Kuding Tea is a type of tea drink that is highly regarded for its bitterness. It has heat-clearing properties and is a great health tea for the summer. However, Kuding tea has strong effects, and some people are not suitable for drinking it: Patients with chronic gastrointestinal inflammation often have varying degrees of spleen and stomach deficiency; once their abdomen gets cold or they eat cool-natured foods, they can experience discomfort such as abdominal pain and diarrhea, and Kuding tea can exacerbate these symptoms. In addition, the digestive functions of the elderly are relatively weakened, and infants' digestive systems are not yet fully developed; therefore, they should not drink Kuding tea, as it could easily cause side effects such as indigestion, cold abdominal pain, reduced appetite, and loose stools.

Kuding tea has heat-clearing, detoxifying, anti-inflammatory, and diuretic properties, making it a popular beverage for many people in the summer. However, due to a lack of related common knowledge, many consumers are deceived when purchasing Kuding tea, and after drinking it, they may experience some adverse reactions. For this reason, reporters interviewed relevant experts on how to select Kuding tea. According to them, the selection process can follow the steps of “observation, brewing, and taste testing.”

Observation: Easy Identification by Appearance When buying Kuding tea, one should first carefully observe its appearance. The leaves of Kuding tea are thicker and mostly oval-shaped, and they are slightly larger than those of other teas. If the tea is made from young shoots and leaves, it will generally have a robust, curled shape, and there will be little to no downy hair. Genuine Kuding tea has a good luster and is mostly dark green in color.

After observing these characteristics, consumers can also test the feel of the tea. Grab a handful of tea leaves; if you don't feel any particles, powder, or other debris, and if the midsection of the leaves is abundant and evenly cut, it's a good tea. If there is a noticeable amount of dust or foreign matter when handling the tea, it may contain impurities, and such tea should not be purchased.

Brewing: Flavor Remains After 10 Infusions One of the most prominent features of Kuding tea is its durability for multiple infusions. Therefore, when selecting Kuding tea, observing its ability to withstand multiple infusions becomes an important criterion for assessing its quality. Consumers can take a small amount of tea and Brew it; using 1 gram of tea for 150 milliliters of boiling water as an example, ordinary tea can only be brewed 2-3 times, and subsequent infusions will result in a bland taste. In contrast, Kuding tea can be brewed around 8-10 times while maintaining its rich flavor.

In addition, Kuding tea has another characteristic during brewing, which is the slow release of its flavor. During the brewing process of ordinary tea, adding more leaves would make the taste unbearably bitter, but even if 2-4 times the amount of Kuding tea is added, it still tastes fresh and mellow, just with a stronger flavor. This is because the flavor of Kuding tea releases slowly, and consumers can try this method when purchasing. Just like tea franchise businesses, there is no ‘best,' only the ‘most suitable.'

Taste Testing: Bitterness Followed by Sweetness Without Off-Flavors The final step is taste testing. The taste of Kuding tea starts off bitter, followed by a slight sweetness, without any other off-flavors such as astringency, spiciness, or sourness. Teas made from old leaves also have a taste that transitions from bitter to sweet, without any noticeable astringency. Consumers should note that the initial bitterness of Kuding tea should be within an acceptable range, and the subsequent sweetness is merely a pleasant, mellow taste, not a sugary sweetness. If the sweetness is too strong or has a sugary taste, it might have been mixed with licorice or Sugar, and such tea should not be purchased.

During this process, consumers can still judge the quality of the tea by observing the color of the tea infusion and the quality of the infused leaves. Genuine Kuding tea has a slightly yellow-green color, is clear, and free from turbidity or floating particles. After brewing, the infused leaves are dark greenish in color, soft and spread out, without downy hair, and the leaves are thick and large, with sturdy tea stalks and very few broken pieces. If the tea meets these characteristics, it can be determined to be authentic Kuding tea. If it does not meet these conditions, consumers should be cautious when purchasing.