Currently there is no generally accepted definition of white tea. White tea may refer to one of several styles of tea which generally feature young or minimally processed leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Most definitions agree that white tea is not rolled or oxidized, resulting in a flavor characterized as ‘lighter’ than most green or traditional black teas. Hence, the name white tea.

In spite of its name, brewed white tea is pale yellow. Its name derives from the fine silvery-white hairs on the unopened buds of the tea plant, which give the plant a whitish appearance. The unopened buds are used for some types of white tea.
It is harvested primarily in China, mostly in the Fujian province, but more recently produced in Eastern Nepal, Taiwan, Thailand, Galle(Southern Sri Lanka) and northeast India.