How to Buy Tea and More!
Finding
Your Cup of Tea:
With
just a little “know how,” you can learn how
to buy tea with grace and a pinky firmly extended. There
are plenty of wonderful teas to be purchased in teashops
and online. Here’s a little tea-buying advice to review
before you shop.
CHOOSING
A TEA
Know
Your Label
• Look for authenticity. The provisions of the U.S.
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act help ensure a tea’s origin
and authenticity. A tea marked “Assam,” for
instance, must be 100 percent Assam tea. Teas may be marked
“Assam blend” or “Assam type” if
at least 51 percent of the tea comes from Assam.
• British doesn’t mean better. Buying teas marked
“Imported from England” doesn’t guarantee
higher quality. England doesn’t grow tea and neither
does the U.S.; therefore, all teas from either country are
imported. You might be paying for packaging and foreign
importing rather than quality.
What
Kind of Tea Do You Want?
• Get to know a little terminology so you can discuss
tea varieties with your local tea specialist.
• Know what type of teas you like. Black tea? Green
tea? Tea that works with milk and sugar?
• Get to know your favorite regions.
• Do you want a blend for a variety of flavors or
the purity of a single origin tea?
• At the very least, know how to describe the characteristics
of the tea you like (a fruity tea? a rich tea? a delicate
or floral tea?).
• If all else fails, buy what you like or keep reading
for more ideas for narrowing your choice.
Tea
Bags or Loose Leaf?
• Per serving, tea bags are generally more expensive
than loose-leaf teas. You’re paying for packaging
not necessarily quality tea.
• Tea bag packaging and ink can affect the taste of
the tea.
• If you do find a quality tea bag, make sure to properly
steep the tea as you would a loose-leaf tea. Often restaurants
try to bring out a lukewarm cup of water and a tea bag and
call that tea.
How
Much Do You Want to Spend?
• Tea is a remarkably inexpensive indulgence. One
pound of tea makes a whopping 200 cups of tea.
• Buying tea just because it’s cheap doesn’t
automatically get you a deal. For the most part, you’ll
get what you’ll pay for.
• Use discretion when choosing. Don’t automatically
leap for the most expensive or least expensive choice. Choose
a tea on taste at a reasonable price and go from there.
• If you’re unsure about which tea to purchase
and concerned about price, ask for a sample of a few teas.
Most teashops will sell you a small, inexpensive sample
to take home and try.
Take
Recommendations
• Although you probably can’t count on the average
coffeehouse baristas at to be well versed in teas, you should
be able to get sound advice at a specialty teashop or a
high-end tea company. Ask for tea recommendations from a
reputable tea seller.
• Join a tea-of-the-month club. You’ll receive
a variety of handpicked teas by mail on a regular basis.
• Start a monthly tea club of your own. Rotate houses
with your tea snob friends, and have a few people bring
their favorite tea to share at each event. Add an assortment
of finger sandwiches the mix, and you’ll really have
some tasty parties.
• Go tea tasting! Your local teashop is the best place
to start. Or look for restaurants in your area that offer
afternoon tea parties. They often have a great selection
of teas to choose from and lots of dainty treats to enjoy!
Learning
how to buy tea doesn’t have to be an ordeal, nor does
it have to be intimidating. Just as with wine or coffee
or beer, it comes down to choosing what you like and exploring
your tastes from there.
Sources:
McCoy, Elin and John Frederick Walker, Coffee and Tea, G.S.
Haley Company, Inc., 1998.
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