Drinking Tea is beneficial for health, but what should you pay attention to when purchasing tea?
What Should You Pay Attention to When Buying Tea?
First, don't listen to the vendor's hype; don't listen to them talk about the effects of the tea. Tea is just tea; if it had significant effects, it wouldn't be food anymore, it would be medicine or a health supplement. Don't buy tea based on its effects. Moreover, even if it were a health supplement, how many health supplements actually have real effects? Just like vendors promoting Pu'er tea for weight loss, in reality, many women have been deceived time and again.
Second, beginners or tea novices should not listen to vendors claim that the tea has collection value. And then buy a large amount of tea. While it's true that tea can be collected for personal consumption, during the process of collection, the tea is prone to mold. Many times, you will find that after several years, the vendor's vintage tea is still the same price. Collection can increase in value, but that's just a concept, applicable only to specific teas. The average person can neither obtain nor afford such teas.
Third, when buying tea, always pay attention to the weight of the tea. Many tea shops display prices for 50 grams of tea on their counters. When shopping online, vendors often emphasize packaging and suddenly highlight the product's unit price. Most people only see the price of the tea and overlook its weight. They think it's cheap, but in fact, the price is often for only 50 grams. If converted into a pound, the price is really not cheap. Moreover, 50 grams of tea doesn't last long. Generally, it's recommended to buy between 150 and 250 grams of tea.
Fourth, beginners should not buy tea while traveling or at exhibitions. Tea bought at tourist attractions tends to be somewhat overpriced. Sometimes the high price is tolerable, but often, upon returning home, you'll find that the tea isn't the same as what you saw or tasted. The same goes for tea at exhibitions. Many so-called exhibitions sell low-quality, low-priced teas. Good tea cannot be brought to exhibitions for you to choose freely because good tea has high requirements for transportation and sealing. After the tea is opened for one or two hours, its aroma may change significantly. If it's not sold out, the tea becomes worthless.
Fifth, regarding price, although high prices do not necessarily mean good quality, low-priced teas are certainly not very good. Especially those 99 yuan for 10 cans of tea available online, it's better not to drink than to buy them. After subtracting packaging, shipping, and tin costs, and allowing for the vendor's profit, the cost per pound of tea can be imagined. It can only be said to be drinkable. For example, the price of Yellow Mountain Maofeng rarely falls below 200 yuan in tea shops. This is also true for West Lake Longjing, Biluochun, and Anji White Tea.
Tea Selection Techniques
1. Tenderness
Tenderness is a basic factor that determines the quality of tea. The saying “dry look at appearance, wet look at leaves” refers to tenderness. Generally, teas with good tenderness easily meet the appearance requirements for their respective categories, such as the “smooth, flat, straight” appearance characteristic of Longjing. Additionally, the presence or absence of sharp points and white down can be used to distinguish good from bad tea. Sharp points and visible white down indicate not only good tenderness but also good processing. If the raw material tenderness is poor, no matter how well processed, the tea will lack sharp points and white down. However, the presence of down alone cannot determine tenderness, as different teas have different requirements. For example, top-quality Shifeng Longjing has no visible down on its surface. Furthermore, down can be easily faked, as it is relatively easy to create artificially. Using down as the sole criterion for tenderness only applies to “downy” teas like Mao Feng, Mao Jian, and Silver Needle. The most tender fresh leaves must be at least one bud and one leaf unfolded; picking only buds is extremely inappropriate, as buds are an incomplete part of growth, lacking a full range of components, especially chlorophyll, and therefore, should not be solely used to pursue tenderness when making tea.
2. Shape
Shape refers to the specific appearance specifications of various types of tea, such as the twisted shape of stir-fried green tea, the round shape of pearl tea, the flat shape of Longjing, and the granular shape of black broken tea, etc. Generally, for long-shaped teas, observe the tightness, straightness, thickness, roundness (or flatness for flat-shaped teas), and heaviness; for round-shaped teas, observe the tightness, uniformity, heaviness, and hollowness of the particles; for flat-shaped teas, observe the flatness and smoothness, and whether they conform to specifications. Generally, tightly packed, heavy-bodied, and straight (except for flat-shaped teas) shapes indicate young raw materials, good processing, and superior quality. If the appearance is loose, flat (except for flat-shaped teas), broken, and accompanied by smoky or scorched flavors, it indicates old raw materials, poor processing, and inferior quality. Taking the standard for the shape of Hangzhou region green teas as an example: first grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade, fifth grade, and sixth grade, the descriptions include finely twisted with sharp points, finely twisted with some sharp points, fairly tightly packed, fairly tightly packed, slightly loose, and coarse and loose. The specifications must prioritize tightness, firmness, and sharp points.
3. Color
The color of tea is closely related to the tenderness of the raw materials and the processing techniques. Each type of tea has certain color requirements, such as the dark lustrous black color of Black Tea, the emerald green color of green tea, the olive-brown color of Oolong Tea, and the dark oily color of black tea, etc. However, regardless of the type of tea, good tea requires consistent colors, bright luster, and a fresh appearance. If the colors are inconsistent, vary in depth, and appear dull without shine, it indicates uneven tenderness of the raw materials, poor processing, and inferior quality. The color of tea is also closely related to the origin of the tea trees and the season. For example, high-altitude green teas have a greenish-yellow color that is fresh and bright; low-altitude teas or plain teas have a deep green color with a luster. During the tea-making process, improper techniques can also cause changes in color.
When purchasing tea, detailed judgments should be made based on the specific type of tea being purchased. For example, the best Longjing is Shifeng Longjing, which, due to its production before the Qingming Festival, does not have a bright green color but rather a natural rough rice color, appearing light yellow. This is a major characteristic of Shifeng Longjing, distinguishing it clearly in color from other Longjings. Because Shifeng Longjing sells at extremely high prices, tea farmers might produce this color to imitate it. The method involves slightly overcooking the leaves during the tea-making process, causing the leaf color to turn yellow. The difference between genuine and fake Shifeng Longjing is that genuine Shifeng is evenly smooth, light yellow-green, and the tea fragrance carries a hint of fresh scent; fake Shifeng is loose and hollow, rough, slightly yellow, and the tea fragrance carries the scent of roasted soybeans. It is not easy to make a judgment without multiple comparisons. However, once brewed, the differences become very apparent. Overcooked fake Shifeng lacks the rich, fresh fragrance characteristic of Longjing.
4. Wholeness
Wholeness refers to the appearance and degree of fragmentation of the tea, with uniformity being preferable and fragmentation being secondary. In a standard tea evaluation, the tea is placed in a tray (a wooden tray is ideal) and, under the force of rotation, is sorted into layers according to size, weight, coarseness, fineness, and wholeness. The coarsest leaves end up on the top layer