白茶

白 (bái, “white”) describes the hairs covering the buds of the tea plant, which are used to produce some types of white tea, such as 白毫銀針／白毫银针 (“white hair silver needle”).

白茶

1. white tea:
   1. The leaves of a tea plant which have been processed in a manner to let them wilt slightly and lose their "grassy" taste of green tea while undergoing minimal oxidation.
   2. A drink brewed from these tea leaves.
   3. (Taipei Hokkien) boiled water; hot water served as a hot beverage.
      • 2006, Paul Theroux, Riding the Iron Rooster: By Train Through China (in English), →ISBN, page 314:

        The young men from Hong Kong shivered in the compartment like prisoners in a dungeon. They drank hot water. I offered them some of my green tea (Zhulan brand: "A tea from ancient kings for those with kingly tastes") but they said no; they preferred drinking hot water. "White tea," the Chinese call it, bai cha.

白(しら)茶(ちゃ) • (shiracha) 

1. white tea