8 Quali-Tea
In a market as jam packed as that of tea, it is not an easy feat to stand out from the crowd. However, the Middle East has recently experienced a surge in quality teas looking to do so.
Yurkina expects this upward trend to continue. “It does not look like the tea market will slow down, and growing customers demand will not only be in terms of product selection and choice but also its higher quality.”

Mutisya says it is important to note that quality tea is definitely different than generic ones people find at supermarkets.

She explains: “Fine quality teas can be compared to good wines — they have distinctive flavours, colours, aromas, appearance and infusion. The colour of an infused tea is very important in order to recognise a good quality tea. It should have a vibrant, glowing colour.
Poor quality teas tend to have a dead or flat colour. Good quality teas also usually have a fresh aroma, and are not stale or odourless.”

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The final factor is appearance, according to Mutisya. She explains: “Consistent size and colour of the leaf. Take a handful of tea leaves and check for variations in colour and sizes. Good quality tea leaves have a consistent colour and are generally the same size.

Poor quality teas usually have a combination of colours and sizes, as driven by the fact that quality tea is blended with low-quality leaves in order to market a cheaper product.”

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