When you go to buy tea, merchants always give you various reasons to make a purchase. Some reasons may seem reasonable, but in reality, they are not. The deceptive reasons are generally as follows:

1. "There is no good or bad tea, only what suits you."

This statement, originally quite reasonable, is easily used to deceive consumers. Within a single tea category, there must be a grading system; otherwise, how would tea evaluation standards exist? It's a matter of personal preference, but you should make choices based on knowing the grades and comparing value for money. Without distinguishing quality, merchants can sell low-grade tea at high prices. This "suitability" is not what it seems.

2. "My black tea is good because it can withstand high temperatures."

It’s hard to understand why tea quality needs to be justified this way. Black tea that can’t handle high temperatures isn’t necessarily bad, and heat-resistant black tea isn’t always good. Each tea has an optimal brewing temperature. While heat-resistant tea might have a higher chance of being better, a slightly lower temperature could enhance its flavor.

3. "My tea may not smell great, but it has excellent aftertaste."

Aroma is the most basic criterion for judging tea quality. If a tea lacks aroma, how can it have a good aftertaste?

4. "I know ×××, the tea master."

"I know ×××, the tea master" or "I’m related to ×××, the tea master" implies their tea is excellent. Does knowing someone make them an expert? Many people’s "knowledge" is limited to mere acquaintance. Expertise shouldn’t rely on connections.

5. "It doesn’t taste good now, but it will after some time."

This isn’t entirely deceptive. Pu-erh tea, white tea, rock tea, and Phoenix Dancong can improve with aging or after resting. However, not all teas become better with time. Poor-quality Pu-erh will remain bad even after 100 years, and over-roasted rock tea won’t improve no matter how long it rests.

6. Farmer-produced tea is the best.

Tea farmers often lack advanced refining techniques, so their tea isn’t necessarily superior.

In short, the best approach is to educate yourself. Learn the taste profiles of different teas and their quality levels. Tea evaluation is a skill every tea lover should acquire—it’s a way to respect tea.