Buying Tea or How To Buy Tea

How can you, the average person, tell if you are buying good quality tea? Buying tea can be a daunting experience with all of the varieties and types on offer in today's market. Though buying tea or more accurately selecting the correct tea leaf can be an art in itself (which some people will devote a lifetime to), there are tips that can help all of us to make a well informed decision on a tea that pleases.

When buying tea there are three main tools you will use - all of these come. To buy tea you will need your sight (does it look pleasing), your sense of taste (the flavor) and your sense of smell (is the aroma pleasing). If you use these three senses with some care and time, you will find that buying tea is not that difficult and you can easily choose and buy a relatively good tea.

1. Step 1

   When buying tea first have a look at it. If you open up a cheap tea bag and empty the contents you will notice it is powdery. This is tea dust and is not the exceptional quality that you are looking for. To buy the best tea you will need to be buying tea which has a whole leaf. Types of tea made from whole tea leaves are better in quality to ones where the tea leaves have been cut, torn and crushed. Crushed tea leaves will often give you a tea that tastes bitter and unpleasant. And if buying tea from cut leaves the bigger the cut the better and smoother the flavor.

2. Step 2

   The next step in buying tea lies with your nose As most of you know when you make a cup of tea there is a fabulous aroma which permeates the air and invites you to drink and savor the taste. Each type of tea gives off its own unique aroma. For example green teas will have a leafy grassy smell to them, black teas will most often taste sweet and pu-erhs have an earthy smell to them. This inviting aroma is also true of the different flavored teas that most of us are now fond of drinking. When buying tea you will need to make a personal choice on the aroma that best invites you and relaxes you.

3. Step 3

   And finally when buying tea, especially fine quality teas, you need to taste. Taste is of course a matter of personal preference. Therefore, only you can say whether you have bought a superb tea type that is just right for you. However you should keep in mind when buying tea that any tea you buy should NOT taste flat, stale (and smell stale) or flavorless. If during your experimentation with different types of tea you happen to buy a tea which falls into any of these categories then you should not buy this particular tea in the future.

When buying tea in your local supermarket or grocery store (or even online) it is unlikely that you will have the chance to try a tea before you buy it or in some cases even to see it or smell it. In this situation it is best to try sampler portions of a number of different teas so that you can experiment and select what is best for your taste. If possible, when trying a new supplier, ask for a free sample if they offer this. Alternatively, buying tea in the smallest possible quantity will allow you to gauge the overall quality of their products without a large outlay.

Now that you are armed with information about buying tea let's see just how much tea you should buy. Most of us have three or four different tea flavors and brands sitting in our cupboards waiting for the times that we want to sit down and enjoy them. Whilst having a good selection on hand is nice it is essential to keep in mind that the freshness of the tea will die away with time.

So it is important when buying tea that you buy only what you can drink in 3-4 weeks at the most (1-2 weeks is best) and also that you learn the best way to store your teas for freshness. This may prove to be a little hassle as you need to buy your tea more often but with a variety of online stores selling quality fine tea now available this should not prove too bad.

As you see when you are looking at buying tea there are many considerations to take account of. The last and most important item, you should never forget when you are choosing and buying tea is to have fun and enjoy the myriad tastes that you will encounter. The adventure of learning about and buying tea will enrich your life in a manner that you may never have imagined.

Disclaimer: The information contained on this site is not intended to replace the diagnosis, treatment, consultation and services of a qualified Medical Practitioner. All information presented is in summary form and intended only for informational purposes. Always seek immediate medical attention for any illness you may have and never disregard the advice from qualified Medical Practitioners as something you have read on this site (or related sites) could be misinterpreted.