Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/491377
STiR tea & coffee industry international 37 our teas are tested and approved and people like the idea that we work in close collaboration with the communities and the nature around us," said Verelst. The importance of quality and taste It seems from comments all over the world that consumer choice is not solely governed by perceptions of tea's health ben- efits. Taste and quality also play an important role. It may be that consumers discover the whites and greens because of the health story, but then other factors come into play. Johnston in Florida, says: "Ten years ago it was all about health and caffeine content. Today, in addition to health and caffeine content, we are getting questions on blend and flavor ingredients, brewing times and methods, and country of origin." Bisogno is quite sure that, "Most people buying tea, enjoy drinking it, and the health benefits are not the only reason they consume it." At Canton Tea in the U.K., Wood says, "We sell our teas on their taste, quality, and provenance – not on the health benefits. Often people want to try something new, delicate, and unusu- al, something that has a traditional, artisan quality, and a story behind it. They may initially choose something because of its purported health benefits but, hey! Who knew it would taste so good! The expectation that green tea is bitter is still pretty preva- lent so a soft, nutty bean flavor with a sweet aftertaste comes as a massive surprise and a delight to many!" In Hong Kong Kwan too says that there is a trend "for bet- ter-tasting, handcrafted traditional teas. Higher quality tea does mean better health content as well as better taste, and customers are beginning to see that. For example, more people opt for our top-quality, aged white peony over silver needle not because of price but because of the taste." Kwan highlights the fact that artisan quality tea is so much more readily available today because of a rise in small niche tea- shops and internet stores which concentrate on quality as an alternative to the big brands. Since consumers have become more aware of loose-leaf specialty greens and whites, they have learned to appreciate the difference in taste, quality and value K L O T H & K Ö H N K E N T E E H A N D E L G M B H K O N S U L - S M I D T - S T R A S S E 8 j SPEICHER 1 - D -282 17 BREMEN FON + 4 9 - 4 2 1 - 3 4 8 5 2 6 4 FAX + 4 9 - 4 2 1 - 3 4 7 7 7 2 0 W W W . K K T E E . D E M A I L @ K K T E E . D E IT SUITS ALL MERCHANTS TO TRADE FAIR AND QUALI-TEA ! Victoria Bisogno of Argentina's Club del Te and Charming Blends, tasting white teas in Assam between the mass-produced teabag teas of the large brands and the super-special loose leaf available from boutique retailers. Oxalis sales assistants know their customers find that "white tea is sweeter and finer and therefore more palatable. Some people study the basic information and come to our shops to try it and explore tea with all the senses. They like to understand the difference in the appearance of the dry leaves, the color, the origin of each tea," according to Oxalis. Satemwa's Verelst says that their customers "like the natural processing and minimal involvement in white tea manufacture. White teas also have the image of being exclusive and expensive, plucked with care and in limited amounts. I guess the exclusivity attracts people as well." Whatever the reasons, it is important to heed what Gascoyne said when commenting on these current trends: "Whichever tea people choose, the benefits of tea are a default condition, tea is a tonic and let's not forget how good pleasure and enjoyment are for our health!"