Young tea leaves or new growth buds that have undergone limited oxidation through a slight amount of withering while naturally sun dried or specifically withered and then halting the oxidative processes by baking. Withering of the leaves can last from around one to three days depending on the season and temperature of the processing environment. The tea leaves meant for white teas are not kneaded nor undergo fixation, which preserves much of the white hair on the leaves and gives the tea a relatively mild flavour. White tea is produced in lesser quantities than most other type of teas, and can be correspondingly more expensive than tea from the same plant processed by other methods.
