It is always said that China is the homeland of tea, which has a very long history of tea. However, unlike the western custom of using a convenient teabag, Chinese go to a lot of effort and time to prepare good tea for their guests, using tea-leaves, natural spring water and a special kettle etc. to create worldwide famous tea culture. Tea is not just a drinkable beverage (饮料), but also a taste of Chinese traditional culture and inheritance (继承) of spirit. Unsurprisingly, there are various tea-leaves in China.
Color
Good green tea-leaves have jade green with fresh vitality. Twisted pan green tea shows glossy gray green. If some of the tea-leaves have dry, dark and brown color, it means it is old tea. If the leaves have mixed, large contrast colors, it is believed that the tea is mixed with yellow leaves, old leaves and even old tea, which does not live up to the standard of good tea.
Flavor
New tea is extremely clear and transparent with strong aroma (芳香), while old tea is characterized by brown color and weak fragrance. Take green tea and black tea for example, new green tea tastes a little bitter first, and then the fresh sweet taste begins to surface gradually, leaving a long and memorable aftertaste in mouth.
Place of origin
There is great gap of quality among various places of origin. For example, it is well-known that Yunnan produces the best quality Pu'er tea and premium Oolong tea can be found within Fujian Province.
A. Every tea-leaf has its own shape.
B. Some varieties are identified by tightness of the leaves.
C. It is always advised to select tea from its main producing areas.
D. While you're selecting tea, you should pay attention to following aspects.
E. For foreigners in China, drinking tea may seem like a simple refreshment.
F. Generally, new tea-leaves look fresh and pleasing, with light green or dark green.
G. On the contrary, if bitter taste takes the lead and fresh sweet taste subsides, it is bad tea.
