Having worked in the Tea industry for a while, one naturally encounters various kinds of tea drinkers or people with many questions about tea. As a result, it's common to be asked questions related to tea. Some of these questions are specific and personal, while others are more general and common.

Based on daily experiences, the author has created a list of “eight dos and don'ts” in the style of “dos and don'ts,” hoping to inspire further lists of “N dos and N don'ts.”

1. Relax and enjoy; don't burden yourself.

Often, friends say, “I'm sorry, I don't know much about tea.” Whenever I hear such comments, besides feeling apologetic, what I really want to express is that when drinking tea, there's no need to worry about whether you “know” or “don't know” about it. “Knowing” or “not knowing” isn't important; what matters is starting to drink tea.

How many people who watch TV “understand” how it works? Does this stop them from watching TV? How many people who use their phones “understand” how they function? Does this affect their usage? How many people can claim extensive knowledge about the food they eat? Not many.

The complexity of tea has put pressure on consumers, but this isn't their fault; it's something those in the tea industry need to address.

Approach tea with a relaxed mind and don't let it become a burden.

2. Enjoy yourself; don't be too formal.

Drinking tea should be a joyful experience. You should enjoy it without being overly formal, as that would make the experience uncomfortable and less enjoyable.

Tea can be drunk plain or mixed, brewed or boiled, using a Gaiwan or a simple cup.

You don't need to wear traditional clothing to drink tea.

You don't need to drink tea at a specific time of day.

Enjoy the pleasure of drinking tea naturally and genuinely, without being overly formal—hold your cup, but not your pride.

3. Keep it simple; don't overcomplicate things.

Making tea is indeed a relatively complex process, especially when done with dedication.

However, from the perspective of drinking tea, simplicity is often better than complexity.

When it comes to quality, it's fine to complicate simple issues, but the ultimate goal should be to present products in a straightforward way to consumers rather than creating concepts without practical value.

It's not that there shouldn't be rituals involved in Tea drinking. Valuable actions, no matter how complex, are simple; meaningless actions, no matter how simple, are complex. With a simple mindset, even elaborate rituals can be simple.

Tea is a healthy beverage that benefits both body and mind. So, approach it with a simple mindset, start simply, and then gradually adapt as you see fit.

4. Be rational; don't be blindly led.

In the tea industry, concepts are often thrown around, and masters are found everywhere.

Sometimes, some guidance can be misleading, like the blind pursuit of early harvests and tender leaves.

Some people create mystique around various “mysterious teas.” However, often, the mystery lies not in the tea itself but in the people selling it.

The age of tea trees is just one of many factors that may influence quality and is difficult to accurately determine. Yet, claims of 300-year-old, 800-year-old, and even 1000-year-old trees abound, with some trees' ages increasing by hundreds of years each year under public scrutiny.

There are even nonsensical slogans like “Better to drink an ounce of Silver than ten pounds of Pu'er tea,” designed to mislead you into a deep pit.

Avoid being swayed by high prices, masters, names, concepts, packaging, or curiosity.

Staying rational can help you avoid pitfalls and protect your wallet effectively.

Avoid paying for pseudo-intelligence.

5. Seek true flavors; don't fall for false pretenses.

The current state of the tea industry still sees instances of passing off inferior products as superior and faking authenticity, with some deceptive practices constantly evolving.

Particularly, popular teas from well-known regions like West Lake Longjing and Pu'er teas like Bohen Tang Bingdao Lao Banzhang, as well as fake aged teas produced through various means, are common.

Among these, some are easily identifiable as fakes based on basic common sense, while others are heavily wrapped but still reveal signs of fraud.

Beyond counterfeiting, there's also the “not only about age” approach to aged teas. While age is the most direct label for aged teas, except for a few that have become artifacts, the crucial factor for most aged teas ultimately remains their quality.

Source:Tea Industry Management Review

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