“White tea contains a fairly large amount of antioxidants, compared with Black tea or Green tea. The high concentration of antioxidants provides a higher health value to White tea.”
Dilhan Fernando, Marketing Director, Dilmah Tea, A producer of “Ceylon tea”, Sri Lanka.

White tea is a product of evergreen tea plant Camellia sinensis, which produces traditional Black tea, Green tea and Oolong tea. White tea is rare & highly priced in view of the expertise, patience and effort required in the process of production. Subtle & sophisticated in aroma & taste, the product of White tea is manufactured manually: the beverage is enjoyed in its pure form without flavors. White tea is of higher concentration of antioxidants than Black tea as well as Green tea.

Excellence has no limits
According to the Chinese legends since the discovery of Black tea in China 5000 years ago, Chinese emperors unwilling to be satisfied with the numerous medicinal qualities of the beverage & steeped in the concept “Excellence Has No Limit” had become obsessed with producing the “most perfect tea”. The legends have woven around virgins dressed in white clothes cutting tea buds with golden scissors. Obsession of Chinese emperor Hui Zong (1105 -1125 AD) of Song Dynasty, one of the most famous imperial patrons of art, history, and ceramics is said to have resulted in loss of much of his empire. He has been credited with the development of many white teas including “Palace Jade Sprout” and “Silver Silk Water Sprout.” Since then for many centuries, White tea has been the premier luxury drink consumed by the Chinese royalists & nobility. In China, select varieties of the tea plant were developed for White tea in the year 1885.
Today White tea has become the most exclusive & most highly priced variety of tea: a luxury.

White tea is a luxury, a rarity and a medication.
The luxuries that carry health benefits to the human race are rarities. White tea stands out as such a rarity. The Superior means of manual cultivation & harvesting result in higher concentrations of flavonid (antioxidant) in White tea in comparison with Black tea & Green tea. Furthermore, White tea contains more of Amino acid (the building blocks of proteins) -Theanine that reduce mental and physical stress, and improves cognition and mood in comparison with Black tea & Green tea.

White tea producers
White tea is found in many varieties from the diverse area of Asia. White tea is produced in Central Highlands of Sri Lanka, Fujian Province of China & Darjeeling area of India.

White tea branded Silver tips (Ceylon White Tea) from Sri Lanka
The producer of “Ceylon tea”, the finest Black tea in the world, Indian ocean tropical island of Sri Lanka has also been a reputed producer of White tea of superior quality. Ceylon White tea branded & marketed “Silver tips” was first grown at Nuwara Eliya (2200 -2500 meters) near Adam’s Peak of Sri Lanka.
Silver tips, Ceylon White tea of Sri Lanka are manufactured solely of tender buds of the clone TRI 2043 of the tea plant Camellia sinensis. The selected tea bushes are tended for several years prior to yield of first harvest. White tea can only be picked for a short period each year, then again that too is when there is no rain: early spring provides the finest white tea.
The velvet-like Buds of the tea clone, the leaves that aren’t yet opened up carries a fine white hair (fuzz) that emits a faint silver glow lending the name White tea. The brew is of a slight golden tinge similar to white wine; the liquor to your pallet is delicious, delicate, & subtle. It is a premium light tea: its price tag is heavy. White tea is a luxury, a luxury with a high value.

Virgin buds: untouched tea
Unlike Black tea and Green tea, the bud is the one and only part of the tea plant picked to produce White tea. The buds are handpicked from select tea bushes just prior to the crack of dawn, carefully deposited in pouches made of raw silk so as to shield the yield from sunlight direct, well thinned out over trays made of bamboo, overlaid with black flannels, dried under the watchful eye of a Sri Lankan tea maker & then lightly baked.

Here lands the hardest part: It’s all in the “No Hands” Process. Human body mustn’t make contact with the buds at any point of the process of production. The reason being once the buds are exposed to the human touch, the fermentation takes over resulting in loss of silvery hair of the buds. No silver hair on the buds; no White tea.

Such is the process, it takes four kilograms of fresh buds to produce one kilogram of Silver tips. The total production of White tea in Sri Lanka is only 1500 kg per year. Such is the great effort taken in production of White tea in Sri Lanka, in the end cost goes up to USD 200 per 1 kg.
The product, in you hand, is golden coppery & velvet like; the beverage in your cup is tinged with yellow; the liquor to your pallet is delicate & subtle. It is a premium light tea: its price tag is heavy.

Ceylon White Tea branded Silver tips is produced by Dilmah of Sri Lanka, the tea planters & international tea marketers.

White tea has the highest antioxidant levels over Black tea, Green tea & Oolong tea.

During the conversion of nutrients into energy by the cells, a by product called Free radicals is created. In turn, the Free radicals react against the cells of the human body resulting in numerous diseases & ailments, the worst among these being cancer & heart diseases. Free radicals are absorbed & weakened by the Antioxidants. The capacity of human body to generate its own antioxidants being limited, for good heath, a continuous supply of strong antioxidants by means of good food habits is an essential requirement. Good food habits should be developed and practiced throughout the lifetime.

Vegetables, fruits, red wine, chocolate, coffee & tea contain Antioxidants. Tea is rich in antioxidants known as catechins also called polyphenols. Tea & Coffee are sources of Catechins in the human diet. White tea, the least processed tea, compared to Black tea, Green tea & Oolong tea is said to have the highest concentration of antioxidants.