Indulge in premium-quality white teas
Tea in its purest form. The Tea Centre carefully selects our pai mu tan and yin zhen white teas for their freshness and flavour. We quality test our white tea varieties in Germany, which therefore ensures that we deliver unbeatable satisfaction cup after cup.
Free shipping is available for all orders over $70. Alternatively, pop into one of The Tea Centre's ten tea shops located in Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT.
What is white tea?
White tea is the least processed of all the traditional tea types and, therefore, the most subtle tea offering fresh and floral flavours. Picked from the tip of the tea bush, our refreshing white teas have less caffeine than other alternatives since the tea leaves are not rolled or fermented. Here at The Tea Centre, we have a gorgeous range of delicious white teas for you to enjoy.
The name ‘white tea’ is in reference to the silvery-white appearance of the fine hair that covers the newly formed tea bud and small leaves. When brewed, white teas are actually a pale yellow in colour. White teas are mostly derived from plucked tea buds, although sometimes the first, second and occasionally third leaf may also be used in production depending on the grade of white tea. The price of white tea often reflects the quality of the blend, with higher grades consisting of only buds whereas the lower grades will include large leaves. Generally, white teas produced only with buds tend to be the palest and most expensive grades of tea.
White teas leave a light and refreshing taste on the palate. They are also lower in caffeine compared to your standard black and green teas, making them a popular choice among caffeine-sensitive tea drinkers. Extremely delicate and light in flavour and colour, our pai mu tan teas in particular offer an exquisite and refined tea-drinking experience. White tea is perfect for your evening brew to help you unwind and wash the day away.
If the taste is a little too light for your liking, you can also reap the same health benefits from our other flavoured varieties.
What are the health benefits of white tea?
There are many benefits to drinking white tea beyond the satisfying taste. White tea contains a small amount of fluoride, which serves the dual purpose of protecting your teeth from bacteria and boosting your metabolism. Given white teas are also high in antioxidants and polyphenols, this classic brew is well worth adding to your tea selection at home.
White tea is the least processed of all teas, which is how it retains the largest quantities of antioxidants and polyphenols. White tea has gained popularity in recent years as a result of these qualities; however, this tea has actually been around for more than a thousand years. Although white tea originated in China, the increased awareness of its health properties around the world has seen it being grown and manufactured in countries such as India, Sri Lanka, and Kenya as well.
Correlations between white tea’s large quantities of antioxidants and improved heart health have been drawn by medical practitioners in recent studies. Additionally, white tea is believed to improve collagen and elastin development; all of which helps nourish the skin from the inside out.
How to brew white tea?
To brew a perfect cup of white tea you need to do the following.
White tea is best prepared similar to green tea as the delicate leaves can be destroyed by water that is too hot, resulting in a slightly bitter taste.
The optimum temperature of your hot water should be 75-80°C, but if you don’t have a temperature-controlled kettle, simply turn off the kettle shortly before the water boils and pour a little cold tap water over the leaves before pouring your hot water in. This will further protect the leaves from burning if the water is too hot.
Alternatively, if your water has boiled then simply allow it to cool for a couple of minutes and once again pour a little cold tap water over your leaves first. Brew for 5–7 minutes on average, and with a good quality white tea, you can actually re-brew the same leaves 3–4 times on the same day.
While white tea can be a little more expensive to purchase, being able to re-brew the leaves several times a day helps still makes purchasing white teas an economically-savvy choice. Consider pouring yourself a cup the next time you want to relax and unwind during some well deserved “me” time. Enjoy the soothing aromas and elegant flavours even during summer, by whipping up a batch of iced white tea to cool down with style.
Buy white tea online or in-store at The Tea Centre tea shops
Here at The Tea Centre, we pride ourselves on the elite quality of our tea and work hard to make them luxurious and thoroughly enjoyable. You will notice that our white teas are beautifully fragrant and enticing, with elements of fruitiness, florals and earthy tasting notes across the range. All part of our plan to provide you with the finest loose leaf tea possible.
Making a pot or a cup of white tea with loose leaves is not as hard as it sounds, with easy-to-use infusers and strainers available. However, if you are looking for a quicker alternative, we do also offer a range of teas in biodegradable pyramid tea bags, including black tea bags, green tea bags and herbal tea bags.
Interested in other teas? Look through our selections of black teas, green teas and herbal teas to find the ones that are right for you.