Fresh Cup Magazine

Hui Zhong's Delight
Assessing the Impact of White Tea
By Nick Obourn

As many articles and stories have related, the history of modern white tea began during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.), with Emperor Hui Zhong. He proclaimed the delicate leaf "the culmination of all that is elegant," and from that magisterial moment, white tea nestled into its honored niche as a relatively rare variety enjoyed for the most part by residents of the Fujian Province in China. "Eight years ago, there were three to five types of white teas made in the world, and 99.9 percent of them were made within a 60-square-mile region in the Wuyi Mountains. And probably 70 percent of the white teas were consumed within that same basic 100-square-mile area," says Bill Waddington, owner of St. Paul, Minn.-based TeaSource.
   Current trends, however, have brought the rare tea into the specialty market with astounding momentum. "There's a lot of customer interest in white tea, and anytime you get an upswing of customer interest, it shakes things up a bit," says Waddington. A series of studies-one by the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, another by Pace University-has created a buzz for white tea that has many touting its health benefits. The frequently cited Linus Pauling Institute study asserts that white tea is more effective than green tea and non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin or sulindac, in fighting cancerous tumors in laboratory rats.
   These studies have been delicious morsels on which the media can pick, and the resulting domino effect yielded a demand for a tea that many in the specialty tea industry were not completely ready for. There is also a degree of skepticism on the part of the specialty tea industry when it comes to scientific studies. "From everything I've learned in China, [white teas] have the same health properties as green tea, as well as a nice green oolong. My feeling: If only a fraction of what they say is true, it is still very impressive," says David Lee Hoffman, owner of Lagunitas, Calif.-based Silk Road Teas. It is quite common for these studies to be blown out of proportion by the media, as sample sizes and details of the studies are left out of the picture, inviting the cautious optimism of those like Hoffman.
   With this media attention has come the expansion of white tea's growing regions and experimentation by other tea farmers and countries to increase profits or exports. Waddington notes that this onetime rarity has "changed dramatically." White teas are now grown in Sri Lanka, Taiwan and India (historic tea areas such as Assam and Darjeeling now grow white tea).
   White tea also brings with it a certain folklore and mystique, heralded from ancient Chinese times, that has aided its growth in sales and consumption. "There is a lot of mystery surrounding white tea in this country," says Queenie Fok of Long Island City, N.Y.-based Serendipitea. There are tales of white tea being harvested by virgins in white gowns who cut the precarious leaf with golden scissors in order to present it to ancient Chinese emperors. Fascinating for its beautiful imagery, the tale has never been factually proven, but does still provide a platform for intrigue towards white tea. "I know in China, people are always intrigued [by] the little white hairs you see on the silver needles, and because so much carefulness goes into the picking and production of this tea, it was considered something for the royal quarter, the emperor's court, as a tribute tea," says Hoffman. "[The teas] were neatly packaged when they were used in tribute. They were arranged. I think the history of the tea has a lot to do with the romance and the exclusivity of these beautiful buds that the common people didn't have access to," says Hoffman. "The Chinese love telling stories, especially when they know, [for] westerners, the more dramatic it is, the more excited they become."
   The tea's pale, almost ethereal taste and pigment doesn't hurt its mysterious image either. "White tea confronts people's notion of tea," says Michael Cramer, founder of Clifton, N.J.-based Adagio Teas. "It forces them to ask, 'If I didn't know tea [could] be white, what else about this seemingly familiar product don't I know?'"

