White tea making a splash, finally, with Westerners; healthy beverage has been an Asian favorite for centuries

• With its mild flavor and subtle, almost nutty aroma, white tea doesn't seem like much at first.
• But the tea is an aesthetic heavyweight on its own terms, and the light golden beverage packs a wallop in health benefits.
• The beverage is in enough demand here that the Republic of Tea offers unbleached round bags filled with ''Emperor's White Tea."
• Called white either because of the white ''hairs" that cover the young spring buds or because of the infusion's light translucent color, this is also the least processed form of the camellia sinensis plant, from which all true tea comes.
• Like the Republic of Tea offerings, both of Pursuit's are from China's Fujian Province, the original source for white tea, according to Beckwith.
• Breathing in the fragrant steam over a cup or earthenware bowl at a teahouse such as Dado Tea or Tealuxe, the brew's minimal processing is apparent.
• That doesn't mean you can't mishandle it: Julie Song, co-owner of Dado, warns that to keep the natural sweetness of white tea, be sure not to steep it too long.
• Experts agree on one thing: White tea, like green tea, should not be brewed with boiling water.
• says Beckwith -- even if they ordinarily offer them with more robust black teas.
• Researchers attribute these immunity-boosting powers to the presence of the amino acid L-theanine, which exists in high concentration in tea.
• But white tea may go further: Studies at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University recently tested four kinds of white tea for their ability to inhibit the mutation of bacteria -- cell mutation has been linked to cancer -- and found that they all did so, and seemed even more effective than green tea, which had previously been promoted for its healthful properties.