How to Brew White Tea

Co-authored by Tami Claytor

Last Updated: November 5, 2024 Approved

White tea is a mild, sweet and fresh tea, that comes from a very healthy and rarer variety of the same plant as green tea (Camellia sinensis). It is produced mainly in the Fujian province of China and only consists of the most tender leaf buds that are covered in silvery, down-covered hairs.^{[1]
X
Research source
t leaf, White Tea, Information sheet} These leaves can only be picked during 3 days of every year in early spring.

Containing up to three times as many antioxidants as green tea, this least-processed tea is the healthiest tea of all teas.^{[2]
X
Research source} It has a mild and sweet flavor that is velvet-like in smoothness, and has none of the grass-like flavors some green teas can produce. Follow the steps below to make sure your white tea retains all its fine qualities while brewing.

1

Purchase your white tea.

Download Article

Choose a high-quality tea. White tea is far more expensive than any other tea, so it's not likely you'll be consuming it daily, but the price is worth it for weekend treats or other special occasions. Considering that you're spending a lot, though, it's important to ensure that you're getting the best quality possible.
- White tea has two versions: a traditional budget white tea (Fujian Silver Needle, Anhui, etc.) and a modern new style leaf white tea. They are not interchangeable and appear very different.^{[3]
 X
 Research source}
- White tea comes in several varieties, and they can differ significantly in price. Silver tip, jasmine silver tips, pai mu tan (white peony) and silver needle are the best varieties,^{[4]
 X
 Research source
 t leaf, White Tea, Information sheet} and they are often also the most popular. You may even need to place an order with your local tea store to ensure that you get a supply each spring.
- If you're new to white tea, a good way to start is to buy a sampler kit from an online vendor. That way, you can try small amounts of several varieties to find your favorites.
- White tea can be bought as loose leaves or as teabags. However, if the container is opaque and if there is a lack of labeling, be careful as you might get leaf when all you wanted was buds, etc.
- Be sure to shop around to get the best deal possible. Since white tea is still relatively scarce, shopping online may be your best option.

2

Make sure your white tea is fresh.

Download Article

Ask the vendor to ensure that you're buying the most recent harvest, from the most recent northern hemisphere spring. Make sure that the tea you buy is packed in as airtight a container as possible. Keep it dry, cool, and dark to prevent oxidation. White tea doesn't keep for years like black tea does; it must be consumed within six months of purchase.

3

Heat some good quality water.

Download Article

Heat water to boiling, then let it cool for 5 to 8 minutes. Alternatively, only boil the water to "first boil". This is when the water begins to boil but has not yet begin to simmer. The temperature at this stage will be 160ºF (71ºC). Bitter brews come from too high a temperature of water on green tea; prefer a longer steeping time at a cooler temperature instead.
- If you live in an area with hard water, filter it before you use it to brew. Hard water may ruin white tea, which has very delicate flavors.
- Test the water temperature. Before adding the boiled water to the white tea, it should be no more than 158ºF to 167ºF (70ºC to 75ºC) or 160-170ºF (71-77ºC) at the most.^{[5]
 X
 Research source
 t leaf, White Tea, Information sheet}^{[6]
 X
 Research source}
- If the water is too hot, the tea will be scalded, causing it to become bitter and astringent.

4

Steep the tea.

Download Article

Add 2 teaspoons of white tea leaves per cup.^{[7]
X
Research source
t leaf, White Tea, Information sheet} Place the tea leaves into a tea infuser basket, a tea ball, or a teapot. White tea leaves can withstand longer infusion times than other tea types before pouring. It is usual to steep for 7 to 10 minutes.^{[8]
X
Research source
t leaf, White Tea, Information sheet} However, you may wish to experiment with a short steep initially (1 to 3 minutes) and then to graduate to longer steeping times to find the steeping length you prefer.
- Use the same leaves for steeping several cups of white tea, with steeping times increasing as needed. Some sources recommend a 90 second to 2 minute steeping if you intend on steeping the leaves several times.^{[9]
 X
 Research source}

5

Pour the tea.

Download Article

White tea should be served as it is, unadulterated. You may choose to pour milk or sugar in the white tea, but the already subtle flavor of the tea will be drowned out.

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question

Can I reuse the tea leaves after a single brewing?

Community Answer

Yes, but your tea will be weaker with used leaves.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 2 Helpful 11
Question

What does "only boil the water to 'first boil'. This is when the water begins to boil but has not yet begin to simmer" mean?

Community Answer

When you can see bubbles rising from the bottom of the water up and breaking the surface, but you don't see the surface of the water moving much from the heat yet.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 5 Helpful 10
Question

Can I add sugar to white tea?

Community Answer

As with any tea, you can add whatever you would like it to taste like. Sugar would be fine.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 9 Helpful 9

See more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Video

Tips

Traditional budset white tea is so expensive because it is made exclusively from a select picking of plump spring buds, of which 10,000 handpicked ones result in 2.2 pounds (1 kilo) of the tea.^{[10]
X
Research source}

Thanks
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
White tea has been shown to block DNA mutations which trigger tumor formation.^{[11]
X
Research source}

Thanks
Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
Only use fresh water for tea, not water that has been sitting in the kettle for days. Fresh water makes the tea taste better.

Thanks
Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0

Show More Tips

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Warnings

Do not pour boiling water onto white loose leaf tea. Doing so will scald and damage the leaves. White tea leaves are among the most delicate types of tea.

Thanks
Helpful 19 Not Helpful 10