Customer Question: How do you evaluate tea quality? I often buy tea from tea shops, but I never seem to like what the owner recommends. I want to pick my own tea, but I don’t know how to evaluate it. How can I tell if tea is high quality?
Chang-Hsing Tea: To evaluate tea quality, you need to look at three main aspects: the appearance and color of the dry tea leaves, the brewed tea liquor, and the spent leaves (infused leaves).
▼ Dry Tea Leaves Appearance: First, check the maturity of the leaves. If the leaves are overly mature or harvested when they are too young, they are not top quality. The best harvest typically consists of one bud and two newly opened leaves. Next, look at how tightly rolled or shaped the leaves are. Oolong tea should be tightly rolled, round, and plump, while Pouchong tea should have evenly proportioned, strip-like shapes. As for color, premium Oolong should have a dark green hue with vibrant greenish undertones. Pouchong tea is best when it has a deep green color.
Tea Liquor: The second step in evaluating tea is to look at the brewed liquor. This involves checking the color, inhaling the aroma, and tasting. For Pouchong and Oolong teas, the liquor should ideally be golden-green, glossy, and clear. It should give off a clean aroma and taste floral with a sweet, lingering aftertaste (hui gan). These are the hallmarks of a top-grade Pouchong or Oolong tea.
▼ Spent Leaves (Infused Leaves): Observing the spent leaves is a key method for evaluating tea quality. The shape of the infused leaves should ideally be neat and even. If the leaves are heavily broken or fail to unfurl properly, it usually means the leaves were either harvested too young or poorly processed. Next, you can check the elasticity of the leaf flesh. If the leaves feel thick and bouncy to the touch, it indicates that the tea plant received adequate nutrients, was harvested at the right time, and was skillfully processed. Finally, check the oxidation (fermentation) level. For black tea, the leaves should be dark red. Generally speaking, the heavier the oxidation, the darker the color of the spent leaves. For Pouchong and high mountain teas, the edges should be slightly reddish while the overall leaf remains green; Dong Ding tea should have distinctly reddish edges; Oriental Beauty leaves should be dark red; and black tea is best when it is dark red bordering on black.
The methods for evaluating tea quality vary depending on the type of tea. For Taiwanese tea in general, look for neat appearances, floral aromas, and thick leaf flesh. However, evaluating tea quality requires experience, so if you are a beginner, it is best to shop with someone experienced.