But in the process of buying tea, I have also encountered some pits and been cheated by dishonest merchants.
In this article, I will share some common shopping traps, hoping to help you avoid detours when buying tea and buy high-quality tea.
First, the low price trap:
When buying tea, we really need to be alert to the low price trap. I was caught in a dilemma because of the attraction of low-priced tea, and learned valuable lessons from it.
Once, I saw a tea stall marked "Special Price" in a market, and the price was much lower than that of similar products in other stalls.
I was attracted and thought I had found a good deal. However, it was discovered afterwards that this purchase turned out to be an experience I didn't want to repeat.
I bought a box of low-priced green tea, and when I got home, I found that the quality of tea was not as good as I thought. The appearance of tea presents a faint color, without the fresh green meaning.
The brewed tea soup has no expected aroma and taste, but it has a pungent herbal flavor. I began to doubt whether the quality of this kind of tea is reliable, which may contain bad additives or untreated inferior tea.
Through this purchase experience, I realized that low-priced tea is not necessarily a cost-effective choice. In the market, some merchants may attract customers with low prices, but there is probably a hidden problem of tea quality behind them.
Good tea with good quality and low price:
Famous tea is usually very expensive. If you meet a famous tea with a very low price, there is probably a problem.
I once met a kind of tea advertised as the top Longjing at a tea exhibition, but the price was extremely low. It turns out that the taste of tea is far from as good as it advertised.
Rare tea with low price:
Some rare teas are naturally more expensive because of their scarce output. If you encounter rare tea with low price, it may be of poor quality or adulterated ingredients. I once met a low-priced version called a kind of precious tea, only to find that it was actually ordinary tea after buying it.
Through these experiences, I learned to be vigilant when buying tea, not only by looking at the price, but also by paying attention to the quality of tea. I will choose to buy the products of tea merchants with reliable brands or good reputation, and try to avoid those teas with too low prices.
At the same time, I will also carefully check the packaging and instructions of tea to ensure that the origin and certification information of tea is authentic.
Second, the false origin:
When buying tea, we really need to be wary of false origin information, because the origin is directly related to the quality and taste of tea.
It is very important to know the characteristics of tea in different regions. Due to different soil and climate conditions, tea from different producing areas has a unique flavor.
For example, Tieguanyin in China is mainly produced in Wuyishan, Fujian, and the authentic Tieguanyin has a unique rock rhyme and rich fruit fragrance. If you encounter tea called Tieguanyin but produced in other areas, it is likely to be false origin information.
Secondly, understanding the production process of tea is also helpful to judge the authenticity of the place of origin. The tea production technology in different producing areas will be different, which also affects the quality of tea.
For example, Longjing tea in China is made by kneading and produced in Hangzhou. However, if the so-called "Longjing tea" is made by kneading, and the place of origin is nominally foreign, it is likely to be a fake tea.
Choosing a reliable tea supplier is also the key to distinguish the fake origin. Regular tea merchants usually provide detailed origin information and have qualified certification.
For example, they may mark the origin, production batch, certification body and other information of tea on the package. If the tea you buy does not have a clear origin label or the label is vague, you need to be extra careful.
In my personal experience, I once met a so-called "Huangshan Mao Feng", but the label of origin on the package said that it had nothing to do with Huangshan.
I bought a small bag and tried it at home, only to find that the appearance, aroma and taste of tea are quite different from those of the real Huangshan Mao Feng. Later, I learned the characteristics and origin of Huangshan Mao Feng in detail, only to know that the tea I bought was false origin information.
Therefore, when buying tea, I will carefully check the origin information on the package and judge its authenticity by understanding the characteristics of tea from different origins.
It is an effective method to identify the fake origin by knowing the appearance, aroma, taste and other characteristics of tea and comparing whether the purchased tea is consistent with it.
By accumulating experience, I can judge the authenticity of tea producing area more accurately and avoid buying fakes.
Third, excessive packaging:
Sometimes, the packaging of tea will be too gorgeous, and even flaunt the efficacy of medicinal diet.
These over-packaging are often just to attract attention, but the quality of tea itself may not be high.
I suggest choosing simple and practical packaging and paying attention to internal quality rather than external packaging.
Fourth, overemphasize the year:
When buying tea, overemphasizing the year is a problem that needs to be treated with caution. Year is not the only criterion to measure the quality of tea. Different kinds of tea will have different quality performance under different storage years.
Below, I will share some observations and understandings about the Year of Tea through my own practical experience.
First of all, some teas, such as Pu 'er tea and Tieguanyin tea, may improve in quality with the increase of years. This is because these tea leaves will gradually undergo chemical changes during storage, which makes the taste, aroma and soup color of tea leaves tend to be round and complicated.
For example, I once tasted a Pu 'er tea produced in 2008. At first, it tasted bitter, but after a few years in Chen Fang, this kind of tea gradually became soft and had a deep fragrance, which left a deep impression on me.
However, not all tea leaves are suitable for long-term storage. Some tea leaves may lose their original freshness and aroma after a long time, or even be over-aged, affecting the taste.
For example, green tea and fresh flower and fruit tea are usually not suitable for long-term storage, because their characteristics are fresh and refreshing, and they may gradually lose these characteristics over time.
In my experience, I once tried to buy an older black tea, but I found that its tea has become very old and moldy, which seriously affected the experience of tea tasting.
This experience made me understand that not all teas are better as they age, and different teas need to be judged according to their types and characteristics for long-term storage.
When buying tea, we should pay attention to the types and characteristics of tea and consider whether the year is suitable for its storage. For some tea suitable for aging, I will choose some mature but not too old years to get a better tea tasting experience.
In this process, I will consult professional advice, refer to the experience sharing of tea lovers, and comprehensively judge whether the year of tea suits my taste and preference.
Through continuous trial and accumulation, I gradually learned to distinguish the advantages and disadvantages of tea age, so as to choose the tea that suits me more accurately.
Beibei has something to say:
Generally speaking, you should be cautious and rational when buying tea, and don't be confused by low prices and exaggerated publicity.
Choose reputable brands and shops to buy tea to ensure the quality and freshness of tea. At the same time, it is also important to know the source and shelf life of tea.
Buying tea is a kind of enjoyment, let us feel the charm of tea culture and taste the good times brought by tea.