Description
How do you know if you're buying high-quality tea? In this tea buying guide, I reveal tea industry secrets, explain common tea marketing tactics, and explain the struggles of the tea sellers.
Whether you drink loose leaf tea, matcha, green tea, oolong tea, white tea, black tea or pu-erh tea, this video will help you make better buying decisions.
After decades sourcing tea directly from farmers and producers across China, Japan, Taiwan and beyond, I've seen how the tea industry really works. There are many honest tea companies doing incredible work—but there are also misleading marketing claims, confusing terminology and pricing practices that every tea lover should understand.
In this video we discuss:
🍃 Why organic tea is often not the highest quality tea
🍃 The truth about pesticides in tea
🍃 How tea origin can be misrepresented
🍃 Why "Premium Tea", "Rare Tea" and "Luxury Tea" are mostly marketing terms
🍃 Why there is no official definition of specialty tea
🍃 Why "Ceremonial Grade Matcha" is largely a marketing phrase
🍃 Why the first spring tea isn't automatically the best tea
🍃 Why tea tasting notes are subjective
🍃 How tea prices are determined—and why similar teas can vary dramatically in price
🍃 Why "Direct From Source" doesn't always mean what you think
If you've ever wondered:
• How to buy good tea
• How to identify high-quality loose leaf tea
• What makes specialty tea different
• Whether expensive tea is worth it
• How to choose matcha
• How tea sourcing really works
• How to avoid misleading tea marketing
...then this video is for you.
My goal isn't to attack the tea industry or individual tea companies. It's to help tea drinkers understand the realities behind tea production, tea sourcing, tea grading and tea marketing so you can become a more informed and confident tea buyer.
Whether you're just starting your tea journey or you're already passionate about Chinese tea, Japanese tea, Taiwanese tea, Gong Fu Cha, matcha, oolong tea, green tea, white tea, black tea, pu-erh tea and specialty loose leaf tea, I hope this discussion helps you appreciate tea even more.
If you found this video useful, please like, subscribe and share it with another tea lover.
What tea marketing claim do you think is the most misleading? Let me know in the comments—I read every one.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Join our NOTIFICATION SQUAD: https://meileaf.com/subscribe
Shop online: https://meileaf.com/
Clothing and other merch: https://merch.meileaf.com
SECOND CHANNEL - my personal tasting journey
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DiaryOfATaster
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diaryofataster/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@diary.of.a.taster
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Join us on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mei_leaf/
https://www.instagram.com/mei.leaf.teahouse
Write some friendly graffiti on our Facebook wall
https://www.facebook.com/meileaf