There is a Chinese proverb that says “One Picture is Worth Ten Thousand Words”.  The modern take on this proverb has reduced the number of words to a mere thousand but the meaning is essentially the same.

When it comes to tea education, there is nothing more compelling than a few pictures to illustrate precisely what it is you are trying to say.  Take this picture for example.  To explain that different teas impart a different liquor colour which has nothing to do with the taste of the tea, can be better explained with this picture:

The picture also seeks to explain the different categories of tea, which is useful information to impart during my Tea Appreciation classes.

In my Tea Note Speaking events, I have used the following picture to explain that green tea is a category and not the name of a tea.  Living in a wonderful wine producing country that is Australia, I ask the audience would anyone purchase a bottle of wine that just says wine on it.  Most people would shake their heads and this helps to explain why I personally wouldn’t buy a box of tea that says just green tea on it.  There are so many different green teas out there and we don’t know just what green tea is inside the box.

I use this picture to explain how the storage of tea is really important.     Good quali-tea loose leaf tea has an added advantage over its teabag cousins because one can get at least two or three cups of tea from the same teaspoon of tea leaves.

Finally I often share a picture online to showcase cafés, restaurants and Afternoon Tea establishments which serve loose leaf tea and present it really well.  It helps to raise awareness of great places that serve good quality loose leaf tea, whenever I am on my travels:

When explaining a tea term, fact or showcasing a place that serves tea well, why not take a picture and let the picture help you tell the story instead?

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