Some teas on the market smell very fragrant, but when brewed, they lack a genuine Tea flavor. This raises suspicion that added flavoring might be the cause. How can one identify if tea has added flavoring?
BubbleTea has heard that some unscrupulous merchants, in pursuit of profit, add flavoring to low-quality teas to pass them off as aged teas, and most people cannot tell the difference!
With the advanced chemical industry today, almost anything can be created. BubbleTea never thought that even aged teas could be “fake.” BubbleTea can only say: impressive!
Sometimes, you pay a high price for what you think is “aged Pu'er,” only to find out it's just “Pu'er flavored tea.” Not only does this offer no Health benefits, but these flavorings can also harm your body! The greed of merchants ultimately harms consumers!
While we may not be able to stop fake teas from being sold, we can learn how to distinguish between real and fake teas to protect ourselves.
Today, TeaBubble will provide you with tips on how to identify teas with added flavoring.
What is Flavored Tea?
Flavored teas are usually cheap, often consisting of old or leftover teas mixed with flavoring and coloring agents to refresh them, or low-quality teas enhanced with flavoring.
How to Identify If Tea Has Added Flavoring?
1. Smell the Dry Tea
Due to the unique processing methods, dry tea doesn't have a strong aroma. If you hold a handful of dry tea to your nose and smell a light and natural fragrance, it likely doesn't have added flavoring. Conversely, if the dry tea has a strong and lingering aroma, it's highly possible that flavoring has been added.
2. Rub the Tea Between Your Hands
You can rub the tea between your hands. If your palms become coated with powders or colors, additives have been used.
3. Brew at a Lower Temperature and Smell
If you brew the tea with 80-degree water and the tea becomes cloudy or has a very strong aroma, it's possible that flavoring has been added. Most dry teas require water above 95 degrees to release their aroma and flavor, while most flavorings dissolve and release their scent quickly at 80 degrees.
4. Observe the Persistence of the Aroma
If the aroma drops significantly with each infusion and lacks variation, or if there is no tea aroma by the third infusion, it's likely that flavoring has been added.
5. Observe the Stain Overnight
After drinking the tea, leave the Cup unwashed overnight. The next morning, if the stain in the cup is a shade of yellow (light yellow, deep yellow, orange-yellow, etc.), it indicates that the tea contains no additives. However, if the stain is greenish (light green, dark green, dark green, etc.), it suggests the tea may contain additives.
Hopefully, this article helps you distinguish between real and fake aged teas. (Source: ChaSousou, Image Source: Tea Friend Network Image Library)