Chinese tea purchase

The differences between raw and ripe Pu'er tea: 1. Raw tea is mainly green or dark green in color; ripe tea is black or reddish-brown. 2. After picking, raw tea goes through processes such as withering, fixation, etc.; ripe tea also goes through fixation, kneading, etc. after picking. 3. After brewing, the infusion of raw tea is light green or golden yellow; the infusion of ripe tea is chestnut red or dark red. 4. The water temperature for brewing raw tea is slightly lower; ripe tea can be brewed with boiling water. The differences between raw and ripe Pu'er tea: 1. Process differences Raw Pu'er tea is made from fresh leaves that undergo withering, fixation, kneading, sun-drying, steaming, and pressing. Ripe Pu'er tea is made from fresh leaves that undergo withering, fixation, kneading, sun-drying, and pile fermentation. In other words, ripe Pu'er tea is made through pile fermentation based on sun-dried green tea. However, there are no loose teas for raw Pu'er; only compressed teas exist. Teas before steaming and pressing are just sun-dried green teas, which belong to a type of green tea. Only ripe Pu'er tea has both loose and compressed forms. Tea cakes, brick teas, and tuo…...

When mentioning Yiwu tea, many tea enthusiasts immediately associate it with the term “aromatic and smooth,” primarily highlighting the extremely fine texture of the tea soup and its high-aroma. In addition to this, Yiwu tea has these three major characteristics. Tea enthusiasts can use these three features to identify Yiwu tea when purchasing or tasting it. What are the characteristics of Yiwu tea? How can they be quickly distinguished? 1. Appearance Characteristics The main tea tree variety for Yiwu tea is the Yiwu green bud tea. The dry tea has thick, plump strands, prominent white down, and longer-than-average tea stalks. 2. Taste Characteristics The aroma of the tea is mainly floral, honey-like, and wild. The tea soup is smooth and delicate, with mild bitterness and a light astringency. The aftertaste and salivation are gentle and long-lasting, unlike the more intense experience from Menghai teas. The taste is soft yet powerful, often characterized as “gentle with strength.” New teas have a slightly mellow taste that becomes more restrained and substantial over time as the tea ages. 3. Aging and Transformation Properly stored Yiwu Pu'er tea becomes delicately smooth, with a rich and varied taste and aroma. After about 2-3 years, the…...

Over several hundred years, the family of white tea tree species has seen the addition of many new members. Do you know which species your white tea comes from?Theoretically, fresh leaves from any tea tree can be processed into different types of tea using various techniques. However, due to differences in species, some are better suited for specific types of tea. Traditional white tea requires a tea tree with abundant downy hairs, prominent white hairs, and high amino acid content. White tea made from such trees is covered in white hairs, with a pronounced hairy aroma and a fresh, refreshing taste.In the beginning, white tea was made from the fresh leaves of vegetable tea. Later, the range of tea tree species expanded, and varieties like Fuding Dahao, Fuding Dahao, Zhenghe Dahao, and Narcissus gradually entered the scene.Superior National Cultivars The most well-known are Hua Cha No. 1 (Fuding Dahao) and Hua Cha No. 2 (Fuding Dahao). These two species can be considered the two leading members of the white tea family, strong and at the peak of their popularity.Fuding Dahao is also known locally as "white-haired tea." It originated in Baiqiu Village, Nodding Town, Fuding. It is clonal, a small…...

When selecting Pu'er tea, you can consider aspects such as appearance, infusion color, raw materials, origin, and storage conditions. Generally, Pu'er tea with a uniform shape, pure aroma, and bright, clear infusion color is of good quality. Different types of Pu'er tea have different selection methods, so it's best to follow the specific circumstances. Taking raw (sheng) and ripe (shou) Pu'er teas as examples: What Makes Good Pu'er Tea To determine the quality of Pu'er tea, consider the following: 1. Examine the Shape: High-quality Pu'er tea has a neat and regular shape, while lower-quality tea may have loose and incomplete strands. The best Pu'er tea has a uniform and regular shape, with neat edges, no missing corners, consistent thickness, moderate tightness, clear mold patterns, and glossy, clean strands. Lower-quality Pu'er tea will have loose and incomplete strands, dull colors without luster, and noticeable defects. 2. Smell the Aroma: High-quality Pu'er tea has a pure and lasting fragrance, free from any unusual or mixed odors. Even when the tea cools down, it still emits a pleasant aroma. Lower-quality Pu'er tea has noticeable and sometimes stimulating unusual odors. 3. Observe the Infusion Color: High-quality Pu'er tea produces a clear and bright infusion,…...

