Tea is one of the most preferred beverages in India. The entire northern, north-eastern, and the Ghats are the major areas with tea gardens and farms. The cultivation that is done in India has made it one of the largest tea-producing countries. Moreover, the variations of the places, soil, and climate have introduced varieties in the tea types found in the country.
Today, rather than focusing on the various varieties of tea, we will focus on the two newest and trendiest varieties of tea. Our main center of discussion will be to provide you with enough knowledge about white tea vs green tea– the two most widely used tea varieties by beverage lovers. So, let’s get started!
Table of Contents
What is green tea?
Green tea is one of the most popular varieties of tea loved all over the world. The tea is originally derived from Camellia sinensis- a particular variety of tea plants where the buds and the leaves don’t undergo the withering and oxidation process. This is why when you dissolve the tea in water, the color of the liquid will turn a yellowish-green which is indeed the original color of the Sinensis plant.
Before we start discussing white tea vs green tea, you need to know some of the popular types of green tea that are found in the market.
1. Sencha
The leaves are collected fresh, right after the first or the second flush, making the bulk full of young leaves. After the leaves are dried, they are rolled into thin sheets, thereby giving them a needle-like structure.
2. Tencha
Here, the leaves are removed from the open field just three weeks before the harvest time. The leaves are then steamed, dried, and cleared of stems. Tencha leaves aren’t rolled after they are cultivated from the farms. Often it is grounded into a powdered form known as Matcha tea.
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Don’t like the taste of green tea? Try these flavored green teas.
What is white tea?
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Well, this is considered the newest form of tea that has been introduced to the world. There is no such record regarding the production, harvest, and the cultivation of the white tea. But yes, it is believed that Sinensis leaves are cultivated during the time of no oxidation. Since the buds and the leaves don’t undergo oxidation even by a percent, the leaves are almost white in color. When you will brew this tea, the beverage will have a pale yellow color, with varying intensity.
There are four main varieties of white tea. The unopened buds which are collected at the time of harvest result in the variations of the tea.
1. Silver needle
These are made from the buds which have small silvery-white hairs covering the exterior surface. It is said to be the finest variety and hence is preferred all over the world.
2. White peony
Here, you will find both the leaves and the buds, and hence the color of this tea variety is slightly darker.
3. Long-life eyebrow
This particular variety is made from the leftover silvery-white Sinensis leaves and hence is of low quality.
4. Tribute eyebrows
It is harvested and processed differently – the facts of which are still not known.
White Tea Vs Green Tea: In Depth Comparison
Comparison of white tea vs green tea can become quite argumentative because some will say that the former is better while for some, the latter variety is the best. So, rather than looking at their arguments, we think it will be best if you decide the answer on your own.
But, you won’t be able to answer the question without knowing every fact about both the varieties of the tea. So, without wasting any more time, let’s get started!
1. Benefits
When you are discussing about white tea vs green tea, you ought to know the benefits of each of the tea types.
1.1 Benefits of Green Tea
Well, in this section, we will discuss the benefits of green tea first.
- Green tea is rich in bioactive components, such as polyphenols and epigallocatechin-3-gallate. These bioactive compounds reduce the episodes of inflammation, increase the number of free radicals in the blood, and the chances of mutations in the cells.
- It is said that white green tea has some properties that can help in improving the brain’s activity. The compounds present in the variety enhance the neural coordination, thereby activating your brain’s nerves faster.
- If you are carefully drawing a comparison of white tea vs green tea, you will understand that the latter is preferred by people who want to lose weight. The components of the tea boost the metabolic rate of the body, thereby increasing the fat burning process.
- There are antioxidants in green tea. The presence of this particular component will help your body to fight off cancerous and mutagenic substances, thereby reducing the chances of this deadly disease.
- Neurons in your brain can get inactive and are rendered useless with aging. An increase in the free radical number hastens this process, thereby decreasing your brain’s activity. Green tea helps in restoring the normal functioning of these neurons by inhibiting the aging of the nerves.
- It is suggested that green tea can effectively reduce the risks and symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes in people who are at greater risk of getting this disease.
- The active components present in green tea helps in reducing the risks to your cardiovascular system.
1.2 Benefits of White Tea
The next thing to know about the study of white tea vs green tea is the list of benefits of the former Sinensis variety. So, let’s have a look!
- Both green and white tea have a lot of antioxidants in the leaves and the buds. These antioxidants actually help a lot in maintaining the proper functioning of the body and the various organ systems.
- The caffeine amount in white tea is very less which makes it good for people who are caffeine intolerant.
- White tea can reduce the risks of cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks, increased blood pressure, and so on.
- It’s not proven yet but yes, there are chances that white tea can help in reducing body weight. The finest qualities of the white tea will help your body to have faster metabolism of the stored fat, thereby decreasing your body weight.
- In the study of white tea vs green tea, the best variety for protecting your teeth will be white tea. It is rich in fluorides which will help your teeth to stay healthy and strong. Also, the tannins in the tea will help to keep the teeth whitened and prevent the paling of the enamel.
- Studies have shown that including white tea regularly in your diet will help your body to fight off osteoporosis- a bone disease where the skeletal system loses its strength and becomes fragile.
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Apart from these two teas, you can also try black tea. Find out which is healthier: green tea or black tea?
2. Processing
The second difference between white tea and green tea is in the way of processing. As you know both are derived from the Sinensis plant- the mother flora of all the tea varieties. Now, the difference occurs at the time of processing the harvested leaves and buds in the factories.
2.1 Processing of Green Tea
Green tea is cultivated right after the first or the second flush. As a result, the buds are opened and the leaves are young with vibrant green color. When they are processed, the leaves and the buds are subjected to a little amount of fermentation which concentrates the color of the leaves.
