Chinese tea purchase

There's a popular saying about white tea: "One-year tea, three-year storage, seven-year treasure." Based on its aging period, white tea can be categorized into new and aged varieties: New white tea refers to the tea harvested and processed in the current year; aged white tea is the tea that has been stored for years and exhibits characteristics typical of aged tea. However, distinguishing between new and aged white tea can be challenging for many tea enthusiasts. Today, we will compare the appearance and quality of one-year new tea, three-year-old tea, and seven-year-old tea to help you discern and appreciate the differences between new and aged white teas. One-Year New Tea Appearance Naturally spread out, with plump and upright buds, even and mostly intact leaves with slight fragmentation; The leaves display a natural gray-green or bluish-green color, with a fresh luster, creating a beautiful contrast between the bluish top and the silvery-white underside; Abundant soft silver-white down. The aroma is delicate floral and downy. Quality The infusion of new tea is clear and bright, with a light apricot-yellow hue, and its taste is particularly fresh and sweet. Three-Year Aged Tea Appearance The integrity of three-year-aged tea is slightly compromised; It has…...

Pu'er tea differs from other types of tea. The quality of a particular tea not only affects its taste but also impacts its storage and potential for appreciation in value. When selecting Pu'er tea, careful examination is necessary. Here’s how to identify the grade of Pu'er tea. How to Distinguish the Quality of Pu'er Tea! First, look at the appearance. Check if the leaves are whole and uniform. Generally, young leaves are finer while older ones are larger. The exterior should be round and lustrous, with the overall structure intact. If the leaves do not appear clearly defined and instead seem fragmented and uneven, it's likely an issue with processing. Second, observe the color. Good tea should have a luster and not appear dull. High-quality loose Pu'er tea has a fragrant aroma and a glossy appearance. Inferior tea has incomplete leaves and a dark, lifeless color without any sheen. Third, inspect the liquor color. Good Pu'er tea produces a clear, bright infusion with an oil-like film on the surface. Lower quality tea will appear dark, murky, and unclean. Fourth, smell the aroma. The fragrance should be pure and free of off-flavors or impurities. High-quality raw Pu'er has a fresh, uplifting…...

Generally, the origin price of Pu'er tea ranges from 3,000 yuan to over 10,000 yuan per kilogram. As for plantation teas, even some ecological and organic Pu'er teas cost only 30 yuan to 200 yuan per kilogram. One can imagine that the highest price difference can be hundreds of times more. The Cost of Good Pu'er Spring Tea in 2023 (per pound) The prices of Pu'er spring tea vary widely, ranging from a few hundred yuan to several thousand yuan, or even tens of thousands of yuan per kilogram. The price of Pu'er spring tea is influenced by factors such as origin, picking season, quality, and specifications. For commonly available branded teas, the price of daily consumption tea is usually within 300 yuan, mostly blended teas. Teas with slightly better quality cost around 400 to 600 yuan, which are considered quite good. A cake of tea priced at 800 yuan is considered to have very high quality and representative taste. The Price of Pu'er Spring Tea in 2023 (per pound) In 2023, the price of small-tree Pu'er spring tea is around 200 to 400 yuan per kilogram, while the price of ancient-tree spring tea is around 600 to 800 yuan…...

    If we compare the West Lake to Xi Shi, we can say that fine tea is like a beautiful woman. The excellence of West Lake Longjing tea needs no further elaboration, but the market is full of mixed quality and it's hard to distinguish between genuine and fake products. If you end up with inferior tea, it will undoubtedly affect your enjoyment of the tea. Therefore, knowing some tips for selecting West Lake Longjing tea is crucial. Here’s how to discern the quality of West Lake Longjing tea:     How to Select West Lake Longjing Tea?    1. Touch    Judge the dryness of the tea. Pick a random piece of dried tea and crush it between your thumb and index finger. If it turns into powder easily, then it is sufficiently dry; if it breaks into small pieces, then it is not dry enough or has absorbed moisture. Tea that is not dry enough is difficult to store and lacks aroma.    2. Look    Check if the dried tea meets the basic characteristics of Longjing tea: West Lake Longjing tea has a lustrous green color, a delicate and elegant fragrance, a fresh and mellow taste, and a shape resembling a sparrow’s tongue, possessing the four distinct features…...

