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This will make about 50 cups of the finest White Sowmee Tea! Florida Herb House's very own finest imported White Tea! This premium grade White tea comes right from the tea fields, then dried, and then to our store! We guarantee the most amazing loose leaf tea quality your dollar can buy!



The leaves for Sowmee are pluckedform the Camellia sinensis (tea plant) during late April, May and June. The lack of processing and hand selection is evident in the leaf appearance of Sowmee as the leaves are flaky and flat. This Sowmee has a more pronounced taste profile - almost oolong tea-like. Many white tea drinkers prefer this cup in that there is a more pronounced taste compared to the delicate nuances of other white teas.

Just like green, black, and oolong tea our white tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. The difference is when the leaves are picked. For white tea the leaves are picked and harvested before the leaves open fully, when the buds are still covered by fine white hair. Hence the name. White tea is scarcer than the other traditional teas, and quite a bit more expensive.

White tea is similar to green tea, in that it's undergone very little processing and no fermentation. But there is a noticeable difference in taste. Most green teas have a distinctive green, earthy taste to them, but white tea does not. The flavor is described as light, and sweet. You should steep white tea in water that is below the boiling point.

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White tea became revered during China's Song Dynasty (960-1279). It was the choice of the royal court and was given as tribute to the emperor. White tea leaves and buds were ground into a silvery powder, which was then whisked in bowls during the Song Tea Ceremony. This was the inspiration for the famous Japanese Tea Ceremony. One Song Emperor was renowned for his love of white tea. Hui Zong (1101-1125) became so obsessed with finding the perfect tea that he lost much of his empire. Over the next several centuries, powdered white tea and the Song Tea Ceremony were abandoned for loose-leaf tea. In 1885, select varieties of the tea plant were developed for white tea. White tea has come a long way in its long history. It was largely unknown outside China and the Orient until recently. Now, with a renewed interest in fine tea and remarkable discoveries about its health benefits, white tea is being discovered and enjoyed around the world.



Hot tea brewing method: There are two factors that can ruin any cup of white tea, and they are hard water and water that is too hot. Hard water means that the water has a high mineral content, mainly calcium and magnesium. These minerals will impair the taste of the tea, and may also inhibit and bind many of the antioxidants. If you know that the water in your area is hard, it is a good idea to filter it before you use it to brew white tea.

Always use fresh water from the tap to brew white tea, not water that has been sitting in your water heater or teapot for hours or days. White tea in itself has such a subtle taste that any residue or impurities will make themselves felt, and the tea will not taste as good.

Heat the water to the boiling point, then let it cool. Never steep white tea in boiling water. 175-185 degrees Fahrenheit, or 80-85 degrees Celsius, is considered the optimal temperature for brewing white tea. Some will advise you to use water at 200 degrees Fahrenheit, or 95 degrees Celsius, but that would be too hot. Many antioxidants are destroyed at temperatures that close to the boiling point, and the tea becomes astringent and loses some of its best qualities as the leaves are cooked.

Amount of tea - The amount of tea you should use per cup of tea is a matter of taste and economics, since top quality white tea is by some margin the most expensive tea there is and you probably don't want to waste it. At White Tea Central, we usually recommend using one teaspoon of white tea per cup, or one tablespoon for a pot of about one quart, or one liter.

Steeping - Depending on the quality of the tea, it should be steeped for under one minute, or slightly more. Silver needle quality tea should not be steeped for more than 30-40 seconds for the first steeping. Calculate steeping time depending on how you like your tea to taste. The longer you steep, the stronger the taste and the more pronounced the golden color.

One serving of white tea can be brewed several times, for about one minute longer each time. Each steeping will reveal another interesting layer of flavor.

It is important to not pour milk or cream into the white tea, because the casein in the dairy products will bind the antioxidants, neutralizing the beneficial health effects of the tea.



Iced tea-brewing method: Brew a cup of white tea with two bags of tea (steeping 30-40 seconds), sweeten it with only about a teaspoon of sugar so it won't be as sickly sweet as the store-bought alternatives, and pour it over a large glass full of ice cubes. Once the ice cubes start to melt add a couple more ice cubes and drop in some strips of lemon/orange/grapefruit peel for some tang and zest. Sweeten to your liking if not sweet enough already. Try some stevia all natural sweetener!