Green Tea Online Shopping Guide: 5 Super Helpful Tips
Shopping green tea online may seem straightforward and simple. But considering the multiple options in quality, leaf type, and flavours available, your shopping plan can quickly turn stressful.
To help you out, we have created a simple guide that shares all the best practices you can follow to make your green tea online shopping worthwhile. But first, let's understand the basics of green tea.
What is Green Tea? How Is It Made?
Green tea is a type of tea that is not oxidised like orthodox tea (black tea leaf) as it does not go through the process of firing in tea factories. As a result, it has a distinct leafy and grassy taste along with a high concentration of powerful antioxidants.
Specific techniques for processing green tea can vary from one tea factory to another. However, in most cases, green tea is carefully steamed and skipped for firing. This processing technique helps preserve most of the natural properties of the Camellia Sinensis tea plant.
5 Tips for Shopping Green Tea Online
To help you make the most out of your green tea online shopping, we have listed some of our suggestions and general recommendations that you can follow and choose the right type of green tea online.
1. Shop for Green Tea with Whole Unbroken Leaves
One of the best ways to ensure that you get your hands on high-quality green tea is to choose whole-leaf green tea. This type of green tea has long unbroken leaves that release a full spectrum of flavours and aroma when steeped in warm water.
2. Check the Origin of the Green Tea Before Ordering
Another important best practice to follow in your green tea online shopping spree is to check the tea’s origin. This is because the region and garden from where the tea originates significantly determine the overall flavour profile.
For example, Darjeeling green teas are one of the best in the world as they have a unique muscatel and fruity flavour not found elsewhere. This is mainly due to the region’s unique weather patterns which are highly unpredictable.
3. Buy Green Tea with Unflavoured Leaves
If you are planning to experience the original flavour and aroma of high-quality green tea, it is best to choose unflavoured green tea. Flavoured green tea contains additional flavouring substances, such as mint, honey lemon, etc, that mask the original flavour of green tea.
After trying unflavoured green tea, you can still add natural flavours to it, such as real honey and natural lemon, if you want to broaden your green tea tasting palette.
4. Shop for Freshly Sourced Green Tea
Green teas that are fresh off the tea gardens taste the best. When planning to shop for green tea online, look for ones sourced from the latest flushes (batches). You can also check with the tea brands to understand their green tea and overall tea sourcing methods and patterns.
5. Buy Green Tea with Secure and Sealed Packaging
Lastly, make sure to shop for green tea that comes in secure and sealed packaging. Secure packaging helps ensure that the green tea leaves do not lose their flavour and aroma by preventing direct exposure to sunlight and moisture.
At Naturolled Tea, we offer pure green teas in secure 3-layer packaging with an airtight seal. When you use our green tea, you can reseal the packet and store it for further use.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Which green tea brand is the best?
It entirely depends on your preference for green tea. If you prefer pure leaf green tea, brands like Naturolled Tea are suitable for long leaf green tea.
2. When should green tea be taken?
It is best to drink green tea in the morning and the afternoon. Avoid taking green tea in the evening or at night as its caffeine content (although relatively low) may disrupt sleep.
3. Where is green tea grown in India?
The best green tea in India is grown in Darjeeling, Assam, and Nilgiris.
4. Are there any benefits of drinking green tea?
The significant antioxidants present in green tea are popularly known to promote well-being.
5. What to look for when buying green tea?
First, decide if you want to buy loose leaf green tea or green tea bags. Second, decide if you want to buy unflavoured or flavoured green tea. When buying loose leaf green tea, look for long unbroken leaves. And when buying green tea bags, look for high-quality tea bags that do not contain microplastics.
6. How to buy green tea?
You can buy green tea online by reading the descriptions on the product pages of tea brands and learning about the type, leaf length, origin, and flavour and aroma characteristics.
7. Which green tea to buy?
If you like pure green tea without additional flavours, you can buy whole leaf green tea. And if you like flavoured green tea like honey lemon green tea, you can buy flavoured green tea bags.
8. Why is green tea expensive?
Green tea is mostly priced higher than other types of tea as the process of plucking the tea leaves is very selective. In most cases, tea workers pluck only the fresh buds and young leaves of only the upper section of a tea plant. These young and smaller-sized leaves are called flowery pekoe and orange pekoe. Green tea varieties with these types of leaves are graded FTGFOP (Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe).
9. What is the best time for drinking green tea?
Mornings and afternoons are the ideal time for drinking green tea. Evenings are generally not the best time for drinking green tea as its caffeine content may interfere with sleep.
10. Is green tea worth it?
If you treasure the distinct flavour of green tea and appreciate the careful plucking processes and steaming process required to produce it, then green tea is definitely worth it.