Mold

Bad Habit One: Not Knowing What Tea It Is, Just Grabbing a Cup Just when someone mentions brewing tea, you grab a cup without caring what kind of tea it is. After all, it's free, so drinking it means you're making a profit. Do you think that's the end of the story? If so, you really are too naive. Two hours later, they come to you with accusations, saying that what you brewed was raw Pu-erh and that you're responsible for their stomach ulcer. You're left speechless... Before drinking tea, make sure it's suitable for you; don't drink randomly! Bad Habit Two: Pretending to Know About Dark Tea and Rolling Your Eyes When Told You Don't Before buying tea, you didn't even bother to learn some basic information about it. You say you want something sophisticated, so I recommend "Fu Brick Tea." You claim money is no object, how could I suggest you buy this moldy tea? I tell you that you're mistaken – the mold is actually golden flowers, medically known as Euypodium Cristatum. You then say, "Okay, give me half a kilo," to which I respond, "You're wrong again. A brick of tea weighs two kilograms. How am…

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.…

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. 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. 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…

If you are an avid tea drinker, there is a possibility that you are also an avid tea buyer. You may have an extensive collection of different types of teas, which may or may not be in a proper container. But what exactly is the proper way to store loose leaf tea? Are some containers better than others? First, you should know the things to consider when storing loose leaf tea. Things to Consider When Storing Loose Leaf Tea There are five things you should consider when storing your favorite loose leaf tea if you want to keep your tea fresh. Moisture The words “tea” and “moisture” cannot be good friends because tea’s flavor becomes weaker when exposed to moisture. Or worse, your tea can get moldy! As a rule of thumb, you would only want moisture to meet your tea when you are brewing it before drinking (a.k.a. when tea meets water). Other than that, you have to store your loose leaf tea away from moisture! But it is not as simple as keeping it away from water or dampness. Because tea is hygroscopic, which means that it absorbs moisture from the air, you should also block the moisture…