The difference between luxury tea and commercial tea.

The difference between luxury tea and commercial tea lies in several factors, including quality, sourcing, flavor, and presentation:

1. Quality of Ingredients:

• Luxury Tea: Often made from whole, unbroken leaves that come from the top tier of tea gardens. These teas are carefully curated and typically meet high-quality standards.

• Commercial: Usually made from lower-grade tea leaves, often referred to as “fannings” or “dust,” which are smaller particles left over after processing whole leaves. This can result in a less complex and fresh taste.

2. Sourcing:

• Luxury Tea: Ethically and sustainably sourced from specific, often single-origin gardens, where the focus is on fair trade and environmental sustainability.

• Commercial: Sourced from various farms, often blended to maintain a consistent taste, but without the same attention to ethics or sustainability.

3. Flavor and Aroma:

• Luxury Tea: Has a more complex, nuanced flavor profile. The larger leaves and careful processing retain essential oils and compounds that enhance taste and aroma.

• Commercial: Generally has a flatter, one-dimensional taste due to the smaller tea particles and mass production process.

4. Processing:

• Luxury Tea: Minimally processed to preserve the natural qualities of the leaves. Handpicked and hand-processed methods are often used, ensuring the tea retains its original flavor and health benefits.

• Commercial: Often mass-produced, which can result in more oxidation and loss of natural compounds, affecting both flavor and health benefits.

5. Health Benefits:

• Luxury Tea: Higher in antioxidants, polyphenols, and other beneficial compounds due to better leaves and less aggressive processing.

• Commercial: Contains fewer beneficial compounds because of lower-grade leaves and faster processing methods.

6. Packaging:

• Luxury Tea: Often comes in premium packaging (like the compostable, plant-based pyramid bags offered by DiviniTea), which maintains freshness and is eco-friendly.

• Commercial: Packaged in basic tea bags, often with materials that can affect the flavor or quality of the tea over time.

Luxury tea offers a more refined experience, both in terms of taste and health benefits, while mass-market tea is often convenient but of lower quality.