Tea companies and farmers alike are investing in better farming practices, elevating the quality of tea across the world—and consumers are raising their standards to match.
Single origin loose leaf tea makes up less than 5% of the tea consumed in many countries. That means over 95% of the tea out there (we’re looking at you, teabags) isn't that great in terms of quality and taste.
Today we’ll give an overview of how high quality loose leaf tea is grown, harvested, and processed, and some tips to make sure that your tea is flavorful and delicious, from the first steep to the last.
A Tea Quality Revolution
THE TOP 5% - WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE THE CUT
What makes single origin loose leaf tea so special? Read on to learn why tea lovers choose loose leaf.
GOOD: Our premium loose leaf teas are procured from some of the best growing regions in the world. Each unique environment imparts characteristic flavors and tastes to the teas grown there. Our farmers cultivate the tea in areas known to have the most ideal conditions for tea: abundant rainfall, cool temperatures, soil that drains well, etc.
BAD: Big tea brands don’t factor in the terroir, or the complete, natural environment in which tea is grown, from the climate to the soil type to the surrounding vegetation. Instead, they focus on cost and quantity, buying large amounts of the cheapest low quality teas that they can blend and add artificial flavoring to.
GOOD: Elevation matters when it comes to tea growing. Higher altitudes provide cooler temperatures, which bring out the deeper and more complex flavors in the tea.
BAD: With limited space on idyllic mountainside tea gardens, big tea chains sacrifice flavor by using low elevation farmland that produces cheap, low quality tea.
GOOD: Tea leaves vary in taste and quality based on when and how they’re plucked. The youngest leaves, plucked earliest in the growing season, are considered the highest quality. Skilled artisans carefully pluck the leaves by hand, preserving as much of the whole leaf (and its natural flavors) as possible.
BAD: Big tea brands disregard the art of tea plucking, opting for machinery to pluck the leaves at any time of year to maximize profits. The art and skill is lost, along with the quality and flavor, as their tea leaves are destined for low quality tea bags.
GOOD: Tea preparation varies based on the type of tea, the regions it's grown in, the traditions of the tea makers, and the culture and history of the tea. It’s a multi-step process that requires time, patience, and skill. Tea leaves can be sun dried, roasted, pan-fired, steamed, rolled, and more, by hand. This Orthodox method of processing tea leaves rewards the tea drinker with the highest quality, best tasting tea.
BAD: Because tea processing can require more time, skill, and money, big tea brands opt for the CTC method, which involves machinery crushing, tearing, and curling the leaves. As the leaves are crushed up, they lose much of their flavor and nutrient potential and more easily release their tannins, which makes for bitter tasting tea. This processing renders the lowest quality tea, which ends up in mass produced commodity tea bags.
GOOD: “Single origin” denotes purity and quality when it comes to tea. This designation means the teas originate from a single source and have not been blended with cheaper, low quality teas. It also indicates that the tea has flavors unique to the terroir it’s grown in.
BAD: The majority of blended teas are a combination of low quality tea scraps (made with the CTC method) and artificial flavoring. The flavoring serves to mask the poor taste and bitterness common in tea bags.
1. TERROIR
GOOD: Our premium loose leaf teas are procured from some of the best growing regions in the world. Each unique environment imparts characteristic flavors and tastes to the teas grown there. Our farmers cultivate the tea in areas known to have the most ideal conditions for tea: abundant rainfall, cool temperatures, soil that drains well, etc.
BAD: Big tea brands don’t factor in the terroir, or the complete, natural environment in which tea is grown, from the climate to the soil type to the surrounding vegetation. Instead, they focus on cost and quantity, buying large amounts of the cheapest low quality teas that they can blend and add artificial flavoring to.
2. ELEVATION
GOOD: Elevation matters when it comes to tea growing. Higher altitudes provide cooler temperatures, which bring out the deeper and more complex flavors in the tea.
BAD: With limited space on idyllic mountainside tea gardens, big tea chains sacrifice flavor by using low elevation farmland that produces cheap, low quality tea.
3. PLUCKING
GOOD: Tea leaves vary in taste and quality based on when and how they’re plucked. The youngest leaves, plucked earliest in the growing season, are considered the highest quality. Skilled artisans carefully pluck the leaves by hand, preserving as much of the whole leaf (and its natural flavors) as possible.
BAD: Big tea brands disregard the art of tea plucking, opting for machinery to pluck the leaves at any time of year to maximize profits. The art and skill is lost, along with the quality and flavor, as their tea leaves are destined for low quality tea bags.
4. PREPARATION
GOOD: Tea preparation varies based on the type of tea, the regions it's grown in, the traditions of the tea makers, and the culture and history of the tea. It’s a multi-step process that requires time, patience, and skill. Tea leaves can be sun dried, roasted, pan-fired, steamed, rolled, and more, by hand. This Orthodox method of processing tea leaves rewards the tea drinker with the highest quality, best tasting tea.
BAD: Because tea processing can require more time, skill, and money, big tea brands opt for the CTC method, which involves machinery crushing, tearing, and curling the leaves. As the leaves are crushed up, they lose much of their flavor and nutrient potential and more easily release their tannins, which makes for bitter tasting tea. This processing renders the lowest quality tea, which ends up in mass produced commodity tea bags.
5. SINGLE ORIGIN vs BLENDS?
GOOD: “Single origin” denotes purity and quality when it comes to tea. This designation means the teas originate from a single source and have not been blended with cheaper, low quality teas. It also indicates that the tea has flavors unique to the terroir it’s grown in.
BAD: The majority of blended teas are a combination of low quality tea scraps (made with the CTC method) and artificial flavoring. The flavoring serves to mask the poor taste and bitterness common in tea bags.
THE SIMPLE PATH TO BETTER TEA
Premium single origin loose leaf tea is defined by its superior quality in flavor, aroma, freshness, and its ability to produce multiple delicious infusions with distinctive flavors specific to its origin. Whether you’re new to the world of tea or a tea lover, loose leaf is the guaranteed path to a high quality cup of tea.
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