What are the characteristics of good tea after brewing? Where is the production place of alpine tea in China?

If you are an experienced tea drinker, you will certainly question what determines the price of tea during your tea trip. If you are entering the vast world of tea, the problem may only just begin. In today's blog post, we will discuss the five signs of tea quality, which in turn may determine the price of tea.

Five signs of tea quality

1: variety. Cultivated varieties are different tea varieties planted by farmers. For centuries, farmers have cherished certain varieties. After years of experiments, farmers may find it the best choice for tea production and insist on using it. Some creative tea farmers like to go further, cultivate their tea trees and provide a new and unique experience for tea drinkers. Many tea lovers know their varieties and will choose to buy tea according to this knowledge. Read more about Japanese varieties.

2: high altitude. This is the opportunity for Gaoshan tea to give full play to its talents. There are many reasons why tea growing at higher elevations is so popular. One of the reasons is that Gaoshan tea can withstand the worst environment. The temperature is unstable, often from high temperature during the day to low temperature at night.

The mountains of China, Japan and Taiwan are often shrouded in thick fog, and sometimes the sun is rarely seen. This process is similar to shady tea. Tea trees must work hard to accumulate nutrients in order to survive in a harsh environment. In addition, all the sugar is pouring into the tea. Therefore, alpine tea has a sweet taste and very soft leaves.

On the other hand, much smaller insects live at high elevations. Therefore, pesticides are not needed to protect crops. As a result, Gaoshan tea is often organic, even without certification.

Not to mention the hard work of picking tea by hand from the hillside! No machine can sail easily on those foggy peaks. Read more.

3: material. It is similar to the concept of growing tea at high elevations. Shading tea trees ensures that they get the least amount of sunlight, thus producing high-quality tea. Direct sunlight will make the tea very bitter. For example, most cheap black tea, such as Indian black tea, is grown in direct sunlight and low elevations. In just a few seconds, you'll get a dark, bitter liquid, preferably with plenty of sugar and cream. On the other hand, Chinese black tea is mellow and sweet, sometimes with the taste of herbs and fruits. They certainly don't need any additives.

In tea terminology, shaded tea helps maintain the content of l-theanine (responsible for sweetness and delicacy, to name a few). On the contrary, sunlight kills theanine and increases catechin (which causes bitterness). Shading is the most common in Japanese tea gardens.

4: picking. Early spring harvest is usually considered to be the best. This is the time when tea farmers can pick the tender and mildest tea buds and leaves. These tea buds store the best taste in the severe winter weather. With the passage of the harvest season, the weather gets warmer, and the tea gradually becomes rougher and bitterer.

Although many people think that early spring tea is the best, you may also encounter some delicious summer and autumn teas, so there is no need to ignore them completely. In addition, many tea farmers choose a mixed harvest to create a stable tea that is well balanced and supplied throughout the year. This is reflected not only in the harvest season, but also in other factors, such as whether farmers shade tea.

5: choose style. Tea fans always attach the most importance to hand-picked tea. Naturally, when picking tea by hand, farmers are very gentle with tea and always choose the best tea.