Tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world, so tea growers and manufacturers are always seeking to produce more and better tea. Of course, it also means there that there are abundant crops of lower quality tea leaves. When you go to a wholesale tea supplier, you need to be able to identify which leaves are the best.
Things to consider when purchasing from a wholesale tea supplier:
In assessing a batch of tea leaves, you need to engage all of your senses. First look at what you see, then sniff it and run it through your fingers, so you can fully appreciate its smell and texture. The final verdict, on the other hand, will have to wait until you’ve made the tea and can sip it.
● Appearance
Tea leaves for tea bags tend to be the lower quality “fannings”. They are small, dusty pieces, sometimes including woody segments and stalks. High-quality loose-leaf tea should more closely resemble actual leaves, possibly even with visible buds. If your tea leaves are larger, and not ground practically into dust, then that is a sign that they are of better quality. When the tea is brewed, it should be a healthy color, neither too dark nor too pale.
● Smell
There is nothing quite like the smell of a good cup of tea. Tea leaves should also have a distinctive smell: fresh and light for green tea, earthier for black tea. The scent should only intensify when the leaves are steeped. If there is no aroma, or the aroma is only faint, then it could mean that your tea leaves are older and going stale, or they were just lower quality from the beginning.
● Texture
Just as high-quality leaves are visibly larger and more complete, they also weigh more and feel bigger and smoother in your hands. If the leaves crumble in your fingers, then that is another sign you have the lower quality leaves. Tea that does not hold together may have been overdried, losing flavor as well as texture. It may also be a sign of ageing or poor storage.
● Taste
The most important measure of any tea is how it tastes. Each different type of tea has its distinctive flavor, and those flavors should be strong and noticeable in your mouth. If the tea is bland, particularly harsh or has a chemical aftertaste, you are unlikely to have the best quality drink.
These are not the only considerations. It is often said that you get what you pay for, so you should always be suspicious if tea leaves are being offered at an unusually low price. It’s also beneficial to learn as much as possible about the origins of the tea plant, including where and how it was produced, as well as how it was processed. Your wholesale supplier should have this information.
Choosing the right tea leaves is an essential part of purchasing from a wholesale tea supplier so that you can provide the best quality product to your customers. This means you need to engage all of your senses, and your common sense, to ensure the leaves look, smell, feel and taste right.