A Different Way to Enjoy White Tea: Surprising and Practical Ideas

Did you know that white tea brewed with cold water has a completely different flavor from white tea brewed with hot water? In this article, we introduce ways to enjoy white tea using cold brewing and its applications.

White Tea Without Pan-Frying Processing Retains Enzymes

The defining characteristic of white tea is that it undergoes no pan-frying processing during production. Pan-frying is the process of applying heat to deactivate enzymes in tea leaves. Since enzymes are proteins, they lose their activity when heated. Tea contains enzymes, including polyphenol oxidase, that act on the polyphenols in tea. In the tea industry and food science, this enzymatic reaction is also called "fermentation." In green tea production, pan-frying is performed first to deactivate the enzymes, which preserves the green color and fresh flavor. Similarly, oolong tea and black tea undergo pan-frying once the desired level of enzymatic fermentation is achieved, locking in a specific flavor profile. In contrast, white tea production involves no pan-frying processing from start to finish. When withering is done at low temperatures (a process where leaves gradually wilt and moisture evaporates), the loss of moisture slowly activates hydrolytic enzymes (terpene glycoside-cleaving enzymes), creating the distinctive floral aroma of white tea. Withering continues until the tea leaves dry out and moisture content drops below 10%, at which point low moisture levels prevent enzyme activation.

White Tea Has Different Flavors When Cold-Brewed vs Hot-Brewed

Because white tea retains active enzymes, when white tea is brewed with hot water, the enzymes in the tea leaves are activated by heat and moisture, causing enzymatic fermentation of the tea leaves. When brewing tea, boiling water is poured over the leaves, which might suggest that enzymes are instantly deactivated. However, in reality, the core temperature of the tea stems rises slowly. Therefore, when white tea is brewed for the first and second infusions, the color of the tea leaves gradually changes from yellow-green to beige. Along with this change, the flavor also shifts from the vibrant floral notes with top notes in the first infusion to a more subdued fruity flavor in later infusions. This gradual change in flavor during brewing is a characteristic of white tea. Conversely, cold brewing takes advantage of this characteristic of white tea. During cold brewing, the water temperature is low, so the enzymes in white tea are barely activated. Particularly when using cold water chilled in the refrigerator, enzymes are less likely to activate, allowing the fresh flavor of white tea to be extracted. White tea brewed with cold water maintains a vivid green color in the spent leaves even after long steeping, and has a distinctly different flavor from hot-brewed white tea. Cold-brewed white tea features a brilliant fusion of refreshing sweet flavors like shiso leaves, citrus notes, and sweet floral notes, characterized by intense flavor with top notes. Because of its extremely fresh flavor, cold-brewed white tea might be better described as tea juice rather than simply tea. Spent leaves after overnight steeping: They maintain a vivid green color. It would be wasteful to discard these leaves immediately, so I continue to enjoy several more infusions with hot water.

How to Enjoy Cold-Brewed Flavor with Hot Tea

As mentioned above, cold-brewed white tea offers a unique flavor, but there is actually a method to enjoy this cold-brewed flavor with hot water. The procedure involves diluting concentrated cold-brewed white tea with boiling water. By adding approximately 80 to 90% hot water to 10 to 20% white tea concentrate, you can create tea that is as hot as freshly brewed tea. Using this technique, you can enjoy hot tea while preserving the distinctive flavor extracted through cold brewing. Diluting this amount of cold-brew concentrate with hot water produces the right concentration. The key point of this method is to use a small amount of water for cold brewing. For example, steep 5g in approximately 100ml to 200ml of water. The steeping time should ideally be several hours or more. I prepare it before going to bed at night and let it steep overnight until morning. An important point is to use water that is as cold as possible, because enzymes in the tea leaves become activated when water temperature rises. Also, using cooled boiled water for cold brewing produces much stronger flavor than using raw water. Avoid extracting in places where light hits the tea, as light causes degradation of components.

Various Applications of Concentrated Cold-Brewed White Tea

If you extract white tea in concentrated form and store the liquid, you can apply it to various ways of enjoyment. In summer, when you want to drink it cold, dilute it with water. Also, since white tea pairs well with carbonated water, diluting the concentrate with carbonated water is an interesting option. Other applications such as mixing with shochu are also recommended. You can chill only the cold-brewed white tea concentrate, bring it to work, and dilute small amounts with hot water to enjoy white tea that tastes freshly brewed even at the office. While making cold brew takes some time, it will keep for several days when stored in the refrigerator. Our shop carries many white teas, but for cold brewing, teas with particularly distinctive characteristics include Ancient Tree White Tea, Ancient Tree White Peony, and Daxue Mountain Wild White Tea.

For more on how white tea is made, its types, and how to brew and age it, see What Is White Tea?.