Black tea is one of the oldest drinks on earth and is very popular with completely different peoples, from the USA to Japan. It is not inferior to the position, and in some countries surpasses the prevalence of grain and instant coffee, being considered less harmful. Given such a demand, it is not surprising that the choice on the market is simply huge. This rating of the best black teas, compiled according to customer reviews, will help you not to get lost in it.

It so happened that the main collection of tea leaves is carried out in China, India and Africa, from where they are regularly imported to Europe and other continents and sold by weight. If there is no desire to buy products from an unknown manufacturer, you can choose already packaged "tea leaves" from the following companies:

• Tazo teas Is a well-known company in the USA and actively promotes its products in the European markets. As the name implies, it specializes in the production of teas. Among them there are green, black, herbal species, and all of them are of organic origin.
• Twinings- this tea brand is remembered primarily when it comes to real English tea. It appeared in Great Britain back in 1706 and in its business is one of the oldest in the world. She is famous, in particular, for her close cooperation with the Royal Court, to which she regularly supplies her products.
• Harney & sons Is another American tea company that is very popular among owners of hotels, coffee shops and book chains, to which it actively supplies its products. In the United States, she has her own tasting rooms, but mainly the company produces goods for the purpose of mass sales, including in Europe.
• Rishi Tea Is one of the few companies offering a huge variety of drinks. She has white, black, green, and herbal products. She releases them both in bulk and in packaged form. There are even decaffeinated options in its line, and the price for most of the manufacturer's proposals is quite adequate.

Naturally, in England and the USA, tea bushes are not grown, in the latter there are only a few plantations that have not received large-scale distribution. Therefore, the manufacturers mentioned in the rating most often buy raw materials from Asia, Africa, Australia.

Rating of the best black teas

As always, the basis for building this TOP was the reviews of real consumers, from which we proceeded when selecting applicants. The benchmark for this was also the compliance of the declared characteristics with what buyers write. The following parameters were taken as a basis:

• Package;
• Volume or number of sachets;
• Release form (packaged or loose);
• Smell;
• Taste properties;
• Duration of brewing;
• Saturation and proportions in relation to water;
• Economical consumption.

The best black tea bags

This option is most often chosen for making a quick drink. It is distinguished by its convenience and lower price compared to its loose counterpart.

Tazo Teas, Organic, 20 Filter Bags, 54 g

The word "organic" for this drink is chosen very well, because it is created from completely natural ingredients. In addition to the main component, it includes cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, cloves. Unlike store counterparts, it does not acidify the body so much and does not leave a yellow coating on the tooth enamel. Since this product is very strong, you can fill it with more water than usual. At the same time, you can safely drink it both in pure form and in combination with milk, take it with you to work and on the road in a good thermos.

Advantages:

• One bag is enough for several cups;
• Pleasant pungency of taste;
• Fast brewing;
• Convenient packaging form;
• An invigorating scent.

Disadvantages:

• Difficult to find in supermarkets;
• The price is above average.

Twinings, Premium, Blackcurrant 20 Tea Bags, 40 g

This option is universal, since the drink turns out to be equally tasty both cold and warm. It has a pleasant, not harsh aroma, does not give off bitterness, brews quickly enough and, moreover, is economically consumed. So, for the preparation of 950 ml, only 4 sachets are needed. The manufacturer suggests serving it with ice, which only enhances the extravagant taste. For the manufacture of this product, the best varieties of high quality black tea have been used.

Advantages:

• Naturalness of the composition;
• Security;
• Lack of side effects;
• Convenient packaging;
• Balanced berry flavor.

Disadvantages:

• The price is above average.

Teas from Twinings are in the TOP of the best in the world, the products of this company are quite popular in the USA.

Harney & Sons, Parisian, 20 Sachets, 40 g

Here, large leafy Ceylon and African species are successfully combined, and this gives the drink an unusual, delicate taste. It has an invigorating effect on the body, so it will be just right for breakfast in the morning. True, the caffeine content here is relatively low, due to which the product is safer for health than store-bought alternatives. By the way, the leaves of the tea bush for its preparation are collected, selected and mixed exclusively by hand, which eliminates waste.

Advantages:

• Convenient metal packaging;
• Practical form of release;
• There are also other flavors;
• A mixture of several types of sheet;
• Ecological cleanliness.

Disadvantages:

• You need to insist for at least 5 minutes.

