Often, many tea enthusiasts wonder, how do you tell the quality of citrus Peel?
This is a broad question that's hard to summarize succinctly.
Essentially, it boils down to making comparisons, learning more, and drinking authentic high-quality citrus peel tea. Once you've experienced truly premium citrus peel, it becomes easy to identify fakes or low-quality products with just one glance or sip.
If you don't have much practical experience, you can start by following these ten tips:
① Geographical Origin
“Guang Citrus Peel” refers specifically to citrus peel produced in Xinhui, Guangdong Province. Citrus peel from other regions like Guangxi, Longmen, Taishan, Kaiping, Hubei, Yunnan, Fujian, and others are collectively known as “citrus peel from other areas.”
② Cultivation Methods
Xinhui is located at the confluence of three rivers and near the sea, which results in unique soil conditions due to the alternating irrigation with brackish and fresh water. This creates the distinctive characteristics of Xinhui's tea branch tangerines.
In general, fruits from paddy fields are considered superior, while those from mountainous areas are considered inferior. Organically grown fruit is preferred over those cultivated with chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
③ Tree Age
In Xinhui, there is a saying that trees should be at least three years old before their fruit can be harvested for drying into citrus peel. Trees six to seven years old are considered mature and transitioning towards becoming old trees, with a higher concentration of active ingredients in the peel, making them ideal for processing.
Trees over ten years old produce fewer fruits, and most farmers consider economic efficiency and often cut down older trees to improve soil fertility!
④ Processing Techniques
The best citrus peel is naturally sun-dried and stored in a dry warehouse, resulting in a soft, supple texture with elasticity.
Citrus peel processed using steaming, soaking, roasting, or drying is of lower quality, with a dry, brittle texture and no elasticity.
⑤ Color
“Citrus peel under three years is called tangerine peel; after three years, it can be called citrus peel.” High-quality citrus peel has a deep brown or dark brown color (the degree of ripeness affects the coloration), with a yellow or light brown inner surface and signs of natural degradation. It should appear clean, bright, with translucent oil vesicles, and clear “hog bristle patterns” on the outer surface.
In contrast, if the peel appears dull and dark without luster, with a thick and black inner surface, it may be artificially aged or treated.
The “natural aging color” refers to the natural change in color after aging. Freshly picked tangerine peels are usually bright red or Orange-yellow, turning into a darker brown (Liver color) after sun-drying.
Newly dried tangerine peels typically have an orange-red outer surface and a milky white inner surface. After a year of aging, the bright orange-red color fades to a light brown, and the inner surface turns a pale yellow. When the peel reaches three years of aging, the outer surface turns a dark brown with a full oily feel. After five years of aging, well-preserved citrus peel maintains a dark brown color but may appear slightly “dark brown.” After eight years, the peel starts to turn “dark brown,” and the inner surface naturally sheds most of its white pith, matching the color of the outer surface.
Therefore, in normal natural aging conditions, Xinhui citrus peel will not appear truly “black,” especially on the inner surface.
⑥ Weight
As volatile oils, flavonoids, sugars, and other internal components oxidize, the white pith gradually falls off, so the longer the aging time, the lighter the citrus peel feels. The longer the aging time, the more the peel shrinks, and the smaller it becomes.
⑦ Aroma
Old citrus peel has a pure, rich fragrance with a subtle spicy aroma and a strong medicinal and sweet scent. Its aroma is long-lasting, and when torn, it fills the air. If it has a sour, rotten, or no smell, it might be artificially aged, fake, or from another region.
⑧ Structure
Naturally sun-dried citrus peel has an inward curling appearance, a sense of shrinkage, and a fish-scale-like texture on the inner surface, giving it a three-dimensional feel. The outer surface has a pattern resembling pigskin, with large, dense oil pits visible when held up to the light.
Fake or non-Xinhui citrus peel has a thick, rigid inner surface without any three-dimensional texture or pattern. It is thicker and has a smooth inner pith, with no oil pits on the outer surface or very few, and is not translucent. The outer surface may have protruding points, indicating it is from another region.
⑨ Brewed Color
The brewed color of old citrus peel resembles amber and deepens with prolonged brewing, similar to golden or blood amber. It should be clear and bright, with a yellowish glow. After settling, there should be a golden ring on the surface of the cup. On the contrary, if the color is red like carnelian or dark to black, and the Brew is murky and heavy, it may be artificially aged or fake.
You can test this by boiling water with a piece of three-lobed citrus peel and about 1200 milliliters of pure water, observing whether the color deepens and remains “amber” in hue.
After brewing, properly aged Xinhui citrus peel should have an “amber” sheen, clear and bright, without the color of “ripe Pu'er tea.”
⑩ Taste
Old citrus peel tastes sweet, fragrant, and thick, with a rich flavor and a minty aftertaste. Newer peels have a stronger spicy flavor but are still refreshing and natural, though lighter in taste.
If the brew has a sour, rancid, or other off-flavors, artificial flavorings, or a heavy water taste, it may be artificially aged or fake.
Authentic Xinhui old citrus peel has a pure and pleasant taste, with a clear and rich flavor. Citrus peel over ten years old will have a strong medicinal scent.
You can also chew on the citrus peel after boiling (as shown above), and the aroma should remain clear and intense.
“Black citrus peel” lacks the natural fragrance of citrus peel, and there will be no lingering aroma after drinking. In some cases, it may cause discomfort such as numbness in the mouth.
These “blackened citrus peels” often come with an uncomfortable “sour and rotten” taste, causing