What is white and black tea?
White tea is an example of true tea that comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant. Black tea is also a product of the same plant; the difference is brought about by processing.
White Tea vs Black Tea Taste: 10 differences you should know.
- Processing
White:
White tea processing only requires the tea plant’s young tea buds and leaves to undergo slight processing. It starts from harvesting the tea plant parts, withering, and finally drying leaves and buds.
During harvesting, leaves and buds are hand-picked. Afterward, the leaves are left to wither for 72 hours in the sun or a room with a controlled climate. Withering removes excess moisture. The last step is drying before it’s ready for packaging.
Black:
Black tea undergoes more complex processing. When tea leaves are ready, they’re harvested and set ready for the next step. When they begin to dry up and wither, they’re wrapped in bamboo mats to bruise. Alternatively, they’re laid on woven straw to wither completely and turn soft enough to roll well.
Rolling determines the shape, color, and flavor of the final product. The next step involves unrolling the leaves and spreading them out in a cold room for 8-12 hours. During this time, Oxidation takes place. The last step is drying the tea leaves, stopping further oxidation. Now, the product is ready for packaging.
- Where are they grown & When are they harvested
White:
White tea is available in a few parts of the world. White tea was first grown in China, mainly in Fujian Province. White tea is also available in Kenya, Africa.
In Fujian, white tea harvesting happens from mid-March to early April. Also, white tea is harvested at the early start of the season. The harvesting happens manually through hand-picking of fresh buds and leaves.
White tea harvesting happens at the early start of the season because buds and early leaves are still fresh.
Black:
Unlike white tea, black tea is readily available in several parts of the world. China, England, and the United States top the list. China has the most robust version of black tea, though.
Harvesting of black tea happens in July and August. It’s done every 7-15 days, depending on how fast the shoots are coming up. Black tea harvesting takes place when temperatures are at their peak.
After every 7-15 days, shoots of leaves come up, paving the way for a fresh harvest.
- Taste
White:
It exhibits a delicate light flavor with a slight sweetness. The light taste results from floral and fruity blends in white tea. In addition, the flavor notes are different and might feel like any of these options, grassy, peach, apricot, or mild.
Besides, white tea is compatible with additives such as, lemon, sugar, or ginger. Moreover, additives destroy the original white tea aroma.
Black:
Unlike white tea with a light flavor, black tea has a bolder and sweeter flavor. Terms that describe black tea include smoky, spicy, earthy, brisky, malty, nutty, leather, fruity, and metallic.
Different variables combine to give black tea a unique flavor profile. Additives that go hand in hand with black tea include milk and sweeteners like honey and Splenda. Milk, lemon, and ginger are also suitable additives for black tea.
- Caffeine content
White Tea:
White tea has the lowest caffeine content among all types of true tea. The caffeine content lies between 15 and 20 milligrams in a normal-sized cup full of white tea. Remember, white tea undergoes minimal processing; that’s why it has low caffeine content.
Black Tea:
In terms of caffeine content, black tea is the opposite of white tea. Black tea has 60 and 90 milligrams of caffeine in a single cup. Through oxidation, organic compounds in the tea leaves react with Oxygen giving black tea high caffeine content.
- Benefits
Both white and black tea contain a variety of health benefits. See three health benefits of each below;
White Tea
Ø It’s rich in antioxidants that protect body cells from harmful compounds
Ø It significantly reduces the risk of heart disease
Ø It’s good for weight loss as it burns excess fat
Black Tea
Ø It has antioxidant properties that bring down the rate of cell damage in the body.
Ø Improves heart health. Black tea has flavonoids (antioxidant group) that reduce the risk of a heart attack.
Ø It helps reduce High Blood Pressure, a disease that affects an average of 1 billion people worldwide.
- Brewing Method
Regardless of the method you use to brew tea, the final product should taste incredibly sweet and aromatic, right? Below are some tips for brewing white and black tea.
White Tea: Brewing white tea is possible for western and eastern brewing methods. Eastern brewing methods involve small pots and many shots. On the other hand, western brewing methods involve one big pot and either one or two shots.
There’s no specific standard way to brew white tea. However, when brewing white tea, always remember the following;
Tea – Use 2 teaspoons of tea for every 6 ounces of water.
Water – It should attain an average temperature of between 1600 F to 1800 F.
Steeping Time – A steeping time of 4 to 6 minutes is good. Begin tasking the tea from the 1-minute mark.
Follow this process to brew your white tea;
Step 1. Place the correct amount of water in a kettle and heat it until the water is between 1600 F to 1800 F. If you don’t have a thermometer, heat the water until it boils, then give it 4 to 8 minutes to cool.
Step 2. Measure your tea. As said earlier, remember to add 2 teaspoons of tea for every 6 ounces of water.