Good black loose leaf tea Harney & Sons is sold in the same package with many other flavors - “hot cinnamon sunset”, “English breakfast”, “African autumn”, etc.

Best loose black teas

It is granular and leafy, among the latter there are small, medium and large leafy ones. Naturally, it is these options that are of the highest quality, wholesome and tasty.

Twinings, Lady Gray in bulk, 100 g

First of all, this good quality black tea attracts attention with its metal packaging, which reliably protects against moisture and thereby prevents it from spoiling. Traditionally, this company has several flavors available - Lady Gray, English Breakfast, Darjeeling and a number of others. It is not very convenient here only that their prices are different. But it is this drink that has a pleasant and rich citrus taste and smell, which allows you to use the leaves in small quantities.

Advantages:

• It goes well with both sugar and honey;
• The leaves are small;
• Practical packaging;
• Large volume;
• There is no "dust".

Disadvantages:

• After infusion, the aroma weakens somewhat.

According to reviews, for the full disclosure of the taste, Lady Gray drink must be infused under the lid for 2 to 4 minutes.

Rishi Tea, Organic Loose Leaf, Earl Gray, Classic + Citrus, 65 g

This drink is made with the addition of bergamot essential oil, which makes its taste spicy, but not for everybody. Since the product is very strong, the manufacturer allows the same leaves to be brewed in a second circle. True, in this case, one should not rely on the same strength of aroma and the same taste properties. To get a cool brew, you need to keep it covered in water for about 4 minutes, which, in principle, is not so much. This, one of the best black teas, may not be suitable except for hypertensive patients due to the high content of caffeine, and in the morning it will come in handy.

Advantages:

• Good packing;
• Organic composition;
• Unusual aroma;
• Possibility of re-use of the tea leaves;
• Leaves are medium in size.

Disadvantages:

• High caffeine content;
• Small volume, as for the set price.

Which black tea is better to buy

If you do not like to wait a long time for brewing a drink, then you should choose a packaged product. But real gourmets are advised to take a closer look at the best loose black teas, whose taste is not muted in any way. For those who prefer to drink it in the morning, in the absence of contraindications, you can choose the option with a high caffeine content, which gives strength for the whole day.

Here's what to consider when choosing the best black tea from this ranking:

• If you don't like the taste of a classic product, your best bet is to buy a good product with a variety of spices, such as Tazo Teas filter bags.
• Fans of the delicate berry aroma and truly strong tea should pay special attention to the products from Twinings with the scent of black currant.
• If you are a connoisseur of blends of various varieties, then you will be pleasantly surprised by the Parisian tea from Harney & Sons.
• For those who do not like granules or large leaves, Twinings Lady Gray loose product is an ideal option.
• Adherents of the classics can be advised to buy Rishi Tea.

Naturally, it is very difficult to choose one particular best black tea, because they can have completely different tastes and aromas. In this case, you can always purchase several species that are different from each other and enjoy them in sequence. This is even welcomed, because in our rating, each option is worthy of trying it!

Raw materials go through all stages of processing - withering, rolling, fermentation, drying and sorting - in order to end up with the best variety of black tea. This type of tea is the most difficult to manufacture, while making green tea requires only three phases - rolling, drying and sorting.

Types of tea

There are three types of high-quality black tea - leaf, granulated (the so-called STS-tea) and. The first two are known in the CIS, and the latter is used only in China. There is also powder - packaged - tea. But it does not belong to the elite species.

Packaged and granulated teas, in comparison with the large-leaf type, differ in strength. They are in no way inferior to him in taste, but during processing they lose most of the aroma.

High-quality dry black tea has a dark color. Mostly black or brown-black. If the tea leaves have an ebb, this indicates a low quality of the product. Gray color signals tea spoilage, for example, that the tea leaves are damp.

High-quality black tea has a characteristic pearlescent tint, called spark by professionals. And the presence of white villi, called tips, is permissible only in tea with floral additives.

Indian varieties

The finest black tea produced in India is called Darjeeling Tea. Darjeeling gets its name from the province where it is grown. Refers to elite varieties. It is not very strong and does not differ in astringency, but its aroma has a characteristic floral-almond notes. To buy a real "Darjeeling", you need to take tea from the first or second harvest.

