reputable of the online vendors, with a wide selection of all teas, not just white.
- Ask questions before you buy. While there are many vendors of white tea, not all of them are as passionate about the products they sell as you and I may be. They may not even know much about their white teas to begin with. Ask questions to see if the vendor knows his or her business. Things like country and region of origin and time of harvest should not present the vendor with any problems. On the Internet, look at the site with a critical eye. Often, the know-how and enthusiasm of the vendor is obvious from the site itself.
- Buy fresh tea. The tea you buy should be fresh and of the last crop. White tea is harvested in Asia in the early spring. This means that by the end of April, you should be able to get the tea from the last harvest all over the world. Be sure to ask the vendor when the tea was harvested. If possible, buy all your white tea for the rest of the year in the spring. That way, you have complete control over how it is stored, so you can make sure that it retains its good qualities.
- Buy white tea in loose leaves if possible. Silver Needle teas are very young tea leaves that are tightly rolled up in themselves. This means that they are less exposed to air than tea leaves that have been cut up. Less exposure to air means less oxidation. Silver Needle teas will therefore retain more of their beneficial antioxidants longer than tea made from cut leaves. This goes for all types of loose leaf teas. Although the best white tea comes in loose leaves, white tea in bags is less expensive. However, it is not as durable, nor does it contain the same concentration of antioxidants as loose leaf white tea.
- Take your time to find your favorite. There are many growers of white tea, and they are spread around many Asian countries. Like fine wines, the climate and soil where the tea is grown will have an impact on the taste and the antioxidant content of the tea leaves. For that reason, it is a good idea to shop around and try several types of white tea to see which one you prefer. Perhaps the tea grown in Sri Lanka fits your taste, or maybe you prefer the Chinese varieties. Perhaps you even feel that the price premium on Silver Needle tea is not worth it. The discovery process will take quite some time and be very enjoyable. Remember that your favorite tea does not have to be the most expensive one.
- Keep the air out. White tea should be protected from the air, or it may start to oxidize. While the reason white tea is so healthy is that it contains antioxidants, it is important to make sure that the leaves are as pristine as possible. The younger and more pristine the tea, the more of the antioxidants it will retain, and the better it will taste. Make sure that the tea you buy is packaged in as airtight a package as possible. That means it should be packaged in a tight plastic bag or an airtight container.
- Keep it dry, cool, and dark. White tea of all varieties should be kept in an airtight container in a dry, cool and dark place. A cool cellar would be an ideal place to store it. Do not freeze the tea, as the tea may dry out.
- Check that you got what you ordered. All white teas should be made from leaves that are covered in the tiny, white hairs from which the tea gets its name. Check that the tea you have bought fits the description.
- Have fun! As with any luxury, shopping for white tea should be a very enjoyable experience. Collect as much information as you can about the tea, and try several types before you make your choice. Many sellers of white tea offer several varieties in small packages, perfect for testing. Make sure you visit several vendors, be they of the Internet or the brick-and-mortar variety.
Summary: There are many online vendors of white tea. Always store the tea dark, cool and dry in an airtight container. Shop around to find your favorite white tea - it does not have to be the most expensive one.