How to brew white tea
White tea is the least processed: buds and young leaves are withered and dried. The leaves are bulky and light, so you need a generous measure by weight and a little patience.
- Water
- 80 °C176 °F
- Leaf
- 1 gper 50 ml
- Steep
- 4:00–5:00
- Re-steeps
- 2–3
Good examples: Silver Needle (Bai Hao Yin Zhen), White Peony (Bai Mudan), Shou Mei.
Step by step
- Heat fresh water to 80 °C (176 °F).
- Weigh 1 g of leaf for every 50 ml of water (e.g. 6.0 g for a 300 ml mug).
- Pour the water over the leaves and steep for 4:00–5:00.
- Strain completely so the leaves don’t keep steeping. Keep the leaves for the next infusion.
Getting it exact
- Silver Needle is delicate: 75–80 °C and a longer steep bring out its sweetness without dryness.
- Bai Mudan and Shou Mei, with more leaf, are happy at 85–90 °C.
- Weigh, don’t spoon: a teaspoon of fluffy white tea can weigh half as much as one of black tea.
Quick fix: Watery? Add leaf. White tea’s most common mistake is under-dosing, not under-steeping.