White tea is the most subtle of all the varieties of tea, using only the newest tea leaves from each bush with a minimal amount of processing. Considered by some connoisseurs to be the height of gourmet tea, white tea is just beginning to make an impact on Western culture.
In the finest white teas, only the unopened buds – still covered by fine white hair – are hand-plucked and harvested. In others, the newest leaves are plucked just after opening. The fine white hairs give this rare variety its name and are also a sign of good quality. White tea is scarcer than the other traditional teas.  The flavor is described as light, sweet, and delicately floral.
The name “white tea” derives from the fine silvery-white hairs on the unopened buds of the tea plant, which gives the plant a whitish appearance. The beverage itself is not white or colorless but pale yellow.