Indian "Assam Tea" has a richer tart flavor compared to Darjeeling. But its faint malt aroma is no match for the heady Darjeeling Tea. Assam tea is often sold as a mix under the Irish Breakfast label, up to 80% original.

Nilgiri Tea is not considered elite. Has a rough taste and weak aroma. And "Sikkim Tea", although of high quality, is not very popular in Russia.

Ceylon varieties

High-quality black tea from Ceylon came to the expanses of the former Soviet Union thanks to producers from England. Before that, the CIS had a wide selection of mediocre drinks made in Sri Lanka.

Today elite Ceylon tea is produced by Ahmad Tea and Twinings. The rest of the teas labeled "Orange Pekoe" are just a mixture of crops from ordinary plantations.

Chinese varieties

Green tea is preferred in China. And black, or as they are called at home, red varieties, are more common in the CIS countries.

The most famous Chinese black tea is Lapsang Souchong Tea. Lapsang sushong is fumigated with pine smoke during the drying process, which gives it a special aroma.

Keemun Tea is often found in a variety of mixes under the English Breakfast label. Keemun is rarely sold in its pure form. It tastes more like Georgian black tea, which radically distinguishes it from Indian varieties.

Green tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world. Its history is much longer and more colorful than coffee, and its homeland has been established reliably. Today, the production of this product is carried out in many countries of the world, but China still holds the first place in quality, production volume and a special attitude towards tea drinking.

Varieties and producers

In the store, you can buy packaged, small-leaf and large-leaf green tea at a variety of prices. If you look at the cost, then in Russia you can buy a really high-quality varietal product in the range from 7 to 800 dollars per 100 grams. And the most expensive is Chinese elite twisted tea, followed by Japanese, Indonesian, Ceylon tea.

The largest producers, like tea plantations, are concentrated in China, both in the south of the country and in the north. Hundreds of types of tea are produced here, from rare and expensive, to simple, affordable, designed to be consumed every day. Good green tea is always large-leaved, and the more it is curled, the stronger the infusion will be, the softer the taste and the healthier the drink itself.

Green differs from black in that it almost does not go through the fermentation stage, that is, it does not oxidize under the influence of external factors and its own enzymes. This allows the sheet to preserve all the useful components without changing and transforming into other compounds. In order to prevent fermentation, the harvested leaf is slightly wilted under natural conditions, and later exposed to high temperatures. This can be roasting in the oven, after which the leaves are manually rolled and dried completely.

Depending on the type of curling, teas are distinguished:

• strongly twisted along the sheet;
• strongly twisted across the sheet;
• slightly twisted.

If the leaf is twisted along the axis, it takes the form of twigs, sticks, spirals. This option is very popular in Japan, and the famous Gekuro and most of its varieties are a prominent representative.

Plantations in China have existed for more than one millennium

When the leaf is rolled across, it can resemble balls, scales and is marked in China as Gunpowder, and in Japan as Sencha. In China, such teas are also called pearl, and if there are many tips in their composition, then they are called golden or imperial. Balls can be of different sizes and shapes, their variety is very great.

Loosely rolled tea is a product that is naturally dried, so it can look like flattened blades of grass. It either does not curl at all, or wrinkles slightly. The most popular product is called Long Jing.

The leaves are rolled not only to increase their presentability. This is a way to keep healthy tea components inside longer and increase shelf life. Weakly rolled leaves give a weak infusion, delicate, with a slight floral or citrus aroma. Strongly curled are always richer, with a rich multifaceted aroma and taste. Green tea color can range from light green with a silvery to dark green.

If, when brewed correctly, the taste of tea is pronounced herbal, this is a low-grade product. A good and expensive product has a whole bouquet of aromas from citrus fruits to floral and light herbal ones, natural sweetness and honey flavor may be present.

The most famous varieties

In the tea industry, there are many ways to draw attention to a product. This is mainly advertising, beautiful packaging, an original slogan. But for many centuries there have been which are in constant demand and love without any popularization.

