The six small tips for buying tea

Tips for buying tea

When buying tea, it can be difficult to determine its quality from its dry leafy form. To help you make a more informed decision, we’ve provided a few guidelines to follow:

1. Degree of Dryness – The finished tea leaves should be dry, with a water content below 5%. If you pinch and crush the leaf with your thumb and forefinger and it feels soft, it may be too moist and potentially harmful to drink.
2. Shape – Each type of tea has its own unique shape. Look for a neat and consistent shape and size of the blade, such as the round grain shape of Tie Guanyin tea.
3. Uniform and Bright Color – Dull and uneven-colored tea leaves indicate poor quality. For example, Tie Guanyin tea should have a sand-green or dark green and bright color.
4. Aroma – Each tea should have its own unique aroma. If the tea leaves are mixed with other leaves, you should be able to notice a difference in color and aroma.
5. Cleanliness – Check for impurities like dust, broken leaves, and tea stalks. Good quality tea should be free from impurities.
6. Brand – A well-known brand with a long history usually adheres to consistently good practices, providing more assurance of quality.

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