1. Tea in Ordinary Restaurants

The tea served in ordinary restaurants is mostly stale or low-quality tea, with a purchase cost generally around 5 yuan per pound, rarely exceeding 10 yuan per pound.

It is recommended to bring your own tea when dining in such places to ensure quality and safety.

2. Flower Tea

Flower tea, popular among young people, often contains pesticide residues due to the need to protect flowers from pests. To minimize risk, choose reputable brands and rinse the tea before brewing.

3. Extra-Green Green Tea

High-quality green tea has a light, almost colorless brew. If your green tea is very green, it may contain artificial colorants. Focus on aroma and taste rather than color when selecting green tea.

4. Tea Bags

Good whole-leaf tea is rarely used in tea bags. Most tea bags contain low-quality broken leaves, especially in opaque paper bags. Opt for transparent mesh tea bags if convenience is a must.

5. Unbranded Tea

Avoid unbranded or untested tea, as it may contain harmful pesticide residues. Purchase from reputable sources to ensure safety.

6. Discounted Tea

Extremely cheap tea (e.g., 9.9 yuan per pound) may be produced using hormones to accelerate growth, allowing up to six harvests a year. Such tea poses serious health risks.

7. Fake Ancient Tree Tea

In the Pu'er tea market, many claim to sell ancient tree tea, but genuine ancient tree tea is rare. Be wary of large-scale productions labeled as such.

8. Overly Attractive Tea

Visually appealing tea may contain excessive pesticides or additives. Judge tea by its aroma, taste, and brew rather than appearance alone.

9. Additives in Tea

Some teas contain artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners. Avoid teas with unnaturally bright colors, excessive sweetness, or unchanging brew color over multiple infusions.

10. Overly Fragrant Green Tea

Green tea with an unusually strong aroma or burnt flavor may be stale tea reprocessed with heat, which can be carcinogenic. Authentic green tea has a fresh, subtle fragrance.