In recent years, tea has been widely promoted in China, and people have gained a lot of knowledge about it. However, after interacting with many tea drinkers and sellers, I have found that many aspects of tea promotion are incorrect. The biggest mistake is the belief that "no bitterness, no astringency is not tea" and that many teas cannot be brewed with boiling water.

It is recorded in ancient texts that tea is bitter and cold in nature, but no classic text records that tea is astringent. The astringent taste arises because chlorophyll in the tea leaves is not fully transformed during processing, and the leaves are not fully oxidized at high temperatures. Any variety of tea, when properly processed, will not have an astringent taste. Lu Yu's Classic of Tea states, "If the tea is poorly made, drinking it may cause illness." Astringency is a sign of inadequate processing. Symptoms such as stomach pain, dizziness, and insomnia after drinking tea are manifestations of drinking poorly processed tea.

So, can you avoid astringency by using lower water temperature or a quicker pour? No. The key is to use boiling water, and even if the tea is steeped for a while, it should not become astringent—this is a sign of proper processing. Cai Xiang's Record of Tea specifies three criteria for properly processed tea: First, the tea liquor should be clear and bright, with a preference for white (clear) coloration; second, the tea should have a true fragrance, not only smelling aromatic but also leaving a lingering fragrance in the mouth; third, the taste should be predominantly sweet and smooth—the tea should be sweet and the water should feel smooth. When brewed with boiling water (including green tea, black tea, and other six major categories), tea that meets these three standards is truly qualified tea—tea that will not cause discomfort, that almost anyone can drink without side effects.

Therefore, do not believe the saying "no bitterness, no astringency is not tea," nor the claim that tea cannot be brewed with boiling water. Any tea that remains non-astringent when brewed with boiling water is good tea. In the future, you can use this method to test the quality of tea when buying it.