Traditionally, teas have been graded not on the basis of taste, but on leaf size, the highest quality being something akin to Finest Tippy Golden Flowering Orange Pekoe. "Orange Pekoe" Tea alludes to a leaf grade, not to citrus fruit, such as that found in Earl Grey's oil of bergamot. Generally, it is assumed that the finer teas can be brewed without producing too many tannins, and the lowest grade, "fannings", or "dust" tend to produce a comparatively bitter brew, redolent of tannins.
Generally, fannings and dust tend to be used in tea bags, and to get the best tea, you need to buy it loose-- and brew it in a teapot.
A good deal of tea is blended to produce a specific flavor profile-- leaves from Assam, Darjeeling and Ceylon might be blended to produce East Frisian Breakfast, and sometimes the quality of the blends varies from producer to producer. So Fortnum and Mason might have different standards than say... Lipton.
And then there are single estate teas, which because of limited acreage and quality standards, are produced in woefully small quantities. Margaret's Hope, for instance, tends to be on the pricy side.
Of course, there is also markup. Teavana, a US shop, demands $160 per pound for some of its teas which might reasonably be priced for $40-$60 per pound elsewhere. Since tea is usually sold at auction, the wholesale price varies whereas many retailers prefer consistent pricing. Better to build in a massive markup and source quality teas than compete for the bargain shopper and have to reduce the quality to meet a price target?
Anyway-- my supplier has enough varieties at sensible prices that I can drink well through a drought without being shafted in the bargain.
Generally, fannings and dust tend to be used in tea bags, and to get the best tea, you need to buy it loose-- and brew it in a teapot.
A good deal of tea is blended to produce a specific flavor profile-- leaves from Assam, Darjeeling and Ceylon might be blended to produce East Frisian Breakfast, and sometimes the quality of the blends varies from producer to producer. So Fortnum and Mason might have different standards than say... Lipton.
And then there are single estate teas, which because of limited acreage and quality standards, are produced in woefully small quantities. Margaret's Hope, for instance, tends to be on the pricy side.
Of course, there is also markup. Teavana, a US shop, demands $160 per pound for some of its teas which might reasonably be priced for $40-$60 per pound elsewhere. Since tea is usually sold at auction, the wholesale price varies whereas many retailers prefer consistent pricing. Better to build in a massive markup and source quality teas than compete for the bargain shopper and have to reduce the quality to meet a price target?
Anyway-- my supplier has enough varieties at sensible prices that I can drink well through a drought without being shafted in the bargain.
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