With spring so close at hand, comfort food gives way to lighter and fresher tastes. It’s the perfect time to explore the delicate and slightly sweeter taste of white tea. Check out a few reasons why white tea is worth a try.
Healthy Choice
Although most of the research done on the health benefits of tea focus on green tea, white tea very likely retains even more of those precious antioxidants that health-conscious folks like to discuss. White tea and green tea (and black tea for that matter) come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. White tea, however, goes through less treatment when the leaves are processed. Green teas are picked, sometimes cut or rolled, and either steamed or fired to halt the oxidation process. White teas are simply picked when the leaves are young and then dried. Sometimes the leaves are picked before they even open. This delicate handling makes for a delightfully mild taste and very pale color.
What does this mean for your health? Less of the leaves’ precious antioxidants are lost in getting white tea leaves from the fields to your teapot. And many of the studies specifically focused on green tea have results that can easily be applied to white tea too. Drink up!
Tasty Choice
So where do you start when trying out white teas for the first time? Many enjoy the addition of sweet berries or peaches as in our Organic Blanc de Blueberry, Subtle Strawberry, Raspberry Champagne or Organic White Peach. These selections also make great iced tea. Pair them with dark chocolate for a fantastic contrast of tastes.
If you enjoy a little more complexity in your cup, white tea can blend very well with rose petals, lavender or peppermint. Sweet Serenade may be the best choice for you, or Sonoma Sunrise White Tea.
Many also enjoy a cup of white tea on its own to experience the full flavor profile. If you are one who makes a habit of stirring in milk and sugar, however, you may want to refrain from these additions or you will taste just that – milk and sugar. White Darjeeling or Doke White Silver Needles go very nicely with a quiet spot and time for contemplation.
So, take a break from your usual choice of tea with the changing season. What flavor will you try?