When drinking Tea for health, it is essential to choose high-quality tea. Selecting tea is like choosing friends; one should opt for those that are good. To distinguish between good and bad tea, a proper evaluation will reveal the quality at a glance. The body's response will also indicate the quality of inferior tea. Below are some key points for evaluating tea:
1. **Observe**
Look at the shape: Observe the uniformity and consistency of the tea leaves and the luster of their color. Evaluate the quality based on how uniform the appearance is, the oiliness and gloss of the color, and the presence of broken leaves or twigs.
For example, good green tea has a vibrant green color with visible white downy hairs (except in teas like Longjing, which have a rough rice-like yellow hue without visible down). A clear and bright infusion is desirable. Certain famous teas have distinctive shapes, such as the flat and straight Longjing from West Lake, the downy and peak-shaped Huangshan Maofeng, the fine and straight Xinyang Maojian, and the slender and coiled Biluochun.
2. **Smell**
Smell the aroma: High-quality tea should have a pure aroma without any off-flavors. Smelling the tea can help determine its quality. There are two ways to smell tea: dry and wet.
When smelling the dry leaves, good tea should not have a grassy or odd odor. When smelling the wet leaves after brewing, good tea should have a fresh, strong aroma without any strange smells.
If the tea has an overly high-aroma or a burnt smell, you need to be cautious. Some tea merchants may re-bake old tea to increase its aroma and pass it off as new to make a profit.
3. **Inquire**
Inquire about its origin: Ask about the variety and place of origin to roughly assess the quality. When purchasing tea, consider the authentic region and corresponding variety. For instance, according to Zhejiang provincial standards, the specific production area for West Lake Longjing is around Lion Peak, Meiwo, and Longwu in Hangzhou. Biluochun comes from the shores of Dongting Lake in Jiangsu province, while Tieguanyin Oolong originates from Anxi, Fujian.
It's helpful to do some preliminary research to understand basic information, so you can ask informed questions when consulting sellers. This way, you're less likely to be misled.
4. **Brew and Taste**
Brew and taste the tea: Ultimately, tea is meant to be drunk. Some tea enthusiasts find that the tea tastes different when brewed by themselves compared to when tasted at the seller's place, leading them to suspect foul play.
What you need to do is brew the tea yourself on the spot. If there's an error in the brewing method, knowledgeable sellers will guide you on the correct way to prepare the tea. This allows you to discover more brewing techniques and tips, and you can truly experience the authentic flavor of the tea. While tasting, observe the liquor as well.
The liquor should be full-bodied, mellow, fresh, and slightly sweet, indicating high quality, while thin, coarse, and Astringent flavors suggest poor quality.
Finally, inspect the infused leaves: Full, soft, thick, tender leaves with visible buds are desirable, while thin, hard leaves with a dull color indicate lower quality.