Xi Hu Long Jing - large leaf green tea from Xihu

Below are the top ranked green teas:

• Xi-Hu Long Jing - Chinese large-leaf from Lake Xihu. Collected and produced since ancient times, today it is divided into 13 varieties, the best of which are the first three, represented by a large content of unblown buds collected in early spring. This tea has the lightest color of the infusion, which can set off emerald. The taste is very intense, the aroma is thick floral. It is brewed for about a minute and served in clear glasses to enjoy the subtle shade of the infusion.
• Taiping Hou-Kui is a tea that is harvested on a limited number of plantations and only on a sunny day. There are strict rules for the selection of raw materials. This is a tea bud, which is embraced by two young, freshly blossomed leaves of the same size as the bud. This product is called hot tea.
• Bi-Lo-Chun - passes the stage of manual twisting, from which the tea leaves take the form of small coiled spirals, which are also called snails. Within the variety, there is a division into 7 sub-varieties, and the lower the species, the weaker the taste and aroma. When brewed, Bi-Lo-Chun gives a light emerald infusion color, fresh aroma, thick, rich taste. Its taste contains fruity notes. It is also customary to serve the drink in transparent glasses. The largest plantation is located in Jiangxi province.
• Yongwu is one of the most expensive Chinese teas. It is grown on small plantations located on damp and damp mountain slopes, where the sun's rays rarely fall. Goes to the domestic market, therefore it is rare outside the country.
• Gunpowder - tea leaves are similar to balls of gunpowder, refers to pearl teas, it is consumed very sparingly, as it has a very dense and rich taste.
• Chan-Mi is the main loose tea in China, the second name is "eyebrow", which is obtained for the shape of the tea leaves. Has a classic taste and aroma, mixed with flowers, herbs and citruses.
• Huang Shan Mao Feng is the highest mountainous Chinese tea, the tea leaves have a light yellowish color, sweetish taste, fresh and rich aroma. Tea leaves resemble passerine tongues.
• Maojian is a large group of teas produced by the upper bud with a leaf. After brewing, the infusion acquires an amber color, delicate taste with a pleasant aftertaste. To get the true Maojiang for 1 cup, you need to take 2 tsp. tea leaves.
• Tien Shan Yin Hao is a natural flavored jasmine tea. The infusion turns out to be light and transparent, the taste is classic, and the aroma is rich floral.
• Dong Yuang Dong Bai is a light yellow drink with a bright floral aroma and a multifaceted aftertaste.

Chinese teas are considered the most aromatic and delicate in taste. In this country, a huge number of varieties are produced, different in organoleptic properties and unimaginable in shape. Japanese teas are darker in color and less aromatic. The most popular are Sencha, Bancha and Gekuro. The product from India is considered the lowest grade, although it is in demand due to its affordable price. It can produce a light spicy taste and aroma.

Beneficial features

Green tea is the most useful because of its content of vitamins, amino acids, essential oils, antioxidants. It is rich in fluoride, iodine, zinc, calcium, potassium, and antimicrobial components. It has a high biological activity, which is expressed in the following effects on the human body:

• strengthens the immune system;
• makes blood vessels elastic and reduces their permeability;
• heals the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract;
• activates mental and physical performance;
• useful for losing weight;
• has an antitumor effect;
• removes toxins, including salts of heavy metals;
• strengthens the skeletal system.

Green teas retain their beneficial properties only when brewed correctly. Boiling water is destructive for them. The water temperature should be from 60 to 80 degrees, and the infusion time lasts from 1 to 3 minutes. If the drink is overexposed, it can become bitter due to its high caffeine content. Water is an important ingredient in brewing. It must be soft, springy, so as not to spoil the taste of the drink.

A cup of green drink promotes weight loss

You need to know what time it is best to drink this tea. This time is from morning to 16-18 pm. Green tea is a highly tonic drink, therefore it is not recommended in the evening. Pregnant women and children should not get carried away with tea.

Best Green Tea

If we talk about which green tea is better, then this is a product of an early spring harvest with a large number of tips. It is considered the most aromatic, delicate in taste and useful. Such raw materials are always treated with care, excluding the likelihood of spoilage, since ready-made tea is expensive and is purchased by people who know a lot about it.

The best green tea is produced in China, and this has been done for more than one millennium. Many works of Chinese sages are devoted to the benefits and beauty of tea leaves. In Russia, 50% of the product sold on the market is purchased in China, the rest in Sri Lanka, Georgia, Vietnam, Japanese varieties are very rare.

1. Greenfield Flying Dragon is a leafy Chinese plantation in Hunan province. Gives a light infusion color, light floral aroma with herbal notes. Does not have bitterness and astringency;
2. Princess Java Best - inexpensive Chinese with a mild taste, light infusion, good tonic;
3. Ahmad Green Tea - represented by the Chinese variety Chang Mi, which has a mild pistachio aroma. Gives a light infusion with light astringency.

