Pu'er tea is a general term for Yunnan large-leaf sun-dried green teas. The quality of Pu'er raw tea refers to the color, aroma, taste, and shape exhibited after fresh tea leaves are processed into finished tea, also known as sensory quality. When buying Pu'er tea, everyone encounters a problem: it's difficult to judge whether a Pu'er tea is good or bad from its appearance. Even after examining the appearance, the purchased Pu'er tea may not necessarily be of high quality.
How to Distinguish the Quality of Pu'er Tea by Appearance?
The integrity and cleanliness of the tea leaves should be observed. Pu'er tea comes in various forms (cake tea/tuo tea/briquette tea/scattered tea). The shape and surface of the tea should be regular and upright; the strips should be thick and stout with an appropriate proportion of tender buds. There should be no impurities in the tea, and the shape should be complete and uniform, whole rather than broken, which are characteristics of high-quality tea.
The luster of the tea product's color should be noted. High-quality Pu'er tea usually presents a bright and glossy appearance, rather than a dull and lifeless one.
The leaf base of good Pu'er tea should have an appropriate proportion of tender buds, with uniform length, thickness, and fineness, minimal breakage, high uniformity, and a good feel of resilience when pinched by hand.
Note to tea enthusiasts: when observing the leaf base, take out a single tea leaf, spread it out for observation without any creases, allowing for more detailed examination.
A reminder to all tea enthusiasts: when observing the leaf base, be sure to pour the infused tea leaves into a dedicated leaf Tray, ensuring they are evenly mixed, spread out, and without any creases. If you still cannot see clearly, you can Rinse the leaf base with clear Water, letting it float on the water surface for closer inspection.