Did you know that more than 76% of tea produced in India is eaten by its citizens? While we enjoy our morning/evening cup of tea, we may be unaware of how much adulteration these tea leaves have undergone before arriving on our kitchen shelves. This raises the important question of whether the tea we drink has been polluted.
India is the world’s second-largest tea grower, accounting for 19% of total worldwide consumption per capita. It is somewhat alarming to hear that a substantial section of the tea-drinking populace consumes tainted tea leaves. In light of this, here are four methods for detecting adulteration in tea leaves.
There are four simple techniques to determine if the tea leaves are genuine or fake:
Water
The first technique is combining a spoonful of tea leaves with a glass of water. Check that the water is not hot, but rather cold or at room temperature. If the tea is pure, there will be no change in the colour of the water. If any more colours are introduced, the colour of the tea leaves will quickly shift to red.
Paper filter
The second approach necessitates the use of filter paper. Spread the tea leaves out on the paper. Wet the filter paper by sprinkling it with water. Fill the sink with water and wash the paper. Then, to observe the stains, hold the filter paper up to the light. There will be no stains on the filter paper if you use pure tea leaves. If the leaves are contaminated, a blackish-brown coloured strain will be seen on the filter paper.
Magnet
Spreading a small number of tea leaves on a glass plate and gently sliding the magnet over the tea leaves is another method for testing the purity of tea leaves. If the tea leaf is pure, it will not attach to the magnet; nevertheless, if the tea leaf is tainted, it will.
Lemon
You may also use lemon to determine whether the tea leaves are genuine or not. Pour some lemon juice into a glass pitcher and stir in some tea leaf granules. The lemon juice will turn yellow or green if the tea leaves are authentic. If, on the other hand, the lemon juice becomes orange or other hues, it is a sure sign that tea leaves have been adulterated.
Adulteration in tea leaves is accomplished by treating processed leaves with a combination including Prussian blue, turmeric, or indigo, among other things,” according to the statement. How do you spot adulteration? The worth of tea is mostly determined by the quality of the leaves utilised.
At Truoosh, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to on our site, Truoosh may earn commission.
