How to know the quality of tea

How to distinguish good tea from bad tea

To begin with, you must clearly decide what grade of tea you want to buy. The most important thing in our opinion is that the tea must be fresh. In China, the "four jewels of tea"- the shape of the tea leaf, the color, the aroma, and the taste-are revered and enjoyed in tea drinking.

High quality tea differs from low quality tea in its uniformity. If the tea is of high quality, the seagulls should be uniform and the shape should correspond to the type of twist. There should be no broken leaves or small teas in the high-grade teas. If you take a white sheet of paper and pour a pinch of tea on it, there should be no more than 10 percent of small particles.

You can test the tea by rubbing it in your hand, if it turns into dust, it is likely to be dried during processing, which will negatively affect the infusion tea, which may have a smoky smell. If, on the other hand, the tea straw has rolled around in a lump, it means it is not dried out sufficiently, which will affect the storage of tea and mold may develop in it. If the tea is of good quality and all production techniques are followed, the tea will break into small pieces.

Fresh tea should have a deep color, but not too bright or too dark. As the tea ages, the color tends to fade, which also happens if it hasn't been stored properly. When you smell a dry tea leaf, its fragrant natural aroma fills you up and literally envelops you. It is always subtle, natural and pleasant. If the tea is low grade, fake or old, then the aroma is almost not felt, or it is harsh and chemical, literally knocking you down. The aroma should be natural and natural, with no third-party flavoring.

When making tea, it is important how many brews or (spills) it withstands, as well as what color the infusion turns out to be. In a hot cup, the aroma should last a very long time. Ideally, the infusion should be light, transparent and aromatic. The higher the quality, the more the tea can withstand being brewed. High quality oolong teas can be brewed over 10 times. They truly are endless!

The taste of high quality tea is multifaceted and natural, you can taste honey, floral, nutty and creamy notes in the beverage. Chinese tea is a real symphony of flavors and aromas! Not only the taste, but also the aftertaste is extraordinarily expressive in quality tea. After brewing it, you  can also appreciate the "cha-dee" of the tea bottom.

 If you examine the steeped tea, the tea leaf or buds should be even, with bright clear  veins. After drinking the tea, the condition that the tea bestows is important, depending on its variety. You may experience a rush of strength and energy,You may experience an uplifted mood, or you may experience relaxation, sometimes turning into a subtle meditative state that puts you in a contemplative mood.  You may experience an uplifted mood, or you may experience relaxation, sometimes turning into a subtle meditative state that puts you in a contemplative mood.

We are convinced that after trying a good tea several times (high mountain teas are considered the most valuable and delicious), your taste buds will remember its pleasant taste, and you will easily be able to distinguish good tea from low-grade tea. After all, sometimes sellers, often in pursuit of a quick profit, use this word combination in their marketing decisions, but such an inscription, sometimes on a very beautiful package, may be just an empty sound.

Of particular importance is how the tea was stored. This is very important because tea which was not stored properly, unfortunately, turns into hay and becomes devoid of all its nutrients! You don't eat rotten food, do you?  Don't you? How tea should be stored, you can you can read here.

What Kind of Tea You Shouldn't Buy

• Branded teas in nice packaging with the flamboyant name of "forest strawberry tea" or "green tea with pieces" of the reason is that in the best case the flavoring will be harmless to your body, and by creating a natural appearance of the product, the manufacturer often hides the use of peaceful chemistry. Mass consumption teas are bought in large quantities, and the quality of the tea is often not traceable. Firms which sell such teas are oriented not on quality, but on a low price and big profit, but quality tea even in China can't cost 50-100 yuans. You can't even call such tea tea! It's the dust of Chinese roads, no different from bagged tea.
• It is not recommended to buy tea in glass jars, because the light oxidizes the tea leaf and, unfortunately, loses its useful properties.

Often tea companies take advantage of the buyer's ignorance, and often pass off average tea as high quality. Therefore, in order to understand the grade of the leaf, we have optimized a convenient navigation through the world of tea for you.

In an effort to make more profit, tea companies often buy up stale tea at a bargain price. The best way to buy tea is in stores which sell it in small batches, as opposed to dealers who bring it in large truckloads for the mass consumption segment. Also big companies more often don't have a possibility to control the quality of every batch of tea, by the way, teatesters of our tea store tealyra.com, tasters each batch before buying it, carefully evaluating taste, aroma and aftertaste of the drink and, of course, the condition it gives.

That's why you should not buy tea in the stalls of big supermarkets, such teas are designed for the mass consumer and are often low-grade and therefore do not have those health benefits that a high-quality Chinese tea has. To learn what health benefits you can get by drinking quality Chinese tea, click here.

Also, the price of tea is often unreasonably high, due to a long chain of intermediaries, expensive rent, space and warehouse. We supply tea directly, without intermediaries, in small batches as we sell it, so our tea is always delicious and fresh.

In general, understanding and knowing how to understand tea comes with experience. We are deeply convinced that after drinking real high quality Chinese tea you will never confuse it with anything else. Because high-grade tea has an unforgettable palette of tastes and aromas and you don't need to drink it with cakes or sweets in order for it to be at least a little "something". Our tea is delicious on its own, and insanely flavorful. On top of everything else, it gives you a surprisingly pleasant condition every time, unlike lower quality teas.

A video review of our tea from our customers!