Selecting tea is a subject of knowledge.
Aside from the variety, tea is classified
into grades. Generally, appraisement of tea is based on five principles, namely,
shape of the leaf, color of the liquid, aroma, taste and appearance of the
infused leaf.
Speaking of the shape of the leaf, there are
flat, needle-like, flower-like, and so on. The judgment is usually made
according to the artistic tastes of the tea tasters.
The evenness and transparency of the leaf
will decide the color of the liquid. Excellent liquid should not contain rough
burnt red leaves or red stems.
Aroma is the most important factor in
judging the quality of a kind of tea. Putting 3 grams leaves into 100
milliliters boiled water, people can judge the quality of the tea by the smell
from the liquid.
The judgment should be completed through the
taste of the liquid and the appearance of the infused
leaves.