6 Tips for Sourcing the Best Chinese Green Tea
1. Choose Loose Leaf Tea Instead of Bagged Tea
The quality of tea bag green tea you find in supermarkets or grocery stores is generally average. Truly good green tea is always in the form of loose leaf tea.
If the green tea is of excellent quality, the tea brand or tea shop will want to showcase and sell it in its loose leaf tea form, allowing people to see the high-quality green tea's shape, color, and fine hairs.
2. Freshness
Different types of Chinese tea have different tasting points. For example, with loose leaf black tea, people enjoy its rich taste and complex layers. With loose leaf oolong tea, people appreciate its rich aroma.
So, what is the tasting point for loose leaf green tea? It’s all about freshness. In China, loose leaf green tea sales rank first among several major types of tea each year. The discerning and tea-loving Chinese drink loose leaf green tea for that fresh taste.
When purchasing loose leaf green tea, please check the picking and production time of the tea. Generally, the best time to enjoy loose leaf green tea is within about a year after it is picked and produced.
3. Avoid Buying Green Tea with Little or Vague Information
If a Chinese green tea only has a name, such as Longjing tea, then the quality of this green tea is questionable.
If a Chinese green tea is of high quality, the tea brand or tea shop will prominently display all the information that can prove the quality of the green tea.
Effective information that indicates the quality of green tea includes:
- Place of origin (preferably detailed down to the town or village)
- Whether it is from the core production area of that type of tea
- Tea tree variety
- Harvest time
- Production process
- Information about the tea maker
- The shape of the dry tea leaves
- The taste and aroma of the brewed tea
- The number of brews it can yield
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4. Tea Variety
Different varieties of green tea have different specific evaluation standards.
Before purchasing a Chinese green tea, you can look up information about this tea to see what the high-quality varieties of this tea should look like in terms of shape, color, aroma, and taste. Then use this information to select your tea.
Some of the best loose leaf tea has very detailed evaluation standards. For example, for information about different grades of Longjing tea, you can refer to this article: "Buying Longjing Tea(Dragon Well) : Grade Guide"
5. Appearance of the Tea Leaves
The aspects mentioned earlier for judging the quality of green tea may be too complex for beginners.
Here is a simple method: by carefully examining the appearance of green tea, beginners can avoid many issues.
For most green teas, the smaller the leaves, the better. Smaller leaves indicate that the fresh leaves were more tender when picked.
When a tea master makes high-quality green tea, they are very careful and meticulous. Therefore, high-quality green tea generally has a more uniform and symmetrical appearance, with no obvious breaks or debris.
6. Use Tea Samplers to Taste
Some green teas are difficult to judge in terms of quality based solely on pictures and information provided by sellers. Some green teas might be of good quality but may not suit individual tastes.
For beginners, trying a loose leaf tea sampler can help avoid the issues mentioned above and is more economical and convenient.
A tea sampler usually contains multiple small packages of green tea, allowing you to compare, taste, and fully experience different varieties to find your preferred high-quality loose leaf green tea. Tea samplers also make great healthy and delicious tea gift sets for family and friends.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the Best Chinese Green Tea for Beginners?
If we were to recommend Chinese green tea for beginners, we would definitely suggest Longjing tea and Jasmine green tea.
Longjing is one of the most famous green teas in China. It has a fresh, mellow taste with low bitterness and a delicate, high aroma. Most beginners find its flavor and aroma irresistible.
Jasmine green tea is a gateway tea for many people into the world of Chinese tea. The aroma of the best jasmine tea can make you feel as if you are in a jasmine field in early summer. It’s a green tea that people fall in love with right from the start.
Both of these teas are not only delicious when brewed with hot water but also taste amazing when made into loose leaf cold brew tea with cold water or ice.
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What Makes Chinese Green Tea Taste Better?
Several factors determine the taste of Chinese green tea, including:
- The variety of the tea tree
- The environment where the tea tree grows
- The tenderness of the fresh leaves
- The production process
Green teas from some core production areas can sell for very high prices due to their geographic rarity. Tea enthusiasts do not have to limit themselves to these high-priced options. Green teas from less famous but naturally superior environments can also offer amazing flavors.
iTeaworld has introduced a Wild Green Tea. The tea trees for this wild green tea grow naturally in the wild without any management, resulting in a tea that is rich, fresh, and has a unique wild flavor. This wild green tea is also an organic loose leaf tea.
How to Get the Most Flavor out of Chinese Green Tea?
Using the Gongfu Brewing Method, brewing green tea multiple times for short durations can maximize its flavor.
From the first brew to the last, you can experience the subtle changes in the taste of the green tea.
This method is not only suitable for loose leaf green tea but also for other Chinese tea. For example, some of the best oolong tea, such as TieGuanyin and Da Hong Pao, also taste wonderful when brewed this way.
How Many Times Can You Reuse Chinese Green Tea?
Generally, Chinese green tea can be re-brewed 3-4 times using the Gongfu Brewing Method.
You can determine the exact number of brews based on the actual situation. When the brewed tea becomes light and has a noticeable watery taste, it indicates that most of the substances in the tea leaves have been released.
Is it Better to Drink Chinese Green Tea in the Morning or at Night?
Chinese green tea is ideal for consumption in the morning to awaken a fresh new day. In the morning, the body's absorption function is at its peak, allowing beneficial substances like antioxidants in green tea to be more effective.
It is not recommended to drink green tea at night. Although green tea contains less caffeine than coffee, it can still potentially affect sleep. Research has shown that consuming caffeine before bedtime can disrupt sleep quality, such as reducing the duration of deep sleep, even if it doesn't prevent falling asleep.
