There are more than 700 famous green teas in China - how many do you know?

You may have heard of the so-called Ten Famous Chinese Teas, but this list was drawn up in the 1950s, it only highlights the superstars. Below the surface, there are hundreds of excellent green teas still in commercial production, waiting to be discovered by me and you!

Of course, only the best of the best makes it to the Superstars. A superstar needs to stand the test of time. It is no wonder that all of the Famous Ten are at least 100 years old.

Now you ask yourself this question: What happens if the list of Famous Ten is redrawn today? Would there be any changes?

The answer is a definitive yes. Almost certainly you would see Anji Baicha being included.

Anji refers to the place where she is grown: Anji county of Zhejiang province. The word baicha means white tea.

The reason why Anji tea is so esteemed by experts and connoisseurs is because of its extremely high theanine content.

According to tea expert Chen Qikun, she contains at least 6-8% of amino acids, of which at least 2.5% is theanine, roughly 3-4 times the levels found in other Chinese green teas.

Theanine is the single most important determinant of tea quality. It is chiefly responsible for the soothing effects and full-bodied taste of fresh green tea.

Theanine Health Benefits - 7 Reasons Why It's More Than A Relaxant

When we speak of a white tea, we normally the Silver Needle white tea, which appears white because it is covered by white downy hairs.

(Further explanation on what constitutes a white tea can be found at White Tea Processing - The Cool Way.)

Anji tea is processed like a green tea, but she is "white" because the tea buds harvested early spring is white in color. The higher the grade, the whiter the tea buds.

A special characteristic of Anji tea plants is that they produce very little green chlorophyll during the winter (minus 8 to 10 degree Celsius). Two things result:

• Since less theanine is converted to chlorophyll, the tea buds contain higher levels of health enhancing theanine.

• The tea buds are white in color.

After processing, the tea leaves acquire a pale yellowish-green color.

This white tea plant was noted by the most artistically endowed of Chinese emperor - Song Hui Zong (1101 to 1125 A.D.). The most prominent tea connoisseur of his generation, he noted a certain white tea plant is "extremely rare" and has "superior quality".

Re-discovered 200 years ago in Zhejiang province, many historians believe Anji tea is this white tea plant. The Anji Baicha tea was invented as recent as 1981, but she has always come top in various competitions and assessments.

(In fact, she has been chosen to represent China for the 2010 World Culture Exposition in Shanghai.)

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