Today, we're going to talk about buying black tea.
Identification of Black Tea
Black tea is a fully Fermented tea made from the buds and leaves of the tea tree, processed through withering, rolling, Fermentation, drying, and other steps. Although Black Tea has always been popular, many people are unsure how to choose high-quality black tea. Below are some methods for identifying black tea.
Depending on the production method, black tea can be divided into three types: Gongfu black tea, small-leaf black tea, and broken black tea. Different types of black tea have different identification methods.
Gongfu Black Tea
High-quality gongfu black tea has tight, fine, straight, and uniform strands; its color is lustrous and dark; it has a rich, fresh, and pure aroma; the taste is full-bodied and the liquor is bright red; the infused leaves are bright and red. Conversely, those with coarse, uneven strands, inconsistent and dull colors, impure aromas, unclear liquor color, turbid liquor, bland taste, and dark infused leaves are inferior.
Among gongfu black teas, Anhui Keemun black tea is particularly renowned. Others like Zhenghe Gongfu, Tanyang Gongfu, and Bailin Gongfu also enjoy a good reputation both domestically and internationally, all being high-quality black teas.
Broken Black Tea
High-quality broken black tea has uniform strands; the broken tea particles are tightly curled, the leaf tea strands are straight and tight, the piece tea is thick and wrinkled, and the fannings are granular and solid in texture. There should be no pieces or fannings in the broken tea, no fannings in the piece tea, and no dust in the fannings. The distinct characteristics include a strong aroma with fruity, floral, and jasmine-like sweet fragrances. The liquor is concentrated, strong, and brisk. The infused leaves are bright red and tender. Teas with these features are often high-quality.
On the contrary, those with gray or yellowish color, pale liquor, low aroma, and dark and murky liquor are of lower quality.
Small-Leaf Black Tea
High-quality small-leaf black tea has sturdy and evenly shaped strands, a lustrous and dark color, and a unique smoky aroma. Its taste is mild, the liquor is bright red, and the infused leaves are a bronze color. If the aroma is off, the liquor is murky, and the infused leaves are dark, such small-leaf black teas are typically inferior.
Among small-leaf black teas, the most famous include Zhengshan Xiaozhong, Zhenghe Xiaozhong, and Tanyang Xiaozhong.
We hope you've now mastered the skills for identifying black tea,
so when buying black tea, you'll get
the one that meets your expectations.