There are so many tea vendors out there that I guess it can be a bit daunting when you want to buy Chinese tea online. I have put together a few tip and tricks to get you started!
1. Sourcing
This is for the utmost importance when buying your Chinese tea. You need to see how the tea is sourced and where it is sourced from. I would go as far as saying that if you are looking for high quality loose leaf tea do not buy from vendors who do not clearly specify this information.
Different teas come from different areas from China. A prime example of this is Puerh tea. Puerh tea is a type of Chinese tea that only comes from Yunnan. If this is not specified in the product description, don't bother with it!
Another good thing to look for is photographs of your tea vendor in tea farms, this at least shows that they have been to the farm and that they must know a little about tea (because believe you me, they will be tested on their knowledge by the farmer!).
You want to find out what the vendors ethical values are, I am dubious about the use of terms such as Fair Trade but if a vendor can verify their visits to farms, etc then I do feel that you can trust their ethical values. If they weren't bothered about checking farms out when sourcing their tea they wouldn't waste time and money visiting them!
2. What do they know about tea
You wouldn't use the services of a lawyer who hadn't gone to law school, or a hire a plumber who couldn't tell the difference between a tap and a sink would you? So why would you buy tea from someone who knows nothing about the stuff! Check their website for tea information pages and/or a blog that is regularly updated. I personally like my tea vendor to be as passionate about tea as I am - more so in fact! The world of Chinese tea is insanely in depth and varied so it helps to know a little bit about tea before you make your purchase.
3. Variety
OK so this one is tricky, you don't want too much variety because then how on earth are you ever going to make your decision but you do want enough variety because well isn't variety the spice of life? I often find that tea vendors will offer sample boxes containing a few different teas that you can try before committing to a larger purchase.
4. What does everyone else say
Does the website allow customer reviews? You should definitely check this out and see what other people have said about the tea you are thinking of getting. They might offer handy tips on how they brewed their tea and the tastes that could be different to what the vendor has said. Are there any bad reviews? Check these out too but don't let them scare you, learn from that customers experiences! We all have different tastes so you can't let reviews dictate your choices but they can be a helpful tool in decided which Chinese tea is right for you!
You should also check out what people say about the company on social media sites such as Facebook and twitter and while you are there check out the companys profile too. You might benefit from exclusive offers and information by following/liking the company.
5. Price
An obviously important one! I can gather that as you are looking for loose leaf Chinese tea online, you are interested in more than the meagre teabag. Well I will let you into a little secret: that means you have to be willing to part with a little more cash. The thing is, when offered a Single Estate Chinese tea over a blended, low quality teabag, which are you going to choose and how much more are you willing to pay for it? Have an idea of how much money you want to spend and shop around. Price isn't everything but I do think that in general in the world of Chinese tea, you get what you pay for! If you want artisanal hand crafted teas, they will cost a little bit more but that is why the sample packs/exploration boxes are so valuable to you as a consumer so use them to your best advantage!
Sign up to the company's newsletter too as often they will offer exclusive deals for newsletter subscribers!
6. Delivery
Some would say this is a minor point but I am a lover of instant gratification so if I have to wait a week for my new tea to arrive chances are you have lost me as a consumer. Some companies will offer free shipping when you spend a certain amount.
One thing you need to remember before you gasp at the price of shipping is that the price will include all packaging for postage and is often subsidised by the tea company.
What you need to take from this is, when you are delving into the world of loose leaf Chinese tea you need to do some research and most importantly you need to make sure the tea company you choose has a wide knowledge base of your own! You could even try contacting the company for a recommendation based on your tastes and needs!
This article is sponsored by medical case study.
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