When buying tea, you must pay attention to the completeness of the information provided on the package. It is best to opt for loose teas, which are sold through a chain of specialty boutiques. Here you can not only see tea leaves, but also taste the desired variety. It is important to check the timing of tea production, the less time has passed since the collection, the more aromatic and useful the drink will be, because a long shelf life under the wrong conditions can spoil the taste of the most expensive variety. It is even dangerous to buy such tea.

Homemade green tea

In Russia, black and green tea has long been prepared from a variety of plant materials. The most popular was fireweed, although using a similar technology, tea leaves can be prepared from currant leaves, cherries, raspberries, and medicinal herbs. To make green leaf tea yourself, you must:

• during the flowering period, collect the leaves of the fireweed;
• spread them out on a flat surface in a warm room for several hours so that they wither and lose some of the juice;
• then they are laid out on a baking sheet and sent to the oven for frying to stop the oxidation process;
• after roasting, final drying takes place, which can be done with or without hand-rolled leaves.

Store tea in glass or tin cans in a dark cabinet at room temperature. You can add dried currant leaves, cornflower flowers, oregano and other aromatic natural additives to them.

How nice it is after a busy day to allow yourself to relax while watching your favorite movie with a cup of hot aromatic tea in your hands, or interrupt your work hours for a few minutes to enjoy a delicious, invigorating drink. Unfortunately, our frantic pace of life does not always allow us to enjoy a wonderful drink that needs to be infused in a teapot. In order not to drag out the "tea ceremony", which we can hold several times a day, a good solution would be to use tea bags. The problem is that good tea bags can be very difficult to find, and even the high price of a package is not a guarantee of a quality drink. Tea dust, in which there is practically the entire periodic table, but the tea leaf itself is not, can be bought at any price. To help you understand which tea bags are best to buy, here are some of the golden rules for choosing. We will also introduce you to several ways to study the quality of an invigorating drink at home.

Why do many people choose tea bags?

Why is bagged tea good? This is an excellent tool for lazy people and workaholics: some have no desire to "tinker" with a crumbly drink, while others do not have enough free time for this. It is much easier and faster to just throw the filter bag into the mug and get a fragrant liquid.

The tactile sensations from drinking tea bags are also more pleasant, because individual tea leaves, leaves and flowers do not fall into the cup and do not climb into the mouth without demand. In tea bags, everything is calculated for us: the optimal dosage of components in one bag allows us to prepare a delicious drink. Such a drink is brewed faster than loose tea leaves, this is due to the fact that the leaves in the bag are crushed.

Against the background of such advantages, many are ready to put up with some of the disadvantages of a packaged drink. Not everyone is confused by its inflated cost, the presence of suspicious components and a less pronounced taste, compared to the composition that requires a teapot. However, there are people who consider it beneath their dignity to consume a certain amount of a drink brewed with a bag.

Tea bags contain caffeine, catechins, theophylline and other alkaloids. If a substance is more than needed, it can cause negative consequences.

Packaging will help you understand which tea is better in bags.

To choose the best tea bags, the first thing to consider is the packaging. Moreover, at this stage there is no need to buy a drink. Even the box that contains the tea bags has to be done in a certain way. It should be solid, not wrinkled and tightly sealed with transparent film. Thanks to this, moisture and various living creatures, which sometimes can live in a store, will not penetrate inside, where the coveted box can lie on the shelf for a long time until the tenacious hands of the buyer grab it.

The sachet itself can be made from:

• Corn starch
• Synthetic silk
• Nylon
• Food foil
• Paper

To determine the quality of the drink by the packet, you will have to buy the packaging and gut the contents. If, of course, the above-mentioned rule for choosing good tea is observed and the film has a place to be. Otherwise, it is better to give up the purchase at this stage.

The outsider on this list is the paper bag. This material does not pass water well and does not in the best way affect the taste of the drink. It is believed that tea of ​​mediocre quality gets into the paper bag.

Not only the material, but also the shape of the bag can be different: round, square and even pyramidal, which has become especially popular these days. The fact is that this form of packaging affects the quality of the brew. The pyramids have a larger volume than rectangular bags, which allows the tea leaves to unfold in all their glory inside the sachet, freely "dance" inside, thereby giving the maximum aroma and taste. It is generally accepted that selected varieties of tea can only be sold in pyramids, but not in rectangular bags. The advantage of the pyramids is that the composition of the sachet is clearly visible through the material, so it is impossible to put "tea dust" there, only beautiful leaves.

