How can you tell if a tea is high quality?
And don’t fall for the “pretty tea” trap
If you enjoy taking care of yourself, eating better, and creating small healthy rituals in your daily routine, tea is probably one of your greatest allies. The good news: you don’t need to be a sommelier or travel to a plantation in China to recognize a high quality tea. You just need to know what to look for.
- The leaves speak when they’re not ground into dust
This is the simplest and most revealing trick: open the bag and look at the leaves.
A quality tea typically has:
• Whole or partially whole leaves, not dust.
• A vibrant, even color consistent with the type of tea bright greens for green teas, clean earthy tones for black teas.
• A natural, fresh, vegetal leaf aroma… if it smells like synthetic perfume, be suspicious.
Most teas use dust or fannings: the leftover fragments from the processing stage. They brew quickly, yes, but the flavor is flat, harsh, and not very complex. And you’re looking for quite the opposite.
- The flavor confirms everything
The truth is revealed in the cup. When you prepare your tea:
• It shouldn’t taste bitter right away, unless you burned it with boiling water; don’t worry, it’s happened to all of us.
• It should have body and aroma without feeling heavy.
• The aftertaste should be pleasant and linger for a few seconds.
• If it tastes like “water with something,” it’s low quality tea. If it tastes like perfume, it’s artificial. Quality lives in balance.
- If it’s too cheap, be suspicious
You don’t have to break the bank to buy tea, but quality comes with a cost. It’s unusual to find high quality teas at bargain prices.
Recognizing a good quality tea isn’t that complicated. Check the label, review its origin, and observe the leaves. Three simple steps that make a huge difference in your palate and in your well being.
And now, go ahead, share this article with that person who always buys tea without checking any of this. You’ll be doing them a favor.