2.2 Processing of White Tea
On the other hand, white tea is made from unopened buds and silvery-white leaves which grow on the plants at an early stage. After the harvest, they aren’t fermented. Rather the buds and the leaves are steamed and then they are dried under the sun.
3. Taste And Color
The next fact about both the tea varieties that you need to know is regarding the taste and the color.
3.1 Taste and Color of Green Tea
Since green tea is fermented for some time, the taste of the beverage is slightly bitter. Even though the tea isn’t bitter or strong like the black tea, it will leave your taste buds inactive for a few seconds in case you are trying it for the first time.
The color of the beverage is green or pale green which is due to the fact the green and young leaves are used to prepare the tea.
3.2 Taste and Color of White Tea
White tea is steamed and hence no fermentation takes place. As a result, the taste of the tea is almost sweet and the beverage isn’t intense like green or the black tea.
Also, because silvery-white leaves and buds are harvested for the manufacturing of this white tea, the color of the beverage is almost pale silver or pale yellow.
4. Antioxidants
The original Sinensis plant is rich in antioxidants and other bioactive components.
4.1 Antioxidants in Green Tea
Comparatively, green tea has fewer antioxidants than white tea.
4.2 Antioxidants in White Tea
In white tea, the amount of these antioxidants is much higher than that of green tea. This is why some people prefer white tea over the other one since the health benefits of the bioactive components are more pronounced and effective for white tea.
5. Caffeine Content
Sinensis has caffeine content in it without a doubt. However, this concentration of caffeine is increased by the process of oxidation of the tea leaves and the buds. That’s where the difference between the white and the green tea can be noted.
5.1 Caffeine Content in Green Tea
Green tea leaves and buds are subjected to oxidation for a couple of hours or at the most, two days. This concentrates the caffeine only by a bit. The normal level of the component in one cup of tea is 8 to 30 milligrams.
5.2 Caffeine Content in White Tea
White tea, on the other hand, isn’t subjected to any kind of fermentation or oxidation. This is why the caffeine content of the tea is nearly similar to that of the original Sinensis plant- six to twenty milligrams a cup.
6. Varieties
Another base to justify the arguments for white tea vs green tea is based on the available varieties of both the tea types.
6.1 Green Tea Variants
Green tea can be classified into multiple types based on its color, structure, and so on. For instance, some of the famous varieties are Gyokuro, Genmaicha, Biluochun, and so on.
6.2 White Tea Variants
White tea originally has four main varieties namely silver needle, white peony, long life eyebrow, and tribute eyebrow.
7. Brewing
The last point of discussion regarding the difference between white and green tea will be based on brewing techniques and time.
7.1 How to brew green tea?
For green tea, you cannot heat the water to such a high temperature. It will be best if you keep the temperature around a hundred and fifty degrees Fahrenheit. The steeping time for the green tea is usually forty-five to sixty seconds in the eastern brewing methods.
7.2 How to brew white tea?
As per the eastern brewing methods, you will need the hot water at a temperature of a hundred and ninety-four degrees Fahrenheit. Also, the steeping time for white tea is usually twenty to thirty seconds.
8. Availability
Finally, let’s look at how easily one can find these teas.
8.1 Popular Green Tea Brands
The next thing to know is the popular brands of green tea that you can try in India.
- Typhoo
- Organic India
- Lipton green tea
- LaPlant green tea
- Twinings Green Tea
- Himalaya Green Tea
- Tetley green tea
- Taj Mahal green tea
The best part about these brands is that you will get multiple flavors of the green tea, starting from the natural flavor to lemon and even blueberry flavors.
8.2 Popular White Tea Brands
Lastly, you need to know about the popular brands of white tea that you can find in the market. So, let’s have a look!
- Tealyra
- Triple leaf tea
- Prince of Peace
- Numi
- Uncle Lee’s Tea
- Harney & Sons
Which is costlier- white tea or green tea?
We cannot leave the discussion of white tea vs green tea without discussing the cost of both the varieties. Now, green tea is actually a bit cheaper as compared to white tea. There are reasons for the cost difference, like:
- Green tea is harvested after the buds and the leaves flush. This means that the plucking of these components won’t require too much labor. But, in the case of white tea, the unopened silvery-white buds are plucked which does require a lot of labor work.
- Also, the cost of production has to be considered for both tea varieties. One kilogram of green tea leaves will produce around twenty-two grams of green tea. But, the same can’t be said about the white tea buds and leaves. As a result, the cost increases.
Frequently Asked Questions
After a comprehensive comparison between both the tea, we have answered the most asked questions by our readers.
1. Which is better: white tea or green tea?
Both the teas are healthier. They have lots of health benefits. Though white tea has more antioxidants than green tea. The health benefits of the bioactive components are more pronounced and effective for white tea.
2. How long do you brew white tea?
White tea takes less time to brew than green tea. Add white tea to the hot water, temperature ranging between 85 to 90 degrees celsius. Then, let it brew for half a minute or so.
3. Do you put milk in white tea?
Just like green tea, white tea tastes best without milk. White tea has a mild and delicate flavor that doesn’t require the addition of milk.
White Tea Vs Green Tea – Verdict
The long-awaited discussion about white tea vs green tea has finally come to an end. Here, not only you have got an idea about the individual tea types but also you have come to know what the differences between the two types are.
Green tea and white tea are quite close to each other in terms of health benefits and features. However, the fermentation process of green tea is what introduces most of the differences between these two tea types. So, when you will choose one for your beverage list, make sure you are certain about your choice.