What is tea grading?
section on our website. BACK TO TOP Do your teas contain soy or soy lecithin? Leaves from Camellia sinensis, the tea plant, do not contain soy. However, some of the 100% natural flavors that we use in some of our teas do contain soy and soy lecithin. Soy lecithin is a food ingredient that is derived from plant sources, including soy. Soy lecithin is used in foods and beverages as an emulsifier, a stabilizer, a dispersing aid or other similar uses. Stash Tea teabag blends that contain soy: Acai Berry Herbal, Apple Cinnamon Herbal, Blueberry Herbal, Decaf Raspberry & White, Lemon Blossom Herbal, Lemon Ginger Herbal, Wild Blackcurrant Herbal, Wild Raspberry Herbal. Stash Tea Iced Tea Blends that contain soy: Wild Blackcurrant, Blueberry Herbal, Wild Raspberry Herbal, Blackcurrant Iced Black, Lemon Blossom Herbal, Tropical Fruit Iced Black Tea.
Tea grading is one of the most confusing and misunderstood subjects. To begin with, the grades of tea are not standardized worldwide and may vary according to origin. Also, a tea’s grade does not necessarily indicate flavor or quality. Rather, tea flavor and quality are determined by many different factors including: the country of origin, the variety of the tea (usually named after the district where grown), the garden or estate, the elevation, the particular flush (picking) and the manufacturing after harvesting. Most black teas are graded and sold according to leaf or particle size. The harvesting and manufacturing of tea has a great impact on the finished size of the leaf, thus the tea grade. There are two main methods of producing black tea. The traditional Orthodox method requires hand plucking of the top two leaves and the bud at harvesting and rolling during the leaf disruption (beginning of fermentation) stage of manufacturing. The Orthodox method may yield all of the possible