When buying tea, the variety can be overwhelming, often making it difficult for people to know where to start. Selecting tea has become a real challenge for tea enthusiasts. To buy suitable tea, in addition to following the steps of "Observation, Smelling, Inquiry, and Brewing," it's also important to avoid common pitfalls when purchasing tea. ObservationObservation means looking at the shape of the tea: whether it is uniform, and how shiny its color is. Evaluate the quality of various teas based on their uniformity, luster, and the amount of broken leaves and twigs they contain. For example, green tea should have a fresh green color with visible white downy hairs (better if it does), while yellow or even reddish, dull colors indicate lower quality. A clear tea infusion is better. Some famous teas have unique shapes: West Lake Longjing is usually smooth, flat, and straight with a rice-like yellow hue and no visible downy hairs; Huangshan Maofeng has many downy hairs and a peak-like appearance; Xinyang Maojian is fine, straight, and round with many downy hairs; Biluochun has slender, tightly curled leaves resembling snails. If the tea doesn't look good visually, trust your instincts and don't be swayed by the…...

In recent years, Pu'er tea has gradually come into the public's view and gained the affection of tea drinkers. There are many reasons why tea enthusiasts enjoy drinking raw Pu'er tea: some appreciate its distinct changes in flavor, others its characteristic of improving with age, and some simply love its natural, original taste. Different people may have different reasons for enjoying raw tea. However, the criteria for judging a good tea should be relatively consistent. Do you know how to choose a good-tasting Pu'er tea? How to Choose a Good-Tasting Pu'er Tea 1. Look at the brand When choosing Pu'er tea, it is important to focus on reputable brands. Branded teas provide strong assurances in terms of production safety, quality, and after-sales service. 2. Examine the appearance of the Pu'er tea When selecting Pu'er tea, judge it by its appearance. Pu'er tea comes in two forms: loose tea and compressed tea. 3. Smell the aroma of the Pu'er tea Raw Pu'er teas often have a fresh scent, while aged Pu'er teas have a mature aroma. If there is a musty smell or other unusual odors when smelling the tea, this indicates questionable quality. 4. Observe the color of the tea…...

Today, we reveal the tricks used to age and falsify old white tea. 1. Telling Stories This tactic is surprisingly effective, which is why unscrupulous merchants keep using it. To sell their old white tea at a higher price, one-year-old tea can be passed off as three years old; three-year-old tea can be claimed to be seven years old; and seven-year-old tea can be said to be over ten years old. Even I, myself, have been asked to appraise old white teas from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s in many tea shops. If you ask the shop owners where they got these decades-old white teas: The typical answer is that they were purchased at a high price from a good friend of a southern business tycoon, or given by a leader to a friend, or stored by a friend who used to run a tea shop or factory, or sold in bulk by a friend due to a need for cash flow, or accidentally discovered in a corner of a tea factory's warehouse. You might feel like spitting blood on their faces. Aside from the unpleasant taste and potential digestive discomfort, just the smell and color are alarming enough. They…...

Pu'er aged raw tea has five distinctive features: purity, richness, agedness, thickness, aroma, and sweetness. Its taste is free from impurities or off-flavors, with a mellow and smooth mouthfeel that is more gentle. The bitterness and astringency are significantly reduced, leaving a dense and substantial mouthfeel with a viscous and full-bodied liquor. It exudes a rich and persistent aged fragrance, entering sweetly and smoothly with a full throat presence and noticeable aftertaste. After years of maturation, aged Pu'er tea develops a unique aged aroma and flavor profile that is both smooth, slippery, and mellow. Its aroma extends beyond mere olfactory pleasure, encompassing an aromatic experience for the body and mind, akin to the scent found in the realm of Zen tea. So, when purchasing Pu'er tea, how can we identify high-quality aged Pu'er tea? How to Distinguish Aged Pu'er Tea? First, smell the Pu'er tea: Old Pu'er tea, after a long period of aging, develops a natural aged aroma without any other impurities or off-flavors. The older the Pu'er tea, the less likely it is to have any strange or impure flavors. Second, observe the dry appearance of the Pu'er tea: Older teas have been stored for a longer time.…...

