Academician

Moldy tea is harmful to health and should not be consumed, we all know this. However, sometimes tea enthusiasts express difficulty in distinguishing between moldy tea, "golden flowers," and "white frost." What are the differences between moldy tea, "golden flowers," and "white frost"? Moldy Tea Tea leaves that have gone moldy generally grow white fuzz and emit a musty smell. Severely moldy tea can become rotten and clump together, with green fuzz growing on top, and Pu'er tea may also develop black mold. However, some premium varieties such as Biluochun, Mao Feng, Yunwu tea, Dian Hong, Tuocha, Pu'er, and others, have white down on their leaves. This is due to the tea's tenderness and not the white fuzz that grows when tea has molded. According to Academician Chen Zongmao of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and researcher at the Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, tea becomes moldy due to contamination by Penicillium and Aspergillus, which can produce toxins like aflatoxin (classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization, it is an extremely toxic substance). Aflatoxin is heat-resistant and cannot be eliminated through high-temperature cooking.…