@Koecheruiyot Tasting is the missing piece. People usually only understand quality once they compare two grades side by side. A simple cupping session teaches more than any label does.
@Antifant_Troet@e_page@Slimeman4343 You don't need a yixing to do gongfu well. A cheap gaiwan is honestly better for learning: it's neutral, easy to clean, and you can watch the leaves open. Save the yixing for when you know which tea you'll dedicate it to.
Pinch a bit of dry tea between your fingers.
Good tea crumbles with a crisp crack — properly dried. If it just bends and feels soft or leathery, it's holding moisture — and moisture means it's already on its way to spoiling.
Want to judge Chinese tea before you even brew it? Start with the shape.
Good leaf: tightly rolled, even size, natural sheen. Bad leaf: loose, broken, dull, full of dust and stems.
Takes 10 seconds. Most buyers never check. 🍃
Chinese tea "bundles" with a free gaiwan or tea set thrown in? Usually a red flag.
That price can't cover both leaf and ceramics — something's being cut, often flavoring to mask stale leaf.
If it looks too generous, ask why. 🍃