There are many varieties of tea in China, and it's unlikely that non-professionals can judge the quality of every type. Typically, people are familiar with just a few kinds they like. Teas from their place of origin tend to be purer, but differences in tea-making techniques result in varying qualities. Therefore, it’s essential for ordinary tea drinkers to know some tips for buying tea. 1. When buying loose tea, use two fingers to grind a few tea strips or granules. If they turn into powder, it indicates the tea is dry. If they only break into small pieces, it suggests the tea has absorbed moisture and should not be purchased. 2. Take a pinch of tea and place it in your palm. Blow gently on it to warm the leaves slightly, releasing their aroma. Smell carefully to evaluate if the scent is pure and lasting. Repeat several times to discern the strength and persistence of the aroma. Also, check for any abnormal odors such as smoke, burnt, sour, or other off smells. 3. If the dry tea emits a strong, lingering fragrance, there's a high chance it has been artificially scented. The tea may smell very fragrant but lacks taste…...

Everyday tea, as the name suggests, is a type of tea that is always available at home and can be consumed daily. “Everyday tea” is a broad term commonly used by seasoned tea enthusiasts and does not refer to specific teas. As a daily beverage, the most significant characteristic of everyday tea is its rapid consumption; it can be considered a consumable item. Therefore, one crucial factor when selecting everyday tea is that it must offer excellent value for money. What Does Everyday Tea Mean in the Context of Puer Tea? 1. Puer everyday tea refers to high-quality Puer tea leaves that satisfy taste preferences with their appropriate strength and offer good value for money, suitable for daily consumption. Typically, this type of tea achieves a balance between quality and price. 2. The term "everyday tea" is often heard from experienced tea drinkers, imbued with multiple meanings, including recognition of the tea’s quality and consideration of its value for money. Since everyday tea is consumed daily, the cumulative amount over time is substantial, so the price must be within an acceptable range. Most tea enthusiasts’ everyday teas fall within the 1 to 200 yuan range. Teas at this price point…...

Pu'er raw tea can be selected in a manner similar to green tea. Pu'er ripe tea is more special, so let's focus on that. In terms of appearance, it should have a reddish-brown color and stout, thick strands. If it’s in the form of cakes, bricks, or tuos, the shape should be uniform without excessive broken leaves and not overly compacted. If the surface of the tea lacks luster or appears grayish-white and contains foreign objects, it indicates poor quality or deterioration. The infusion should have a color akin to red wine, being both dark and rich yet clear and bright. If the tea liquor is dark brown and murky, it is typically not a good tea. If the aroma is low and musty, it is best not to consume it. In terms of taste, Pu'er tea should be full-bodied, sweet, and smooth. If it is bland with no aftertaste, it is not a good tea. The infused leaves should still retain some elasticity and a reddish-brown color. If the leaves are black, lack elasticity, or are completely rotten, this indicates poor quality. Things to Know When Buying Pu'er Tea:1. Choose based on your financial situation; there is no need…...

Spring is the time when spring tea and tea lovers come together. By April, new batches of Longjing tea will be released. Longjing tea is renowned worldwide for its tender green color, fragrant aroma, sweet taste, and elegant appearance. So how do we choose good quality Longjing tea? Look at the Production Area Firstly, you can select Longjing tea based on its origin. There are three main production areas for Longjing tea: the West Lake area, which includes the current administrative region of West Lake District (West Lake Scenic Area) in Hangzhou City; the Qiantang area, including the current administrative regions of Xiaoshan, Binjiang, Yuhang, Fuyang, Lin'an, Tonglu, Jiande, and Chun'an counties (cities, districts); and the Yuezhou area, including the current administrative regions of Shaoxing, Yuecheng, Xinchang, Shengzhou, Zhuji counties (cities, districts) in Shaoxing City, as well as some towns in Shangyu, Pan'an, Dongyang, and Tiantai counties (cities). The quality of tea from different production areas varies, and there can be significant differences in price. Map of the Geographical Indication Product Protection Scope for Longjing Tea Additionally, you can check if the product packaging of Longjing tea has a Chinese geographical indication label, which is a more direct method. Assess…...