First of all, you need to pay attention to the tea leaf itself, the type of tea depends on how much it is crushed. Distinguish between large (whole leaf, large leaf), small (cut or broken) and granulated teas. Large tea should not contain small or granular tea, their mixing is unacceptable, however, small and granular can be combined with each other.
It is worth taking care of the quality of the drink and tea bag lovers. They should not contain seeding and crumbs, except for disposable tea, in which this moment is indicated in the recipe. But even in this case, the presence of these benign waste from tea production indicates a low-grade product.
There are specific state norms for the production of tea: GOST 1937-90 “Bulky black tea. Specifications ”, GOST 1938-90“ Packaged black long tea. Specifications “, GOST 1939-90” Packaged green tea. Specifications ”, GOST 3716-90“ Bulk green tea. Technical conditions “.
To determine the quality of tea, you need to taste it by touch. When rubbing, no lumps should form, otherwise the tea is poorly dried. If the tea leaf is easily and quickly ground into powder, then it is very old.
Good tea also differs in color – tea leaves should be shiny, glossy and monochromatic.
For black teas of high quality, a red-brown hue is preferable, for green teas of the same category – greenish, without yellow impurities.
An important indicator of high quality tea is tea leaves of the same size and degree of curl and, of course, the absence of tea dust.
The smell of tea deserves special attention. It should be pleasant, dense, rich. The presence of mustiness, dampness, burnt taste in it is unacceptable, this indicates a violation of the conditions for preparing and storing tea.
Now flavored teas with outlandish names and expressive aromas began to appear on store shelves. They attract with their uniqueness and brightness of the scent, but do not forget that only low-quality teas are flavored, the unique scent of noble varieties is emphasized only by jasmine or magnolia.
But if you do decide to buy flavored tea, pay attention to what the flavoring is – oils, dried fruits and spices, or artificial flavors.
The infusion of the tea should be bright and transparent; a cloudy color indicates the old age of the tea.
There are requirements for tea packaging, if they are not observed, we can talk about tea falsification. So, it should indicate: the name of the product and the region of growth of the tea leaf, the variety, GOST, in accordance with which the tea is made, the manufacturer’s trademark, its name and location, net weight and shelf life of the product.
High quality varieties on the pack, in addition to the expiration date, also have the date of collection and packaging of the tea. Gift wrapped teas must have an insert containing all this information.
If you have already chosen tea and are sure of its quality, it is necessary to say about the conditions for the correct storage of tea. It should not be kept in the light in a transparent package, as this will adversely affect the color of the tea and its taste. You should not store tea in an unsealed container, the access of oxygen deprives the tea of its wonderful aroma.
By following these recommendations, you will be able to find a good and tasty tea and keep its unique properties.