Many people examine tea leaves closely before brewing and select tea bags with few or no stems. In fact, a certain amount of tea stems is necessary to brew a more fragrant tea, as stems contain nutritional components. Drinking tea without stems reduces both taste and efficacy by half.

Many discard stems thinking they lack nutrition, or believe good tea should be stem-free. But experts state that tea's nutrition and essence lie in both stems and leaves. Daily consumption of 6 grams of tea stems can effectively prevent aging and radiation. Additionally, stems have certain disease-prevention properties.

However, since stems affect tea's appearance, their advantages are often overlooked. People dismiss stems, ignoring their health benefits and even assuming stem-rich tea is low-quality with inferior taste. Unknowingly, stems significantly contribute to the tea's flavor profile.

Experts explain that stems contain substantial aroma compounds. Tea aroma decreases from the first to the third leaf, while stems have the highest fragrance. Aroma substances are primarily in stems and leaf veins, with young stems containing more amino acids than young leaves.

The vascular bundles in stems conduct nutrients and aroma. Most components are water-soluble. During processing, aroma transfers from stems to leaves via moisture evaporation, combining with leaf compounds to form a richer, stronger fragrance.

Thus, appropriate stems are essential for producing aromatic and flavorful tea, with stem length varying by tea type and variety.