| What are the Essentials of High Quality Loose | | | | throughout the centuries. The highest quality |
| Leaf Tea? | | | | loose teas are hand-plucked and meticulously |
| | | | crafted to enhance leaf character, aroma, |
| Tips to Guarantee a Quality Loose Tea | | | | color, clarity, body, complexity, and above |
| Experience | | | | all, flavor. Connoisseurs will find no soggy |
| | | | paper tea bags and no trendy herbals from |
| Demand for high quality loose leaf tea is | | | | high quality loose tea suppliers; only real |
| experiencing strong growth and for those | | | | tea from the Camellia Sinensis bush. And, of |
| interested in high quality loose tea, more | | | | course, only the finest. |
| information will aid in decision making. | | | | |
| Critical elements in the process include: | | | | Purchasing, Quality Control and Customer |
| | | | Service |
| Source of the Tea | | | | |
| | | | Access to high quality loose leaf tea is the |
| Manufacturing Processes | | | | final element. Most loose leaf teas are not |
| | | | available in retail outlets. Nevertheless, |
| Purchasing, Quality Control and Customer | | | | quality tea is easily available through |
| Service | | | | e-commerce outlets on the internet. |
| | | | |
| Source of the Tea | | | | Increasingly e-commerce over the internet has |
| | | | proven to be an efficient and easy way to |
| All tea comes from the plant Camellia | | | | purchase quality products and those |
| sinensis but there is where the similarity | | | | e-commerce sites that are customer friendly |
| between high quality loose leaf tea and | | | | also offer convenient and low cost home |
| other, lesser quality ends. From the time the | | | | delivery. Loose leaf tea is ideally suited to |
| tea leaves are plucked until the time the | | | | e-commerce because it is light and easy to |
| consumer tastes the brew, a number of | | | | transport. |
| critical events affect the tea experience. | | | | |
| | | | When evaluating e-commerce sites, the |
| High quality loose leaf teas are carefully | | | | consumer should consider those sites that are |
| selected as only the finest of these rare | | | | interactive, easy to use and offer rich |
| orthodox teas, which are processed slowly and | | | | features such as auto shipping, multiple |
| hand-crafted with extreme care. | | | | destination shipments, gift shipments and |
| | | | delivery flexibility. |
| Tea, like wine, is harvested and processed | | | | |
| into the final product on the grounds of the | | | | The loose leaf tea experience is all about |
| garden or estate. The taste and quality of | | | | quality and quality does not end with |
| any tea varietal depends upon the specific | | | | manufacturing. Those suppliers that are truly |
| growing conditions. Factors such as altitude, | | | | dedicated to quality will maintain quality |
| climate, soil, weather, and plucking season | | | | control over each shipment received from the |
| all affect the final product. | | | | producing tea garden. |
| | | | |
| To produce just one pound of quality loose | | | | Since almost all quality loose leaf tea comes |
| leaf tea, it takes approximately 3,000 hand | | | | from other countries such as China, India, |
| plucked leaves. Only the most tender leaves | | | | Sri Lanka, Taiwan and others, choose a |
| and young buds are selected. After the leaves | | | | supplier who cups or tastes each shipment |
| are picked, the precise art of tea making | | | | before acceptance. This measure of quality |
| begins. | | | | control will guarantee consistent quality but |
| | | | most loose leaf tea suppliers skip this |
| Manufacturing Processes | | | | important step. Check with a potential |
| | | | supplier to determine their cupping |
| Tea is manufactured by two different | | | | commitment. |
| processes. | | | | |
| | | | In addition to quality control, customer |
| Most ordinary tea is machine processed by the | | | | service is a critical element in the loose |
| C.T.C. method (crush, tear, curl). The | | | | tea relationship. Since the purchase of high |
| resulting small, broken pieces are used in | | | | quality loose tea tends to be a long term |
| tea bags or iced tea concentrates. Less than | | | | relationship, consideration of the needs of |
| 2% of the world's tea is of superior quality, | | | | the customer and customer satisfaction is |
| hand-processed in the classic, time-honored | | | | paramount. |
| method known as orthodox manufacture. | | | | |
| | | | The best suppliers have a culture of customer |
| High quality suppliers are dedicated to | | | | service, open lines of communication to |
| offering outstanding, whole-leaf teas of the | | | | customer service personnel and solicit |
| greatest quality and finesse. Whole-leaf | | | | feedback from customers as a way to maintain |
| varietals retain the subtle nuances of flavor | | | | consistent quality. |
| so prized by discriminating palates | | | | |