Effects of the Boom
The fact that one can go into most teahouses today and buy white tea with ease has affected the tea industry in many ways. But it is important to keep in mind that despite the proliferation of white tea, it remains a small slice of the entire specialty tea pie. "White tea accounts for a relatively small part of the overall specialty market," says Cramer. "At Adagio Teas, white varieties make up just six percent of sales. Yet this number belies white tea's impact on the industry." Its impact cannot be measured in percentages of sales. Five years ago, sales of white tea were virtually nonexistent.
   Most of today's white tea still comes from the Fujian province. In terms of quantity, the northern Fujian province is still the biggest producer. Variety is another issue though. Other countries are jumping ahead of China, growing and processing many varieties of white tea. "In terms of variety count there are probably more white teas coming from elsewhere now than from the Fujian area," says Waddington. "And that is a huge impact, to get tea estates to put on a production schedule a tea that is so incredibly labor intensive."
   This expansion of white tea brings up a highly contested subject for many in the specialty tea industry. What makes a "traditional" white tea traditional? For purists, the white tea produced outside the Fujian region is not actually white tea. Because these white teas are plucked from a different varietal of tea plant, the resulting tea is different in body, taste and color, even if processed in the same manner as white tea that comes from the Fujian Province. "I am a little biased with white teas," says Hoffman. "I have been working in that area for more than 10 years." Hoffman says a lot of people have tried to replicate white tea production in other locations and it doesn't work. "It doesn't work because the varietals are completely different. There [are] only about three varietals that they use for making white tea and they are all from Fujian Province," he says. "Not to say you can't make white tea in other places, but the taste is going to be a completely different experience than what you get from China."
   Waddington, confessing he is not a "purist," believes that the expansion of new white tea growing areas is a good thing. He believes that it marks "a phenomenal change to the core of the industry. There are some people that say, 'It can't be white tea; it's not from those two little towns, by definition.' I actually don't agree with that," he says. "There will definitely be people who disagree with me." Hoffman reinforces tea purists' reactions. "It's a very different tea. Purists would say, 'Well, these aren't white teas.' They are trying to make something from the wrong varietal." It is important to note that this idea of "traditional" does not exclusively pertain to white tea. The case can be argued for any tea or coffee associated with a specific geographical region. It is also important to note that one who is a "purist"-an inherently subjective term-is not against the expansion of white tea growing areas. As a specialty tea retailer, tea purchasing is a choice and the tea you stock should reflect your personal preferences. Though specialty tea experts may not fall on the same page when it comes to the idea of traditional, the fact remains that white teas or teas processed similarly to white teas are becoming more accessible, and that is undeniably good for the industry.
   One particular danger retailers and customers should watch for, as growing interest and growing regions expand, is the sale of white tea that is not white tea. "We travel to Asia each year, and have yet to encounter any difficulty in obtaining supplies. However, I would caution anyone to be careful in this regard, especially when dealing with brokers or intermediaries, and not directly with tea growers," says Cramer. "Just as with the teas of Darjeeling, the allure of quick riches have attracted their share of hucksters, and it is easy to find green tea being offered to unsuspecting buyers under the guise of being white." Education is the key to avoiding this. Aside from the debate over the geographical region in which the tea is grown, the processing methods will determine whether you have bought a white, green or oolong tea. The difference between a green tea and a white can be minimal and noticed only by someone who has been around tea for a long time. "There are many silver needles that look identical to the high grade [silver needles] but the taste and aroma isn't there," says Hoffman. "Other countries are experimenting with these, and now other provinces in China are playing with these, too. Mostly, they turn out as not white tea silver needles but green tea silver needles, and the green silver needles have almost the same appearance, but are produced more as a green tea than a white tea." Due to these minor differences, it is important to deal with trusted sources and know what the teas of certain locations look and taste like.

In the Shop
When green tea first began to pervade the specialty tea market, retailers found themselves facing the challenge of educating customers about this new variety. White tea follows this same pattern. "The way to prepare consumers' taste [for] white teas is by educating them," says Fok. Luckily, green tea preceded white tea, and educating customers about white tea has been easier due to green tea's presence. Many tea experts believe that an introduction to white tea through green varieties is most effective. The subtlety of some green teas can train the palate to sense the even more elusive white tea. "An appreciation of white teas is usually correlated with people's exposure to green tea," says Cramer. "Those who enjoy the latter find white teas a refreshing alternative. However, if one was to read a news story trumpeting white [tea] health benefits and decided to switch in lieu of Earl Grey, the contrast may be too stark. The reaction may be akin to 'This tastes like water.'"
   "I think it's easier to present a white tea to a customer, to be honest, who drinks a lot of green tea to begin with. I think it's much harder for a customer who drinks a lot of black teas or who drinks a lot of coffees. If you drink a lot of green tea your palate is already inclined to look for subtlety, attuned to lighter differences in flavor. Sometimes I even nudge customers in that direction," says Waddington.
   For the specialty retailer with a strong base of experienced tea drinkers, white teas are a perfect addition to a menu. They should be obtained with relative ease, thanks to expanding growing areas. The price is comparable to a fine green tea. And they can be stored for long periods of time adhering to the usual rigors of tea storage, avoiding light, air and moisture, which is especially harmful to white tea. Hoffman also says that white teas are among the easiest to steep. They can be brewed in water ranging from 160-180 degrees Fahrenheit and can steep anywhere from four-15 minutes. The essential caution with white tea is not to use water that is too hot. Water above 185 degrees Fahrenheit will singe the delicate tea and brew a bitter infusion.
   Waddington also encourages customers to search for a "tactile sensation" in white tea. "I really look for a textural quality, a physical, tactile sensation, a silkiness, a velvetiness," he says. "And you can find it in other teas, certainly some greens and some oolongs, but I look for that in almost every white tea. It's something [customers] can sense on an introduction to white tea."

Increasing Demand
Increasing sales, media attention and expanding growing regions for white tea have been good for the specialty tea industry. Clearly, it has brought specialty tea further into the mainstream.
   White tea has the ability to further what green tea began several years ago: serve as an example for the current state of tea in the world, but particularly in the tea bag-laden tea areas. Camellia sinensis, the tea plant, has a tattered past, as it has been packaged and sold in many places as a flavored or scented mixture infused from a bag into your cup. The irony that white tea, the truest and most unaltered form of tea available, is regarded with almost supernatural praise is lost on the majority of tea drinkers. So it can be said that white tea is, in essence, bringing tea drinkers in the tea bag world back to the drawing board.
   As far as the future of white tea, Hoffman believes "the public will be more demanding. It's more the obligation of the importers and the wholesalers to make sure that their customers get a good quality white tea."

Nick Obourn is the associate editor of Fresh Cup. He can be reached at nick@freshcup.com.