Some pages, such as, claim white tea is steamed, and sometimes fermented (oxidized).
Other pages, such as, don't claim that it is steamed, but instead claim that it is withered and sun-dried.
It is clear that the distinctive character of white tea is the silver needles, however these hairs are found on other teas such as golden needle Yunnan. It is not clear that one can conclude that white tea is chemically different from green tea based upon the analysis of a single white tea and a single green tea from one vendor in a single test, as in the citation of Santana-Rios et al (Mutat Res 495 61-74 2001). Catechin levels in tea plants vary widely and a subject to variation in clone, light, weather, age, fertilizer, etc. It sounds and smells like marketing speak. One cannot tell if a given tea is "white tea" because no definitive test is asserted.
It is my opinion that white tea should be merged with green tea, unless it can be shown that there is a distinctive test, such as a golden appearance to the leaf (versus green, such as found on pai mu tan) is the distinctive charaterization, and can show that a single processing variation (be it shading, which would possible lower chlorophyll production and impart yellow; or steaming, which would freeze the enzymes; or withering and sun-drying, which would potentially also convert green to yellow) is the distinctive difference between silver needle white teas and other teas which have silver or gold needles.
Also, if the argument be made that say, only Fujian tea can be white, then a scientific classification must be showing how the soil, growing conditions, or plant clonal variety is specific to the region, or else the distinction is a legalistic one, such as a Beaujolais or Champagne appellation. This should be stated.
MatthewEHarbowy 19:30, 14 January 2007 (UTC)
Any site that claims the white tea is fermented has obviously lost it. According to several papers (cited before my sig) white tea differs from green because it lacks a rolling/shaping stage; similar to the rolling process that black tea undergoes, but after the pan frying.
Finally dissecting up food and beverages can be a tricky. Wine is an interesting example because it has become so formal in the last 80 years since the Appellation d'origine contrôlée; before that such definitions were in the hands of the winemaking and the consumer. Without that formal guidelines you just have to accept the definition, i.e. some Huang Guanyin/Iron Goddess of Mercy teas seems very much like a green tea in appearance and taste, and Bi Luo Chun seems like a white tea. I would say white tea deserves it's own page from green tea, as Oolong deserves its own page from black tea. Each of those pair is similar, and can produce teas similar to each other (and some Oolongs seem very much like green teas too), but they are each their own.
British Journal of Pharmacology (2005) 145, 926–933. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706255; published online 16 May 2005 Heteroactivation of cytochrome P450 1A1 by teas and tea polyphenols Dana L Anger, Maria-Alexandra Petre and Denis J Crankshaw
Inhibition of β-catenin/Tcf activity by white tea, green tea, and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG): minor contribution of H2O2 at physiologically relevant EGCG concentrations Wan-Mohaiza Dashwooda, Gayle A. Ornera and Roderick H. Dashwood Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications Volume 296, Issue 3, 23 August 2002, Pages 584-588
Potent antimutagenic activity of white tea in comparison with green tea in the Salmonella assay Gilberto Santana-Riosa, Gayle A. Ornera, Adams Amantanaa, Cynthia Provostb, Shiau-Yin Wuc and Roderick H. Dashwood Mutation Research/Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis Volume 495, Issues 1-2, 22 August 2001, Pages 61-74
Other pages, such as, don't claim that it is steamed, but instead claim that it is withered and sun-dried.
It is clear that the distinctive character of white tea is the silver needles, however these hairs are found on other teas such as golden needle Yunnan. It is not clear that one can conclude that white tea is chemically different from green tea based upon the analysis of a single white tea and a single green tea from one vendor in a single test, as in the citation of Santana-Rios et al (Mutat Res 495 61-74 2001). Catechin levels in tea plants vary widely and a subject to variation in clone, light, weather, age, fertilizer, etc. It sounds and smells like marketing speak. One cannot tell if a given tea is "white tea" because no definitive test is asserted.
It is my opinion that white tea should be merged with green tea, unless it can be shown that there is a distinctive test, such as a golden appearance to the leaf (versus green, such as found on pai mu tan) is the distinctive charaterization, and can show that a single processing variation (be it shading, which would possible lower chlorophyll production and impart yellow; or steaming, which would freeze the enzymes; or withering and sun-drying, which would potentially also convert green to yellow) is the distinctive difference between silver needle white teas and other teas which have silver or gold needles.
Also, if the argument be made that say, only Fujian tea can be white, then a scientific classification must be showing how the soil, growing conditions, or plant clonal variety is specific to the region, or else the distinction is a legalistic one, such as a Beaujolais or Champagne appellation. This should be stated.
MatthewEHarbowy 19:30, 14 January 2007 (UTC)
Any site that claims the white tea is fermented has obviously lost it. According to several papers (cited before my sig) white tea differs from green because it lacks a rolling/shaping stage; similar to the rolling process that black tea undergoes, but after the pan frying.
Finally dissecting up food and beverages can be a tricky. Wine is an interesting example because it has become so formal in the last 80 years since the Appellation d'origine contrôlée; before that such definitions were in the hands of the winemaking and the consumer. Without that formal guidelines you just have to accept the definition, i.e. some Huang Guanyin/Iron Goddess of Mercy teas seems very much like a green tea in appearance and taste, and Bi Luo Chun seems like a white tea. I would say white tea deserves it's own page from green tea, as Oolong deserves its own page from black tea. Each of those pair is similar, and can produce teas similar to each other (and some Oolongs seem very much like green teas too), but they are each their own.
British Journal of Pharmacology (2005) 145, 926–933. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706255; published online 16 May 2005 Heteroactivation of cytochrome P450 1A1 by teas and tea polyphenols Dana L Anger, Maria-Alexandra Petre and Denis J Crankshaw
Inhibition of β-catenin/Tcf activity by white tea, green tea, and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG): minor contribution of H2O2 at physiologically relevant EGCG concentrations Wan-Mohaiza Dashwooda, Gayle A. Ornera and Roderick H. Dashwood Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications Volume 296, Issue 3, 23 August 2002, Pages 584-588
Potent antimutagenic activity of white tea in comparison with green tea in the Salmonella assay Gilberto Santana-Riosa, Gayle A. Ornera, Adams Amantanaa, Cynthia Provostb, Shiau-Yin Wuc and Roderick H. Dashwood Mutation Research/Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis Volume 495, Issues 1-2, 22 August 2001, Pages 61-74