If the choice fell on tea in rectangular bags, give preference to such a box, each bag of which will be enclosed in a foil bag. Food foil prevents moisture, dampness, mold from penetrating into the bag itself, and protects the product from drying out and sunlight.

Therefore, tea in individual foil packaging is not an impermissible luxury or a competent move by marketers, but an important factor that confirms the care of the manufacturer and the potential buyer.

This is not the end of the study of the box: in order to choose good tea bags, take them out of the package and inspect for tea dust at the bottom. If there is a lot of dust, refuse to buy. Most likely, this "tea" is made mainly from it.

However, nothing prevents an unscrupulous manufacturer from putting a cheap, low-quality product in a pyramid or in foil packaging to throw tea dust in the eyes of the buyer.

How to choose tea bags

What is the best tea bag? One that is made from quality raw materials, where there are a minimum of flavors that are identical to natural ones, and where there are no dyes. The presence or absence of flavors and dyes can be judged by the packaging: the manufacturer is obliged to indicate this information.

The quality and health benefits of a tea drink mainly depends on the type of raw material. There are three types:

• Whole tea leaves can be placed in a bag, and this will be the best option. Such tea will have a rich, slightly tart taste, an alluring aroma, bright color.
• Inside the sachet there can be crushed leaves in a special way, and this raw material is called "Fannings". A very common method among Russian manufacturers.
• The cheapest option is tea dust, which can be seen even on the bottom of the beverage box. Such liquid will not have the proper taste and smell. And if you are attracted by the aroma of this drink, most likely, the manufacturer did not spare the flavor enhancers, flavors and dyes. But these are clearly not the best varieties of tea bags.

It is difficult to determine which tea bag is the best, because you need to conduct a detailed analysis of the composition, to identify the taste of the drink from hundreds of brands. But you can experimentally determine how good your chosen tea is.

Find out if the best black tea bags are on your shelf:

Before going on a "wet" business, you will have to stock up on cold water and patience. After all, you need to put the tea bags in a cup with cold water. After that, timed two hours, and go watch the result. The water practically did not change color, is it almost as transparent as before the experiment? Congratulations, you have managed to buy some good tea bags.

And if the "tea leaves" managed to be brewed in cold water, the drink has acquired the usual dark brown hue, remember the packaging in your face, throw it away and never buy again. In addition to the leaves of the tea bush, if they are there at all, such bags, of course, contain flavors and dyes.

There is another way to determine the quality of black tea: put a slice of lemon in a cup with a drink at normal temperature. If the drink has not changed color, there are dyes in it. If the tea has turned very pale from exposure to citrus, there are no dyes in it. True, this does not mean that there are no low-quality flavors in it either.

Checking the quality of green tea:

Take a transparent cup or glass, a bag dropped there, fill it with hot water and wait 10 minutes. If the drink looks nice and is clear in color, chances are you have chosen a good green tea bag.

If the infusion looks cloudy, whitish, the product is of poor quality.

You can repeat the same experiment with a lemon wedge as you did with black tea. The result is the same: the drink brightened, which means that natural plant leaves were used. If the color remains the same, the product is full of colorants. The best green tea bags should be color-free.

To determine the quality of tea, it is not superfluous to understand when it is approximately harvested. If foam appears on the surface after brewing, the leaves have been collected recently. If no foam is observed, the raw material was harvested at least a year ago.

After the drink has migrated into the stomach, inspect the sides of the cup. Brown bloom indicates not the best tea bags, or even expired raw materials.

As we said, good tea bags don't have to be brewed instantly. The drink should acquire the proper shade, taste and aroma in about 5 minutes after adding water.

Therefore, choose product packaging that does not have such inscriptions:

• Strong
• Brews in a minute
• Fast brewing

Take a tea bag, cut a piece from it, and pour the contents onto a white sheet. You have come across the best tea bags, if the tea leaves are large, they are about the same color, smell and size.

Is there a ranking of the best teabags?

So are there better brands of tea bags, or do you need to get rid of the habit of equating loose tea and tea bags? Various companies sometimes conduct research on this product and make ratings.

