How to determine the quality of tea at home

Tea is considered to be one of the most popular drinks in the world. The connoisseurs have created a certain cult that allows for tea drinking in the original Chinese style. Today, loose leaf tea is gaining popularity, which requires certain storage conditions. If any are violated, the product can be considered irretrievably damaged. Many lovers are wondering how to choose quality tea. Let's try to figure it out together.

Features of quality tea

Not all tea lovers know what to look for when choosing a leaf composition. It is also important to understand how to brew such a drink. The effect on the body and the enjoyment of the tea drinking procedure itself depend on the quality of the procedure. There are elite varieties that not every amateur can afford. Buying expensive tea, it is worth relying on the opinion of specialists in this field.

1. When buying good tea, pay attention to the quality of packaging. The presence of foil inside is considered an excellent protection against ultraviolet rays, moisture and excess air. Sealed packaging allows you to save the useful and taste properties of this variety of tea.
2. It is recommended to buy tea by weight, where you can take a closer look at the structure of the composition and feel the aroma of the purchased product.
3. Pay attention to the appearance and size of the tea leaves. If you get high-quality tea, the length of leaves of this variety should not exceed 1.5 cm. Leaves of an expensive variety are folded into tubes.
4. Look at the color; in quality varieties it should be uniform and monophonic. Make sure that tea is not dull, this feature is characteristic of the old product.
5. Among the twisted leaves should not be present pieces of twigs (stems). High-quality tea is characterized by the presence of unbroken buds called tipsa.
6. Young dried tea leaves twist denser than ripe. Also, lower stiffer leaves are subject to collection, they are often crushed and sold at a bargain price.
7. Please note that when you click on the dried leaves, they easily break, and when rubbed, a powder is obtained.
8. Evaluate if there are lumps or balls in the total mass. Their presence suggests that the tea is not finished and will not last long. Tea leaves should not be weighty, not airy.

Large brands, as a rule, do not save on packaging; forging such a product is very difficult. Pay attention to the labeling and style of a popular product. Producers of higher grades will not save on this. Despite the well-packaged and high-quality tea, its shelf life does not exceed one year. Otherwise, the leaves of the product lose all the beneficial properties, taste and aroma.

How to evaluate the quality of leaf tea

There are many parameters for assessing the quality of tea.

1. If the product is old, a gray coating will be observed on the leaves.
2. The pattern formed in the tea storage container should be pleasing to the eye and look natural.
3. Under no external factors (transportation, processing and storage of top-grade tea), fine crumbs and dust are not allowed.
4. If possible, click on the leaf with your finger. (A strongly dried tea will crumble, a properly made leaf of tea will return to its original state, and an undried product will remain in a compressed position.)
5. Remember, mold tea does not exist, no matter how much you praise a similar sort of product. This factor speaks only about the corruption of the goods.

Tea lovers claim that overseas people prefer to buy the product by weight. In this case, you can visually assess the quality of tea.

1. Dry tea leaf. Open the package and sprinkle a small amount of leaves on the table. Pay attention to size, shape and softness. If the product is of high quality, the leaves will be of the same size and shape. About a good product says the large size of the twisted leaves. Soft leaves testify to the strength and well-balanced color of the product.
2. Wet tea leaf. When brewing good tea, the leaves, absorbing water, restore their original appearance. This factor can tell a lot about the quality and grade of this product.
3. The aroma of dry tea. Fresh tea is distinguished by its astringent aroma. To do this, draw a small amount of leaves in your hand and inhale the smell. Low-quality tea is less aromatic and absorbs a lot of liquid in the leaf.
4. The aroma of a freshly brewed drink. Many factors affect the taste and aroma of tea. It all depends on the territorial origin of the variety, the method of collection and processing of the product.
5. The taste of tea is individual. In most cases, a black product is characterized by a sweet aroma and a tart aftertaste. At the same time, green leaves do not have a pronounced smell, they do not have a hard and grassy taste.
6. Varieties of poor quality will have a sharp, musty and sour flavor. Having gained experience in tasting different varieties of tea, you can determine the quality of this drink. Please note that many manufacturers are trying to cover up gaps with flavorings and food additives. No one forbids you to determine the quality of a product by appearance before brewing it.

High-quality tea: flavoring features

Tea belongs to elite drinks; therefore, quality is determined by taste characteristics. A product of this kind should have a light, relaxed flavor. When drinking tea, you should get pleasure and relaxation. Try to drink high-quality varieties, this will have a beneficial effect on your psycho-emotional state.

1. The tea drink contains everyone's favorite caffeine. For this reason, drinks of this kind help to cheer up and activate brain activity.
2. A high-quality variety contributes to the fight against stressful situations that occurred throughout the day.
3. It is believed that tea helps relieve fatigue, normalizes metabolism, the activity of the vegetovascular system and the heart muscle.
4. Tea promotes the natural regeneration of the walls of capillaries and blood vessels. Moreover, if the loose composition is brewed long enough, such a move helps to increase blood pressure. If the infusion is within normal limits (weak), it, on the contrary, will reduce the pressure.
5. Green tea helps to eliminate toxins from the body, boosts the immune system. Also, a variety of green leaves improves the condition of hair, skin, nails and prevents aging.

Watch for moderate tea. It contains many biological substances, from an excess of which can harm the body. Reception of a good grade varies within 3-4 cups per day. A larger amount has the opposite effect.

Poor grade tea

Often on the shelves of supermarkets there are many varieties of tea, and their price varies greatly. In such stores does not always mean price — quality. After all, you can buy an expensive, but low-quality product. Nobody has been insured against fakes. Let's take a look at how to reduce the chances of buying a low grade of tea.

1. It is recommended to purchase the product in a specialized store, following the above recommendations.
2. When buying packaged tea, do not be lazy to study the information on the label. Pay attention to the manufacturer, packing time, packaging quality.
3. Do not follow the rule “expensive goods - good goods”.Often you only pay for a beautiful jar.

Special attention is drawn to a packaged tea. A product of this kind will rarely be of high quality. A similar method of welding was invented for convenience, without preserving the above useful properties. The bags include shredded leaves and stems that are difficult to sell under the guise of quality tea.

It is easy to determine the quality of tea, if you have sufficient knowledge regarding the basic characteristics. Carefully evaluate the structure of the product, its consistency, aroma, packaging option. In the case of the weight composition, inspect the leaves, they should be folded into a tube. Make sure that there are no foreign particles in the tea.

Video: determining the quality of puer