Whenever I get in front of people, inevitably this question pops up.
“Which is the best tea?”
Usually, I answer them honestly- there is no ‘universal best’. It depends on personal preference and personal needs, etc etc.
Upon reflection, though it was a truthful answer, it is a useless one.
To better answer the question, perhaps we should look at the motivations behind the question.
Why do you search for the best?
The almighty Google as always points the way.
The most commonly asked questions beginning with “which is the best” are shown below.
In other words, this question is often asked with this intent- spare me the research, tell me which tea should I get?
While some of us love research- after all the author has written hundreds of articles on tea, ranging from brewing methods, to varieties of green tea, varieties of oolong etc- the notion of NOT wanting to read about tea is unbelievable.
I kid, but only just.
So if the asker merely desires a simple answer to point him or her in the right direction of which tea to start with, then we can better formulate an answer.
Who is it for?
In East Asian culture especially, there is a tradition of giving tea to valued associates and friends.
Hence, this question could be “Which tea is most suitable as a gift?”
Unless the recipient is a tea connoisseur, I would suggest “best” be replaced by “best known”.
After all, if you are taking the trouble to buy a gift and you are asking for the best, it means you want the person to feel appreciated.
While Shui Jin Gui or Bai Ji Guan are excellent oolong teas and would delight a connoisseur, the names sound somewhat arcane and even grating to the uninitiated. “Water Golden Turtle” and “White Cockscomb” are not particularly elegant sounding names.
Where it is a gift, it would be safer to stick to famous teas- teas such as Xihu Longjing, Dongting Biluochun, Dahongpao and Tieguanyin.
Teas that even casual tea drinkers would have heard of and appreciate the gesture better.
This is by no means a suggestion that these are necessary ‘better’ but it would better serve the purpose of pleasing the recipient.
For Personal Consumption
If it is meant for personal consumption, then it depends on the motivations of the asker for drinking tea.
Very often, people have the notion that tea is a miracle drug, so there is a remedy to be derived from drinking tea.
While tea has been lauded for its health benefits, it is rooted in the Chinese belief of ‘yang sheng’ or nurturing the body. In other words it is not so much remedial but preventive.
For instance, if you have a fever, which tea should you drink?
The answer is “none of them”. Barring allergies and medical conditions, you should consume paracetamol and it is not advisable to consume that with tea for the polyphenols with negate its effects.
The effects of tea in lower hypertension, occurrence of Parkinson’s disease etc generally refer to regular consumption of tea.
In other words, it won’t be an immediate effect.
If you are looking for a tea that will help you fit into that gorgeous dress you intend to wear for your sister’s wedding next month, I can’t think of any natural tea that would do that. Maybe a summer lowland Assam which is so astringent that it will kill your appetite altogether might help but even so…..
If you are looking to reap the health benefits of tea, be reminded that it is long term. If you do not find it enjoyable on its own merit, I doubt you can continue drinking it long enough to reap any benefits.
For example, more people I know lost weight doing an activity they liked such as hiking than one than burned lots of calories but they detested doing- such as step aerobics- because they abandoned it halfway.
So it boils down to this…..
Some people like brisk and sweet teas in which case a Taiwanese oolong or white tea would be recommended.
Some people like robust full flavor, which I would recommend a Wuyi Oolong.
Others like refreshing teas which green teas would be a good start.
And so forth, you can start by reading this.
And you don’t need to start with the ‘best’ because that corresponds to price, not necessarily the best starting point for a newbie.
Having said that…..
There is an objective empirical “best” but it relates more to production quality and comparisons within the same variety of tea.
For example, the “better” Tieguanyin would have better scores in the various categories outlined here.
But that is a tale for another post.
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