White Tea
The most delicate of all tea types, white tea is made from young buds and minimal processing. Its flavours — soft, floral, sometimes honey-like — are easily overwhelmed. Patience and restraint are the two tools you need here.
Use the softest water you can
White tea is so delicate that heavily chlorinated or hard tap water can mask its nuance. Filtered or spring water is ideal. The cleaner the water, the cleaner the cup.
Heat to 75–85°C — never boil
Bring your kettle to just below boiling and let it rest off the heat for a few minutes. White tea leaves are fragile; excessive heat destroys the subtle top notes that make them remarkable.
Use a generous amount of leaf
White tea leaves are large and airy, so use about 2 teaspoons per cup. They may look like a lot in the infuser — that's normal. The buds are fluffy and will unfurl beautifully as they steep.
Steep gently for 2–5 minutes
Pour water gently over the leaves and steep uncovered for 2–5 minutes. Taste at the 2-minute mark. The liquor will be pale golden — don't be fooled by the colour; the flavour is there.
Re-steep several times
White tea rewards patience with multiple steeps. Each infusion reveals a slightly different character — the first might be floral, the second more honeyed. Increase steeping time by 1 minute per round.