You Need to Learn How to Waste This Kind of Tea to Avoid Getting Sick

In the eyes of many tea lovers, wasting tea is a shameful thing. We often hear that we should “love tea” and “cherish tea,” and not waste it.

However, there are times when some people end up harming their health because they don't know how to properly discard certain teas.

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I once read a report about Mr. Cai who, unwilling to throw away his damp and slightly moldy premium tieguanyin, thought it was too expensive to discard and continued drinking it. A week later, he suddenly experienced symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, dizziness, and weakness in his limbs, falling ill in bed.

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Many tea enthusiasts have had the same mindset as Mr. Cai, unwilling to waste tea because of its cost, and thus continue to drink moldy or spoiled tea. Moldy and spoiled tea contains various mycotoxins like penicillic acid, chlorocyclohexane, and xanthone, which, if ingested, can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, dizziness, and weakness in the limbs; long-term consumption can lead to diseases such as organ degeneration, necrosis, and even cancer.

Therefore, you must learn to discard moldy, tainted, and otherwise spoiled tea. Sometimes, wasting tea isn't a bad thing; don't let the price of the tea prevent you from discarding it, as it could ultimately harm your health.

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The reason tea goes bad is due to improper storage. To store tea properly, consider the following:

Environmental Requirements: The storage environment should be dry, well-ventilated, and free of strong odors, especially those with strong scents or smells;

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Temperature: The ideal temperature for storing tea is between 23°C and 28°C. Under proper storage conditions, every 10°C increase in temperature accelerates the rate of spoilage by 3-5 times;

Humidity: The correct moisture content for tea is within 3%; contents above 5% can easily result in mold growth.

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Oxygen: Tea should be stored away from direct exposure to air, as this can accelerate oxidation, leading to the gradual loss of chlorophyll, darkening of the dry tea color, and a murky tea infusion.

Light: Avoid exposure to sunlight and artificial light, particularly ultraviolet rays.

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How should different types of tea be stored?

Green Tea:

Green tea, being lightly fermented, is best stored in the refrigerator. If you need to access it frequently, you can store green tea in the refrigerator at around 5°C. For unopened packages, storing them in the freezer can preserve them for over a year.

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Black Tea:

Black tea has a low moisture content and is prone to moisture absorption or losing its aroma. When storing, try to avoid mixing different types of tea. It's best to store black tea in airtight, dry containers, away from light and heat. Using tin foil, tin cans, purple clay pots, or tin containers is preferable.

Additionally, before placing black tea in storage, use a plastic bag to seal it and remove as much air as possible to better retain the tea's aroma.

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Yellow Tea:

Yellow tea is also suitable for refrigerator storage but be sure to avoid storing it with other foods to prevent it from absorbing unwanted odors. When storing yellow tea, it's best to first place it in an aluminum foil bag before putting it in a container, and keep the temperature around 5°C.

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White Tea:

White tea can be stored in airtight containers such as tin cans or iron tubes. It can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator, where the moisture content should be below 6%, and the temperature ideally kept at 5°C.

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Oolong Tea:

Oolong tea, being a partially fermented tea containing chlorophyll, requires protection from light and moisture. Oolong tea can be stored in tin cans, iron cans, ceramic jars, or double-lidded tin tea cans. However, to reduce oxidation, the tea should fill the container completely.

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Pu'er Tea:

When storing Pu'er tea, focus on ventilation, dryness, and absence of strong odors. It's best to store Pu'er tea using packaging materials with good breathability, such as kraft paper or rice paper, and avoid using plastic bags for sealing. During storage, you can place charcoal around it to absorb moisture and odors.

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Regardless of the method used to store tea, remember: tea should not come into direct contact with metal. When storing tea, a layer of paper or a bag should separate it from the metal.

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Failing to store tea properly is a waste, and drinking spoiled tea is an even greater waste of one's health. Therefore, all tea enthusiasts should take care in storing their tea properly, and if it becomes spoiled, it's best to discard it.