Exotic

White tea undergoes minimal processing: withering and drying. Hence the pale infusion and the delicate taste.

Ingredients: exotic fruit. In the cup this reads as a juicy tropical sweetness. The aromatic and fruit components are laid over the tea base rather than replacing it: the tea character remains dominant in the cup.

White tea contains little caffeine, and its effect is gentle.

Preparation: 12–15 g per litre, 2–3 minutes, water at 80 °C. White tea is the most delicately processed of all; boiling water burns off its floral top note. The optimum is 80 °C and a short steep.

The quantities given are averages. Soft water calls for slightly more tea, hard water slightly less.

In retail it is an everyday purchase; in hospitality it is valued because it can be served both in a pot and cold. The one requirement for staff: do not use boiling water.

Storage: in a tightly sealed opaque container, away from light, moisture and strong odours. Tea readily absorbs foreign aromas, so it should not be kept next to spices or coffee.

Packaging: sold loose, the price is given per 100 g. Alveus supplier code — 84005.

The supplier is Alveus (Germany), one of Europe’s largest tea houses. Packing and dispatch from the Verdamare warehouse.