If the ocean is the world for fishes and the sky is the home for birds, then water is the palace for tea leaves. As an experienced tea lover, or as a new curious explorer to the world of tea, wouldn’t you want to brew a nice cup of tea? Let the tea aroma fill the air, fill your world, and allow you to enjoy your tea peacefully.
Buying good tea is the first step to brewing good tea. There are various tea leaves in the market, you might be wondering, how can I buy good tea?
“A worker, who wants to perfect his work, has to sharpen his tool first”. Before you buy your tea leaves, a little bit of homework is suggested.
Tea quality, although more or less subjective to the tea drinker’s knowledge, follows some basic standard. The following methods and frame of reference are used by tea masters to judge the quality of tea.
Buying good tea is the first step to brewing good tea. There are various tea leaves in the market, you might be wondering, how can I buy good tea?
“A worker, who wants to perfect his work, has to sharpen his tool first”. Before you buy your tea leaves, a little bit of homework is suggested.
Tea quality, although more or less subjective to the tea drinker’s knowledge, follows some basic standard. The following methods and frame of reference are used by tea masters to judge the quality of tea.
如果說水是魚的世界，天空是鳥的家園，那麼水就是茶葉飛舞的殿堂。如果你是一位愛茶者，或是初入茶世界的有心人士，你是否想要泡一壺好茶?讓茶葉飄香，坐擁天地，怡然自得。
選購好的茶葉是泡好茶的第一步。在市面上，你會看到各式各樣的茶葉，你也許會產生疑問，該如何選購好茶葉? 「工欲善其事，必先利其器。」在購買茶葉之前，必先對選購茶葉做一些準備工作，才能無往不利。
茶葉品質好壞，雖多少含有飲茶者的主觀成份，但仍有一定的標準。以下介紹茶師鑑定茶葉品質採用的方法原則，提供大眾參考。
選購好的茶葉是泡好茶的第一步。在市面上，你會看到各式各樣的茶葉，你也許會產生疑問，該如何選購好茶葉? 「工欲善其事，必先利其器。」在購買茶葉之前，必先對選購茶葉做一些準備工作，才能無往不利。
茶葉品質好壞，雖多少含有飲茶者的主觀成份，但仍有一定的標準。以下介紹茶師鑑定茶葉品質採用的方法原則，提供大眾參考。
1. Is the tea dry enough?
First, touch the tea leaves with your hand. If the tea leaves break when you pinch it lightly with your thumb and index finger, the degree of dryness is good. If the leaves do not break easily even after a hard pinch, the tea leaves have been softened by moisture, which will greatly affect quality.
First, touch the tea leaves with your hand. If the tea leaves break when you pinch it lightly with your thumb and index finger, the degree of dryness is good. If the leaves do not break easily even after a hard pinch, the tea leaves have been softened by moisture, which will greatly affect quality.
一、乾燥是否良好
以手觸摸茶葉，用姆指與食指輕捏會碎的，表示乾燥程度良好；如用力重捏不易碎，則是茶葉已受潮回軟，品質會大受影響。
以手觸摸茶葉，用姆指與食指輕捏會碎的，表示乾燥程度良好；如用力重捏不易碎，則是茶葉已受潮回軟，品質會大受影響。
2. Is the tea leaf complete?
The shape and color of tea leaves should be even and complete. If there is a high percentage of tea stem, tea dust and other impurities inside tea leaves, quality of tea will be affected- the less the better.
The shape and color of tea leaves should be even and complete. If there is a high percentage of tea stem, tea dust and other impurities inside tea leaves, quality of tea will be affected- the less the better.
二、葉片是否整齊
葉片形狀、色澤整齊均勻的較好，茶梗、茶角、茶末和雜質含量比例高者，大多會影響茶湯品質，以少為佳。
葉片形狀、色澤整齊均勻的較好，茶梗、茶角、茶末和雜質含量比例高者，大多會影響茶湯品質，以少為佳。
3. Color and appearance
Each tea has its own standard color, generally a beautiful gloss color or white fine hair are good for oolong or part of green tea while Pouchong tea has the color of frog skin with ash spots. Tea shape varies according to different kinds of tea. Dragon well tea has the shape of a sword blade. The Wenshan Pouchong tea has strips with a natural curl. Dong Ding Oolong tea comes in tightened clumps. Tieguanyin tea is spherical. The jasmine scented green tea and the black tea are thin strips or are in broken bits.
Each tea has its own standard color, generally a beautiful gloss color or white fine hair are good for oolong or part of green tea while Pouchong tea has the color of frog skin with ash spots. Tea shape varies according to different kinds of tea. Dragon well tea has the shape of a sword blade. The Wenshan Pouchong tea has strips with a natural curl. Dong Ding Oolong tea comes in tightened clumps. Tieguanyin tea is spherical. The jasmine scented green tea and the black tea are thin strips or are in broken bits.
三、外觀色澤
各種茶葉成品都有其標準的色澤，一般以帶有油光寶色或有白毫烏龍及部份綠茶為佳，包種茶以呈現有灰白點之青蛙皮顏色為貴。茶葉的外型條索則隨茶葉種類而異，龍井呈劍片狀，文山包種茶為條型自然捲曲，凍頂茶呈半球型緊結，鐵觀音茶則為球型，香片與紅茶呈細條或細碎型。
各種茶葉成品都有其標準的色澤，一般以帶有油光寶色或有白毫烏龍及部份綠茶為佳，包種茶以呈現有灰白點之青蛙皮顏色為貴。茶葉的外型條索則隨茶葉種類而異，龍井呈劍片狀，文山包種茶為條型自然捲曲，凍頂茶呈半球型緊結，鐵觀音茶則為球型，香片與紅茶呈細條或細碎型。
4. Smell the aroma
This is one of the main factors to judge tea quality. Due to the difference in production method and degree of fermentation, the fragrance of the dry tea leaf is also different. Green tea has a delicate light fragrance while the Pouchong tea has a floral fragrance. The Oolong tea has the unique ripe fruit fragrance, and the floral tea should have a fragrance that is a mixture of flower and tea. Top quality tea fragrance should be pure and rich. Moreover, if the tea has unusual smells like oil stink, burnt smell, fire smell, stuffy or other unusual smells, it is low-grade merchandise.
This is one of the main factors to judge tea quality. Due to the difference in production method and degree of fermentation, the fragrance of the dry tea leaf is also different. Green tea has a delicate light fragrance while the Pouchong tea has a floral fragrance. The Oolong tea has the unique ripe fruit fragrance, and the floral tea should have a fragrance that is a mixture of flower and tea. Top quality tea fragrance should be pure and rich. Moreover, if the tea has unusual smells like oil stink, burnt smell, fire smell, stuffy or other unusual smells, it is low-grade merchandise.
四、聞香氣
這是決定茶葉品質的主要條件之一，各類茶由於製法及發酵的不同，乾茶香也不一樣，綠茶取其清香，包種茶具花香，烏龍茶則具特有之熟果香，花茶則應有薰花之花香和茶香混合之香氣，茶湯香氣以純和濃郁為上。另外，茶如有油臭味、焦味、火味、悶味等異味者皆為劣品。
這是決定茶葉品質的主要條件之一，各類茶由於製法及發酵的不同，乾茶香也不一樣，綠茶取其清香，包種茶具花香，烏龍茶則具特有之熟果香，花茶則應有薰花之花香和茶香混合之香氣，茶湯香氣以純和濃郁為上。另外，茶如有油臭味、焦味、火味、悶味等異味者皆為劣品。
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