Buying Guide

Last updated: June 2026

Nepal white tea is the least processed tea made on Nepal's high-altitude farms. Young leaves and buds are withered and dried, and very little else is done to them. Ours is grown only by Farmers Tea Co. in Malate village, Ilam, at 5,500 ft. It makes a delicate, naturally sweet cup with almost no bitterness and very little caffeine. If you'd like to try it, the Tea Sampler Kit ($30) includes samples of both our white teas.

What Is Nepal White Tea?

White tea is the least processed category of tea. The name has nothing to do with the colour of the brewed tea, which is usually pale gold. It comes from the silvery-white down on the young buds. The leaves and buds are picked, left to wither under controlled conditions, and gently dried. There's no rolling, shaping or oxidation, so the leaf dries more or less as it grew.

Handling the leaf this little keeps its most delicate aromas intact. The cup is light, naturally sweet and very clean, and its flavour reflects the altitude and climate where it was grown.

Ilam's growing conditions suit white tea especially well. At 5,500 ft, with steady mist, clean air and cool temperatures, the buds come out unusually delicate. Research on white tea antioxidants, including studies on PubMed, suggests white tea keeps high levels of polyphenols such as EGCG because it's processed so lightly. According to the Nepal Tea and Coffee Development Board, Nepal's specialty tea sector is putting more focus on minimally processed, high-value teas like this that show off the country's high-altitude terroir.

Where Does Nepal Hills White Tea Come From?

Both of our white teas come from one source: Farmers Tea Co. in Malate village, Ilam, at 5,500 ft.

Farmers Tea Co. is a USDA certified organic farm (certification number CE-207237) and uses no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Its team has been making specialty tea in Ilam for more than a decade, and they take great care with their white tea. They pick only when the buds are at the right stage, wither the leaf slowly, and dry it at a low temperature to protect the most delicate compounds.

Our white teas never come from Taplejung or any of our other farms. White tea needs the particular cultivars and growing conditions at Farmers Tea Co. in Ilam, so that's the only place we source it from, and we plan to keep it that way.

What Are the Two Nepal Hills White Teas?

We carry two white teas. Both come from Farmers Tea Co. in Ilam, both are grown on a certified organic farm, and neither turns bitter at any steep time.

Floral White Tea: Aromatic and Delicate

Floral White Tea uses some slightly more mature leaves along with the young buds, which gives it a stronger floral character and a little more body than Fresh White. You'll taste florals close to jasmine, a natural honey-like sweetness and a long, silky finish. The cup is pale gold and very clean. No bitterness.

Fresh White Tea: The Purest Expression

Fresh White Tea uses only the youngest buds and tips, the most delicate part of the plant. It's the cleanest, lightest cup we sell, with a faint sweetness, a hint of florals and a finish that fades quickly. It has very little caffeine (15 to 30 mg per cup), so it works as an evening tea, a gentle morning tea, or a tea for someone cutting back on caffeine. No bitterness.

Why Does Nepal White Tea Have No Bitterness?

Bitterness in tea comes from tannins, the polyphenols that build up in mature leaves and over-extract during steeping. White tea avoids this in two ways.

The first is minimal processing. White tea isn't rolled or oxidized, so the leaf's cell structure stays mostly intact, and tannins come out of an unbroken leaf more slowly than from a rolled or CTC-processed one.

The second is young leaf selection. Both our white teas are made mainly from young buds and early leaves, which are naturally lower in tannins. The plant puts its protective polyphenols into older leaves, not into tender new growth.

Put the altitude (5,500 ft, where slower growth gives a more balanced polyphenol profile) together with minimal processing and young leaves, and you get a cup with essentially no bitterness at any reasonable steep time. You can steep our white tea for 5 minutes in just-boiled water and it will still taste clean and sweet.

How Do I Brew Nepal White Tea?

White tea is the most forgiving kind of tea to brew. The main thing to avoid is pouring boiling water straight onto the leaf, because high heat can damage its most delicate aromas.

• Water temperature: 75 to 80°C (bring to a boil, then let it cool for 2 to 3 minutes)
• Amount: 1.5 to 2 teaspoons (about 2 to 3g) per 8 oz / 240ml cup, since white tea leaves are light and bulky
• Steep time: 2 to 3 minutes for a delicate cup, or up to 5 minutes if you want more body
• Milk or sugar: Not recommended, as the flavour is too delicate to stand up to them
• Second steep: Fresh White Tea in particular makes a lovely second infusion, often cleaner and sweeter than the first

Is Nepal White Tea Organic?

Yes. Both our white teas are grown on a certified organic farm. Farmers Tea Co. in Malate, Ilam holds USDA organic certification (CE-207237) and uses no synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. Our Floral White Tea and Fresh White Tea are both grown there, at 5,500 ft in the Himalayan foothills of Ilam.

Frequently Asked Questions About Nepal White Tea

What is Nepal white tea?

It's the least processed tea made on Nepal's high-altitude farms: young leaves and buds that are withered and dried with very little handling. Ours is grown only by Farmers Tea Co. in Malate village, Ilam, at 5,500 ft, and makes a delicate, naturally sweet cup with almost no bitterness.

Is Nepal white tea the same as Chinese white tea?

Both are minimally processed teas made from young buds and leaves. Nepal white tea, though, is grown at 5,500 ft in Ilam's Himalayan foothills, with a different terroir and different cultivars, and it tastes noticeably lighter and more floral. Our white teas come only from Farmers Tea Co., a USDA certified organic farm.

Does Nepal white tea have caffeine?

Yes, but very little: about 15 to 30 mg per cup, compared with 40 to 70 mg in black tea. That makes it one of the lowest-caffeine teas you can buy, and a good choice for the evening or for anyone sensitive to caffeine.

Is Nepal Hills white tea organic?

Yes. Both our white teas, Floral White Tea and Fresh White Tea, are grown on a certified organic farm. Farmers Tea Co. in Malate, Ilam holds USDA organic certification (CE-207237) and uses no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.

What is the difference between Floral White Tea and Fresh White Tea?

Floral White Tea includes more mature leaves, which give it a stronger floral character and a slightly fuller body. Fresh White Tea uses only the youngest buds and tips, for a cleaner, lighter cup with a delicate sweetness. Both come from Farmers Tea Co. in Ilam, and neither turns bitter at any steep time.

Nepal Hills Tea is a small Canadian company run by Bhaskar Dahal. We source directly from small farms in Nepal's Ilam and Taplejung districts, and both of our white teas come from Farmers Tea Co., a certified organic farm in Ilam. You can try them in the Tea Sampler Kit ($30), with free shipping on orders over $60 CAD.

by Bhaskar Dahal, founder of Nepal Hills Tea