Step 3: Steep the tea leaves. To achieve this, pour a little hot water over the tea leaves and let them steep for 1–5 minutes. This depends on your taste preference. The longer the steeping time, the stronger the tea.
Step 4: Pre-Warm teacups. This boosts the drinking experience as your tea maintains the same temperature when poured into the cup. You can toss the cups with boiling water before pouring tea.
Black Tea: Black tea is not hard to brew, although it’s the strongest. When brewing black tea, you can use either the eastern or western methods. Take note of the following to brew a tasty, aromatic, and sweet black tea.
Water – Water for brewing black tea should be slightly hotter than white tea water. As such, boil water until it attains a 195-2050 F temperature.
Tea – Measure 1-2 teaspoons of leaves for every 6 to 8 ounces of water. This depends on your preference and taste.
Steeping Time – Give the tea leaves a steeping time of 3 to 5 minutes. Of course, the longer the steeping time, the stronger the black tea.
The brewing process below can help you brew black tea successfully;
Step 1: Boil the water up to around 2000 F. If you don’t have a thermometer to measure the temperature, boil the water up to the boiling point.
Step 2: Measure your preferred amount of tea leaves, 1 teaspoon or 2.3 grams of tea leaves, for every 6-8 ounces of water.
Step 3: Add the correct amount of tea leaves to a tea strainer and place it inside the kettle. Alternatively, you can put tea leaves inside a teacup and add boiling water.
Step 4: Steep tea leaves. Before mixing tea leaves and water, steeping helps make black tea strong. To steep, you only need to add a little hot water that submerges the leaves for a better brew result.
Step 5: Take out the tea strainer from the cup or use a cheesecloth or mesh strainer to strain your loose-leaf tea.
Step 6: If you have some additional flavors, you can add them to the tea. If you’re adding milk, it’s good to warm it slightly before mixing it with the tea.
- Options / Variety
White Tea: There are five major varieties of white tea. They include;
· Silver Needle (Yin Zhen Bai Hao) – There’s no doubt this is the most sought-after type of white tea. It gives a pale golden flush that comes with a sweet floral aroma. The tea leaves have a uniform shape.
· White Peony (Bai Mu Dan) – This is the second most sought-after premium tea. It has two leaves mixed with a silvery bud. It gives a shimmery golden color and texture and tastes slightly sweet with a nutty taste.
· Tribute Eyebrow (Gongmei) – This is also another high-quality premium tea of lesser quality than Silver Needle and White Peony. It’s a product of young buds and leaves and has a dark and fuller taste.
· Noble, Long Life Eyebrow (Shou Mei) – This tea is a product of all leftovers that remain after harvesting White Peony or Silver Needle white tea. Therefore, it’s more oxidized since it stays for a long time in the field.
· DaBaiCha or DaHoaCha (Fujian New Craft) – This is the newest white tea member and was meant to meet the globally growing demand for white tea. It has long and curly tea leaves with a rich brown or green color. Finally, it has the most robust white tea flavor.
Black Tea: There are many types of black tea. Below are the major known types;
· Assam Black Tea – This tea got its name from the region it grows, the Assam region in India. It’s boldly fragrant with a stringent and tannic taste on your first sip.
· Darjeeling Black Tea – This type of black tea comes from the Darjeeling region of India. Mostly, it’s a product of the first season’s plucking, consisting of the freshest and fragrant teas.
· Ceylon Black Tea – It first grew in the Ceylon region of Sri Lanka and came from the Chinese Camellia Sinesis variety. It boasts of a citrusy flavor that comes with a chocolaty nuance.
· Chai Kee Mun – This type of black tea comes from China’s Anhui province. Types of KeeMun black tea include; Mao Feng, Xin Ya, Hao Ya, and Gong Fu. Among all, Xin Ya and Mao Fen are the sweetest. Kee Mun gives a fruity, piney, floral, and smoky flavor.
· Scottish, English, or Irish Breakfast – This type of black tea resembles European breakfast styles. It involves sausages, cheese, eggs, fried tomatoes, cold cuts, and baked beans. Besides, it often combines Indian Assam, Kenyan black tea, and Ceylon.
· Earl Gray – It’s a combination of Assam and Darjeeling tea with a bergamot oil infusion. Bergamot oil is a citrus type that mainly grows in Italy. A combination of Earl Grays contains vanilla, bringing in a citrus sweetness and warmth.
· Lapsang Souchong – This is the king of all teas. It’s common and a preference for tea connoisseurs globally. However, it’s often found in Fujian, especially in the Wuyi mountains. According to tea historians, it’s the oldest black tea.
