With hundreds of varieties to choose from, tea is the most consumed beverage in the world. There are varying costs to tea as well, and it is important to understand how the difference in cost indicates the quality of the tea.
What makes a high quality tea?
There are many factors that contribute to the quality of a tea, the first being how the leaves are processed. Whole leaves retain more of their nutritional value and flavor, and the best leaves are hand picked by experienced laborers instead of machines. Machine harvesting may be faster and more affordable, but yields a lower quality product. Bits of stem and less desirable parts of the plant get mixed together, and that changes the quality and flavor of the tea.
Tea sold as loose leaf tends to be more expensive because the leaves are whole, whereas tea sold in bags or sachets tends to be less expensive because they contain the machine harvested, smaller bits that are less desirable. It is possible to purchase high quality tea in sachet form, and to do so, it’s a good idea to purchase from a company that is involved in the sourcing, blending, and packaging of the tea as close to home as possible to ensure high quality standards are being met.
Tea processed and packaged abroad is less reliable because of quality dilution, loss of aroma, and a shortened shelf life. Poor processing—which includes picking, steaming, drying, or roasting—can ruin the flavor of the tea, whereas the best processing comes with better equipment and expertise. Laborers will roast leaves by hand for 8 to 10 hours a day to ensure the best results.
Location and Environment
The flavor of a tea comes not only from the particular plant variety, but also its growing environment. Teas grown at higher elevations cost more than teas grown at sea level because they are less affected by weather, changes in temperature, and pollution. Each of these factors alters the quality of air and soil, which changes the flavor profile of the plants. Farms positioned more remotely have cleaner air and soil than those situated closer to a city.
Tea plantations situated at higher elevations, like up the side of a mountain, as is common in parts of Asia, are also harder to access, and are potentially more dangerous to harvest from. While the remote locations benefit the tea, they also have higher labor costs.
Labor Expenses
Hand picking tea comes at a higher cost because the laborers need to be compensated for their time and expertise. Usually, when tea is less expensive, it means that the leaves are grown on a large plantation with high yield, but harvesting is done cheaply either by machine, or by laborers who do not receive fair compensation.
Higher quality tea tends to come from smaller farms that value higher production standards. Smaller farms means more control over crops, higher labor cost, and more precise processing. Purchasing tea fair trade is a great way to ensure that the tea you are purchasing is high quality because you know you are paying for human expertise and not a machine.
Good Brands and Where To Buy Them
These popular brands are easily accessible at most groceries stores in the United States and are either organic, fair trade certified, or both.
- Rishi Tea
- Mountain Rose Herbs
- Numi
- Equal Exchange
- Guayaki
- Traditional Medicinals
Spring Teas
With the return of Spring comes the promise of new beginnings, and new blooms. Floral flavors like Hibiscus, Rose, Chrysanthemum, and Dandelion, as well as fruity flavors like Blueberry and Elderberry, will delight whether enjoyed warm or cold.
- Rishi Scarlet Loose Leaf
- Equal Exchange Organic Hibiscus
- Numi White Rose
- Guayaki Revel Berry Organic Yerba Mate
- Mountain Rose Herbs Blossoms of Health Tea
- Traditional Medicinals Dandelion Detox Tea
Resources:
Demarest, Abigail. “Is Good Tea Worth It? Experts Explain the Difference”. Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/difference-between-cheap-and-expensive-tea_l_60087a9cc5b62c0057c29f85.
Falkowitz, Max. “Why Great Tea Doesn’t Come Cheap: Digging into the High Mountain Economy”. Retrieved from https://www.seriouseats.com/tea-economics-pricing.
Stone, Daniel. “The World’s Top Drink”. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/the-worlds-top-drink.
Tea Association USA. “Tea Fact Sheet 2019-2020” Retrieved from http://www.teausa.com/teausa/images/Tea_Fact_Sheet_2019_-_2020._PCI_update_3.12.2020.pdf.
“11 Organic and Fair Trade Teas We’re Sipping On” Retrieved from https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/fair-trade-organic-tea.
“12 Best Organic Tea Brands to Reap the Most Health Benefits”. Retrieved from https://twigscafe.com/10-best-organic-tea-brands-to-try-in-2021/.
“How to Identify Quality Tea”. Retrieved from https://www.pureleaf.com/us/how-to-identify-quality-tea.