Today I wanted to write about one of my favorite things in the world: tea. I wrote an entry on how I prepare Iced Tea a while ago but now that Fall is finally here, I wanted to do a more in-depth post about tea. I hope it answers all your questions and helps you find the right tea drink for you.

Colloquially we also refer to tea when any other herb (that is not Camellia Sinensis) or fruit is infused in hot water and consumed as beverage. That is not tea, strictly speaking, but you can call your infusion of choice whatever you want. It’s fine by me.

So now let’s talk about the most popular teas that we, westerners, drink.  

White Tea

What is White Tea? This tea comes from the young leaves and the buds of the Camellia Sinensis plant. It is only lightly processed to prevent the oxidation. Because White Tea should be hand-picked and be made only from the youngest leaves, it is usually produced in lesser quantities and has a higher price than other varieties.

There are different varieties of white tea (Bai Mudan, Silver Needle, Shou Mei) but I won’t get much into that. I always drink Bai Mudan or “White Peony”, Silver Needle is too expensive for my budget and Shou Mei is not available where I shop.

How does it taste like? Bai Mudan or “White Peony” has a soft, floral, sweet taste. From my experience, everyone enjoys this tea, even those who aren’t big tea lovers.

How do I prepare it? For this one, you need to use two teaspoons (around 2 grams) of loose leaves for 8 ounces (240 ml.) of water. This is just a guide; you may want to adjust these proportions to achieve the intensity you like.

The optimal water temperature for brewing different tea types is always a matter of dispute. As long as you are not pouring full boiling water into white tea, you’ll be fine. A water temperature of 80°C (= 180°F) is usually recommended. I personally like to watch the water, once the little bubbles that are sitting on the surface of the kettle begin to rise to the surface and pop, I consider that the water is ready for this tea.

The brewing time for white tea can be anything from 3 to 7 minutes. As opposed to green or black teas, this one won’t get bitter if you steep it for long. I recommend brewing it for 3 or 4 minutes the first time. Then you can do a second or even third infusion with a steep time of 5, 6 or 7 minutes. Yes, you can brew the same leaves several times as it will produce different flavors every time. Try it!

Don't forget to check out part 2 and 3: Green Tea and Black Tea.