· Dian Hong Cha – It’s also called Yunnan Red as it primarily grows in Yunnan province, China. Four varieties of Dian Hong black tea are available. They include Golden Needle, Broken Yunnan, Yunnan Pure Gold, and Yunnan Gold. Among them, Yunnan Pure Gold has unique golden tips because it’s a product of fine leaf buds.
· Kenyan Black Tea – Kenya stands in number 3 among the world’s largest tea producers. China and India take the first and second positions. Kenyan tea is robust and full-bodied and has a mysterious yet alluring chocolaty, anise, and cardamom taste.
- Price
The prices for white tea and black tea vary based on several reasons, such as the geographical region, type, and the cost of preparation & transport. Let’s see the normal price ranges for black and tea types.
White Tea: White tea comes in packets of different sizes from 20g, 50g, 100g, 250g, 500g, 1kg, and 2kg. The prices vary depending on the type of white tea; however, it ranges anywhere between $5 to $400.
Black Tea: There’s no doubt that black tea is cheaper and more common than white tea. 1kg of black tea, regardless of the type, costs anywhere between $2.00 and $5.00. The price changes with an increase or decrease in quantity.
- How to choose
White Tea
Appearance – High-quality white tea has many buds and white hair. Besides, the plump buds must be big and free from leaves. White tea leaves should be green in color. The plump buds and leaves should have little to no silver hair.
Scent – High-quality white tea leaves should have a fresh scent. White tea is so delicate that its scent might be unnoticeable immediately. However, the scent should be noticeable if you place the tea leaves in a preheated teapot.
Touch – Touching the tea leaves should feel nice, and you should also feel the plump buds with your hand. To identify high-quality white tea leaves, try to feel the gentle, plump, and silky buds by touching them.
Flavor – White tea gives you a natural, lightly sweet flavor. High-quality white tea must have a lightly sweet flavor. However, if your tea leaves have a moldy, strong flavor or are excessively bitter when brewed, that means they’re of low quality.
Black Tea
Appearance – High-quality black tea should appear dark in color and quickly delivers a strong dark brew. There should be no stalks or woody fragments. Besides, when steeping, the tea leaves should slowly unfurl.
Scent – Black tea has a distinct aroma due to the oxidation process and high concentration. It should smell herbaceous, spicy, or black pepper-like.
Touch – High-quality black tea leaves should feel smooth, whole, and sturdy when you touch them. Besides, they should have a slight heft when you slide through your fingers as you touch.
Flavor – Black tea has a strong crusty flavor that brings you a herbaceous feeling. Also, you should feel a floral aroma during brewing.
- Popularity
White Tea: White tea is popular in the Fujian province of China. Other places where white tea is popular include Darjeeling in India and some parts of Sri Lanka. It’s not common in western countries.
Black Tea: Unlike white tea, black tea is the most popular, taking up 90% of tea sales in the United States. It mainly comes from China and India and is common worldwide.
3 White teas to try
Hong Yu White Tea
This type of white tea has a vibrant and individualistic character that sets it apart from other white teas. Besides, it’s organic and doesn’t involve pesticides when growing.
Doke White Silver Needle
This type of white tea from India is among the best white teas and is organically prepared. It has a subtle sweetness and gives a light-yellow liquor that you feel through its aroma and taste.
Darjeeling Silver Needle
Darjeeling white tea improves digestion, especially when you feel nauseous or have stomach cramps. It comes from India and comprises bristle buds that smell of the soft air of oak wood with a subtle buttery body of sweet pea flowers and vanilla flavor.
3 Black teas to try
Assam Khagorijan
This is a robust Assam tea with a strong flavor. It grows in the Assam region of India and has strong sweet notes with a slightly spicy body.
Yunnan Golden
Yunnan Golden tea has a rich texture infusion that gives you chocolaty sweet lychee with a strong, deep malty finish. It’s delightful if you serve it straight and divine if you infuse it with sugar and milk.
Tarry Lapsang Souchong Superior
This is an improved version of Lapsang Souchong. It boasts of fine and golden tips that bring about a more subtle scent. Therefore, the infusion gives you a good balance of both smoke and scent properties.
Where to buy white & black tea
There are various places you’re sure to get the type of tea you want, whether online or physical. They include;
Tealyra (online store): Tealyra tea leaves company boasts of high-quality tea products they offer. The company has true teas of various origins and come from legitimate dealers. Besides, the company has unique blend varieties that result from innovation and the need to deliver excellence to its customers.
Tea Bloom (online store): This brand offers you a fine whole leaf tea. Besides, you can source tea accessories from their different categories.
Amazon (online store): Amazon is another option to combine tea from different vendors. Also, Amazon offers safe online shipping for your convenience. Local Store (physical): Now that you have some basics about black and white tea, you can check from the local store what varieties they have. Fortunately, you can have a short chat with the vendor and determine what categories they have in store.
