Whether you are newly embarked in your tea-drinking journey or have been sipping for years, having the know-how to spot a quality tea blend is very important. Who better to know this than our team of professionals with Tea N’ Things? Apart from distributing high-quality, delicious tea blends to our consumers, we are also big proponents of educating our customers on what to look for when purchasing tea online. Here is what you should keep in mind when seeking high quality tea blends.
#1- Sight: What Does the Tea Look Like?
If your tea looks crumbled or contains wood fragments, it’s very possible that your tea was crushed, torn, and curled into small, hard pellets. This process is known as the CTC (Cut, Tear, Curl) method, which is less expensive and leaves the teas less flavorful. Conversely, the unbroken tea leaf process (Orthodox Method) is always preferable, whether it’s a leaf or bud. The teas are higher quality, less likely to have a bitter flavor, and contain more subtle and multi-layered flavors than CTC teas. So, when looking for quality tea blends, look for unbroken and uncrumpled leaves to make the right decision for yourself. Looking for a refreshing, loose-leaf tea blend? You will absolutely love the taste of our White Pear blend. This loose-leaf white tea is blended with fresh pear for a soothing, sweet flavor.
#2- Smell: Can You Describe the Smell?
When it comes to tea, many of our first impressions will most likely be made from the smell. Opening a canister or a pack of new tea, and you will quickly be greeted with the abundance of natural aromas. Smells for all teas vary, but they are typically light and airy. If a scented tea is unnoticeable or loses its smell quickly, this is indicative of a poor-quality blend.
#3-Touch: How Does the Tea Feel?
Bad tea will crumble under pressure. Whatever the tea, this should not crumble easily. If it does, it has been baked too long, is old, or stale. Generally speaking, high-quality dried tea leaves should feel how they look-smooth, whole, and sturdy. It should also have a slight heft in your hands.
#4- Taste: What Does It Taste Like?
Of course, this is undeniably the best way to judge tea. Think of tasting tea like how one tastes wine. Develop your palette. When brewing your tea, check that the flavor is sweet and matches the description of the tea that you purchased.
Great tea will have a strong, recognizable taste and mouthfeel. We recommend sipping it slowly, allowing the tea to roll over parts of your tongue, which allows the consumer to pick up on the various flavor notes and mouth feels as well. Take green and black tea, for instance. Green tea will feel and taste smooth, bright, and refreshing, whereas black tea will have a deeper, more intense taste. Regardless of the tea you are consuming, excellent tea like ours will activate different flavor sensations on your tongue, as you drink it.
Your One-Stop-Shop for High Quality Tea Blends: Tea N’ Things
We set the quality standard for our teas very high, to ensure that our customers will get quality and exotic flavors. Browse through our wide array of high quality tea to see for yourself.