White tea, a specialty of the Chinese province Fujian is becoming popular nowadays market researchers predict that very soon white tea will replace green tea as the most popular healthy beverage. Green tea and White tea has both gone very little processing and no fermentation, but people who have tried green and white tea said that white tea lacks the "grassy" aftertaste so often associated with green tea.

What is White tea? White tea is the least processed variety of tea, and its leaves are harvested when they are still very young (before the leaves open fully and when the buds are still covered by fine white hair), therefore its concentration of antioxidants (chemical compounds that absorb and destroy other compounds known as free radicals) is practically the same as the leaves that are still on the bush. After harvesting, the leaves are steamed or fried to prevent oxidation, and then dried.

Difference of white tea, green tea, oolong tea and black tea: The white, green, oolong and black tea all came from Camellia sinensis plant, the difference is the maturity of the leaves and buds when it is harvested and the processing method. White tea is made from young buds and leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant while the green, oolong and black tea is made from mature leaves. Green tea are not fermented, but merely withered in hot air and quickly steamed or pan-fried. A gentle rolling and final heating stabilizes the tea's natural flavors. Oolong teas processing method fall somewhere in the middle, partial fermentation gives them a distinct reddish color and a "flowery" flavor. Black tea derives its dark color and full flavor from a complex fermentation process that includes exposing crushed tea leaves to the air for a strictly defined number of minutes. The fermentation process of black tea oxidizes many of the compounds found in white and green tea.

Health Benefits of White Tea:

• White tea contains more catechins or polyphenols, the powerful anti-oxidant that fights and kills cancer-causing cells, than any other type of tea. Catechins are also present in vegetables, red wine, chocolate and coffee.
• White tea when compared to green tea showed that white tea has more anti-viral and anti-bacterial qualities than green tea.
• White tea has less caffeine than the other varieties (15mg per serving, compared to 40 mg for black tea and 20 mg for green tea).
• Green and white tea have been shown to help promote healthy cell regeneration
• While green and white tea both have about the same amounts of EGCG, white tea has more gallic acid, theobromine, and ECG. The EGCG in white and green tea helps boost metabolism and can help burned calories.
• White is rich in fluoride which helps prevent the growth of dental plaque, the chief cause of tooth decay.
• The antioxidant in white tea can help prevent premature aging.
• White tea can also help improve digestion and protect against ulcers, strokes and diabetes.

How to Brew White tea: For every 2.25 grams of tea add 6 ounces of water, or about 1.5 teaspoons of white tea per cup, should be used. White teas should be prepared with 180°F water (not boiling) and steeped 4-5 minutes.