October 2014

For those who are new to green teas, buying the right one could be a bit of a challenge. The questions that I have been asked:

• Can I order some green tea please (reality: there are more than 300 Chinese green teas with very distinctive individual characters.)
• What is the best green tea?
• Which green tea has the highest level of anti-oxidants?
• Are all green teas bitter and grassy?
• Are all loose leaf tea green tea?
• Any the list keeps growing!

Green tea and its health benefit

Green tea is one of the very original teas and has been consumed in China for a long history. It is however relatively new to the west. The interest in green tea has been rapidly increasing in the last 20-30 years mainly due to the recent documentary of their numerous health benefits.
The health benefits of different green teas are similar, although the anti-oxidant level is believed to be associated with the quality grade of the tea more than the variety (different varieties of green teas are made of different sub-species of the same plant).
I have been advising our customers as follow:

• Never forget that green tea was discovered as an enjoyable beverage to enhance lifestyle first
• The health benefits are by-products
• If you can find a green tea that suites your taste and in-cooperate it into your lifestyle, the health benefits will come naturally.

Purchase green tea online

Tea drinking is a life time journey for many and it is worth while taking time to investigate and find a tea and a supplier that meets you needs and satisfy your taste buds.
They are many online suppliers offering loose leaf green teas today, claiming to be premium quality. The quality range is however very big. There are supplier source their seasonal products directly from the tea farmers in China, transport and store appropriately while the others (with limited knowledge about premium fresh teas) simply purchase their products from a second or even third hand tea merchant. For the later, the product could be of low quality at production, being stored inadequately for a long time and sold under the same tea name for a profit, for example all under the same name Dragon Well green tea. The differences are evident to an experienced tea drinker.

Green tea buying tips:

• The best green teas are the fresh ones (refreshing and aromatic, never bitter or rough)
• All loose teas are quality graded and the difference could be quite big (similar to premium wine)
• Do a thorough check of the site, if the supplier appears to have extensive firsthand knowledge about teas, the chances are you are likely to get some decent quality products.
• Start from small amount but different varieties. Pick the one that satisfy your taste buds, you can then order bigger quality.
• Try out some free samples if possible.
• Tea bags are never of high quality, mainly because the broken leaves are heavily oxidised (different from fermentation!) at the edge to produce the bitter taste and rough texture

More information about green teas and their quality grades at: Tea and Quality.

When we talk about tea accessories, some inexperienced tea drinkers immediately think about exotic Chinese/Japanese tea ceremonies and the tea accessories used.

They are some extreme tea accessories of course, often for collection purpose that fall into this category. There also others designed for practicalities, specific accessories for specific teas with very valid reasons. For example:

1. We (Chinese) always use small teapots as these ensure the teas are freshly brewed and severed. A big teapot on the other hand has a tendency to soak the teas.
2. A glass teapot is recommended for green teas as the young tender leaves create an underwater phenomena during the brewing. It is a visual enjoyment as well as a good opportunity to inspect the quality of the leaves.
3. A Zi Sha teapot (purple sand teapot) if often used for teas that require a ‘good brew’, such as Oolong tea, black tea and pu-erh tea. The micro-cavities in this unique clay allows teas to breathe through the teapot wall during the brewing process. It has thus gained it reputation to be the premium clay for premium teas in China for almost as long as the history the teas.
4. We also use small tea cups that are in glass or with white inner lining for drinking. This is for the convenience of inspect the tea brew.  A premium tea’s brew should be brightly clear, in whatever colour the tea is supposed to be in. 
5. The tea infuser all-in-one is designed to be used in the office (you therefore would not need a tea set in a limited space) or those drinking alone at home that need frequent topping up.

As you can see from the above examples, tea accessories have their very own practical purposes and functions. By selecting the right tea accessories, your tea consuming experience will be largely enhanced. To get the perfect tea accessories for your perfect tea however sometimes can take some time. It is just like teas, everyone has a different taste and preference, but once you have found your perfect spot, it will stay with you for a long time.