Aged tea refers to tea that has been processed from leaves harvested in the previous year or even earlier. Even if stored properly and well-preserved, it is collectively known as aged tea. New tea, by convention, refers to tea made from fresh leaves picked around the Qingming Festival in the same year. What is the difference between new tea and aged tea? 1. Different moisture content New tea generally has a lower moisture content, so the tea leaves are tightly rolled, feel dry to the touch, hard and brittle, and can be easily ground into powder with your fingers. Aged tea, due to long-term storage, has higher moisture content, making the tea wet and heavy. It cannot be crushed into powder with your fingers, and the tea stems are not easy to break. 2. Different colors New tea has a lustrous and vibrant color, clearly green, appearing in shades of light green or dark green. When brewed, the tea has a bright green color that gradually turns slightly yellow, with clear broth and glossy leaves. Aged tea loses its freshness in color and appears dull and less lustrous due to the oxidation of unsaturated components and the slow automatic decomposition…...

Pu'er tea has storage value mainly because it becomes more fragrant over time through natural transformation. For teas from the same mountain, the older the vintage, the higher the price. This has led to one of the chaotic phenomena in the tea market—age fraud. However, in reality, for a Pu'er tea that has been stored for many years, it is very difficult to determine the specific storage time by blind tasting; only an estimate can be made. This is because the moisture content of the dry tea at the time of production, the storage environment (dryness/humidity, temperature, light), etc., can cause varying degrees of transformation differences in the same cake of tea, with the differences becoming more pronounced over time. This is the change that time brings to the tea, and also the pleasure of storing tea. So, how do we determine the age of a tea cake? Criteria for Determining the Age of Pu'er Tea First, color: The clearer and more transparent the tea liquor, the older the vintage. Clear transparency refers not to the depth of the tea liquor but rather to a slightly oily luster. Second, taste: Considering the overall balance of taste, excluding storage issues, the…...

Phoenix oolong tea is characterized by its warm and spicy nature, sweet and mellow taste, and extraordinary aroma. It is renowned for its unique qualities such as "solitary and high fragrance," "drinkable perfume," "aromatic, sweet, and lively," and "distinctive mountain character." For tea enthusiasts, the primary concern is often how to select, which aspects to focus on, and how to identify quality before delving into the nuances of aroma and flavor. Evaluating Dry Tea for Quality The appearance of dry Phoenix oolong tea can be assessed in terms of shape, color, uniformity, and cleanliness across four aspects. The tightness of the leaves can indicate whether they come from high-altitude or low-altitude areas, were picked young or mature, or harvested during different seasons. The shape can also reveal any flaws in processing that led to loose and flat leaves. The luster and freshness or dullness of the color can help determine the aroma quality. Teas with a glossy and vivid color generally have purer and higher aromas, while those with a dull color have lower, mixed aromas. Dull colors are usually due to old leaves, excessive bruising, delayed killing of the green, or too low or high temperatures during drying. The…...

Pu'er tea is primarily divided into raw and ripe varieties. How do you choose an affordable yet delicious raw Pu'er tea? How to Select Raw Pu'er Tea? 1. Start by examining the tea cake. Look for signs that it's spring tea, which usually has some yellowish leaves on its surface. Check for "hoof prints," as spring tea buds and leaves are slightly fatter than those of autumn tea. The texture of autumn tea appears smoother and more linear compared to spring tea, with longer and finer strands. Autumn tea doesn't have yellowish leaves and looks very clean. 2. Smell the tea cake. Good tea should have a dry aroma and no off odors. If there are any unusual smells, immediately discuss this with the seller to determine the cause. Be cautious when tasting the tea later. 3. After rinsing the tea, pay attention to the clarity of the infusion in the teapot. A good infusion should be very clear, with a light yellow color for new teas. 4. When tasting, judge your initial impression. If the tea is very astringent, see if there is a subsequent production of saliva that mitigates the astringency. If, after swallowing the tea and then…...

