White tea is a slightly oxidized tea (less than 8 percent). The leaves used for white tea are harvested by hand in early spring and consist of either only top buds of an emerging leaf or buds and two emerged leaves next to it.
During the processing the tea leaves are withered and dried, but no firing, heating, or rolling is applied. The flavor of white tea is exceptionally mild, with a light, almost honey-like sweetness, and a dilute finish. Though it’s called white, the color of its liquor is not white but pale-yellow.
Among famous white teas are Bai Hao Yin Zhen (White Hair Silver Needle) which consist exclusively of buds, and Bai Mudan (White Peony) that contains both buds and large leaves.