Top-best brands often include such brands as Greenfield, Ahmad Tea, Broke Bond, Dilmah, Maitre de The. But do not lose sight of the fact that the best tea bags in this rating are chosen not for the quality of the drink itself, but for the company's sales. Proceeding from the fact that a low-quality product will not sell well, and draw conclusions.

The Roskontrol organization also conducted research on well-known tea brands. Most of all caffeine is in Ahmad and Greenfield teas. The more caffeine, the higher the quality of the tea is. But at the same time, the exceeded content of this substance has a negative effect on human health. Least of all caffeine was found in Beseda tea. This brand has lost in many respects:

• Faded shade
• Weak taste
• Lack of aroma

The Lipton and Brooke Bond teas are leading in terms of healthy catechin content. In addition, shredded tea leaves were found in Lipton tea, not suspicious granules. We can say that Lipton, according to the estimates of this study, is selected as one of the best teabags. However, this is not the ultimate truth. When choosing a product, focus on your preferences, consumer reviews and always carefully study the composition.

Where to start if you want to become a tea connoisseur - or just find, finally, exactly the tea you can enjoy every day? Let's figure it out in this article. And first, let's remember

What kind of tea is there?

When they talk about "teas", what do you think they mean?

Everyone knows that tea is a plant, a tea bush. Plants of different varieties, from the point of view of botany, have different decorative or physiological characteristics. For example, two varieties of peonies or tomatoes may differ in appearance, have different colors and shapes of petals, size and taste of fruits, etc. And many still think that green and black tea is made from different plants. In fact, there is one type of tea plant - Chinese camellia - and many varieties of it. The type of tea (green, black, yellow, etc.) depends on the processing of the tea leaf.

We won't go into botanical details. After all, the taste, aroma and color of the finished drink matter for the buyer. And these indicators are determined commercial grade.

Commercial grade of tea - an indicator of quality

The trade grade of tea is made up of many factors. In addition to the type of tea plant (Chinese, Assamese, Cambodian), the following is taken into account:

• the place of growth of the plant itself (this is country of origin, the most famous are Chinese, Indian, Ceylon, Kenyan and other teas from Africa, Georgian, Vietnamese, Japanese and, of course, native Krasnodar, specifications plantations),
• the time and conditions of collection (which leaves are collected, manually or by machine, the season of collection, etc.),
• features of sheet processing (drying, twisting, crushing and many other special processes).

And that's not all - many types of tea are obtained by blending and additional aromatization(there is nothing wrong with that if the flavors are natural).

All of these factors affect the final grade of tea. And as a result, we can read on the pack, for example, “Chinese green large leaf tea (... the name of the company)”. Every word counts here.

Blending is another reason for the variety of teas

Blending (or, in simple terms, blending) is done by tea packing factories. Each blend gets its own unique name and sometimes becomes the “face of the company”. The composition of such a mixture may include 1-2 dozen varieties of tea leaves grown in different countries.

Which tea maker is the best?

In Soviet times, we had access to one type of tea, which many still miss ("with an elephant"). Then the country rushed to the other extreme, and only imported tea could be bought in stores. Now the choice is great, there would be money.

It is very difficult to choose the best tea maker. Mainly because one and the same company produces 3-5 different brands of tea in several price categories - expensive, medium, economy. And ardent adherents of Greenfield tea, in fact, choose the same manufacturer as the thrifty lovers of the Princess Nuri brand (both are made by Orimi Trade). Therefore, the definition of "the best tea producer" is rather arbitrary.

Among the Russian tea producers, we note the following companies:

• Orimi Trade, she owns the brands "Princess Nuri", "Princess Kandy" (as well as Gita, Java), as well as Tess, Greenfield,
• "May"- and this is not only "May tea", but also "Lisma", Curtis,
• Unilever- "Beseda", Brooke Bond, Lipton (the owner of the company is England, but the production is located in Russia).

Among foreign teas, the most famous are "Dilmah"(supplier of Ceylon tea), English "Twinings", « Ahmad ", Ceylon "Riston"(positions itself as "premium English tea"), « Akbar ".

When selecting teas for the rating, we based on customer reviews and research results. We have not considered rare, elite and expensive varieties sold only at auctions or in tea shops of a narrow specialization. The rating contains popular trade varieties of black and green tea that are easy to find in shops near your home.