This is a true conversation that took place between a tea maker with over a decade of experience and a connoisseur who has been storing white tea for the same amount of time, at a white tea factory. Eventually, a rapid moisture analyzer was used to test the controversial batch of white tea, revealing that its moisture content (the percentage of water in the tea leaves) had reached 6.4%. The tea maker's family sourced their tea leaves from a local core area and did a decent job with the white tea production process. Crucially, they never had trouble selling their tea each year, so he didn't have much of an awareness about storing white tea. The oldest teas they could find in the factory were no more than four to five years old, and there wasn't much of it.Why had the moisture content increased from less than 5% when the tea was first made to over 6% now? He couldn't figure it out and didn't seem too worried. In a thriving market, he didn't need to think too much about it.On the other hand, the connoisseur had started learning how to store white tea back in 2009 because he loved…...

For Pu'er tea, many friends find it complex, especially those who are just starting to explore the world of Pu'er tea. The diverse flavors from different regions and the concept that Pu'er tea improves with age can be confusing. Additionally, seeing a wide range of prices in the market makes it even harder to know where to start, often leaving buyers guessing. In this article, we will discuss how a high-quality Pu'er tea should look, smell, taste, and appear, providing useful information for tea enthusiasts when selecting their teas. Five Quality Standards for Premium Pu'er Tea 1. Dry Leaf Appearance: The compressed tea leaves should have an appropriate level of tightness and uniformity; they should have a smooth and lustrous color. For ripe Pu'er tea, the color should be dark brown with a glossy sheen and visible golden tips. For raw Pu'er tea, the color should be dark and lustrous. 2. Aroma: Assess the purity and longevity of the tea's fragrance A standard-quality Pu'er tea should have a pure aroma, free from any off-flavors, impurities, or unpleasant moldy odors. Pu'er tea is known for its ability to improve with age, and its fragrance develops through microbial and enzymatic activities during…...

Last time, we discussed the types of green tea. Today, let's talk about how to pick high-quality tea. After all, finding a great green tea is the goal. Here are four steps that will help you choose your ideal tea and quickly go from novice to expert. Step 1: Examine the Appearance Check if the tea leaves are intact and not broken. Observe if the color of the dry tea is bright, lustrous, and glossy. Severely broken dry tea can affect the taste of the tea infusion. Brightness, luster, and glossiness indicate the quality and freshness of the tea, as green tea is best enjoyed for its aroma, tenderness, and freshness. Generally, green tea harvested before the Qingming Festival is considered top-quality. Step 2: Smell the Aroma The aroma of tea includes both the dry tea and the infused tea. When shopping, focus on assessing the purity, type, intensity, and persistence of the aroma after brewing. In daily purchases, pouring a small amount of boiling water over the dry tea to release its aroma and then smelling it can be very effective. Step 3: Evaluate the Liquor Color and Taste Evaluate the color, brightness, and clarity of the tea liquor…...

The differences between black and green tea: Different levels of fermentation, black tea is a fully fermented tea, while green tea is non-fermented; Different appearances, black tea has red leaves and a red infusion, the dry tea is dark and lustrous, tightly bound; green tea has green leaves and a clear infusion, the dry tea is tightly bound, robust, with a verdant color; Different processes, the process for green tea is picking, fixation, rolling, and drying, while the process for black tea is withering, rolling, fermentation, and drying. The first difference between black and green tea: Different appearance of the tea leaves From the appearance of the tea leaves, in general, green tea often displays fine downy hairs, revealing tender buds, with a bright infusion, high fragrance, mellow and refreshing taste, and a greenish tone. Famous varieties include Longjing tea, Biluochun tea, Huangshan Maofeng, Zijia green tea, Lushan Yunwu, Liuan Guapian, etc.; black tea reveals fine downy hairs, has a dark and lustrous color, a bright and red infusion, bright red leaves, a fragrant aroma that is rich and long-lasting. Famous varieties include Qihong, Dianhong, Yinghong, etc. The second difference between black and green tea: Different colors of the tea…...