Tea is one of the most preferred aromatic beverages in the world. It is consumed by many people to refresh themselves either in the morning or after an exhaustive day of work. Most tea connoisseurs show deep love for the drink and are passionate about it. They spend time researching its cultural significance and heritage. But how do you know if the tea that you are drinking is prepared from pure leaves and not with adulterated or exhausted leaves? It's difficult to find out. To help you, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the country's apex food regulator, has shared a video on Instagram.
The video details the process to ascertain if your tea leaves are adulterated.
The simple test uses filter paper. Spread the tea leaves on the filter paper and sprinkle water on them to make the paper wet. A few minutes later, remove the leaves and wash the paper under tap water. Then observe the stains on the paper against light. If the tea leaves are unadulterated, no staining will be observed on the paper. The filter paper with adulterated tea leaves will have blackish-brown coloured stains on it.
Watch the video here:
(Also read: Healthy Diet Tips: FSSAI Busts 7 Most Common Myths About Food And Nutrition)
When the tea is prepared with unadulterated leaves, its aroma, as well as health benefits, increase manifold. People drink tea in many ways. Some consume it black while others pour milk into it. Those worried about calories prefer green tea. To make the perfect cup of green tea, click here.
Or if you want an immunity-booster, try our very own version of desi lemon tea.
About a week ago, FSSAI had suggested a simple test to find out if black pepper, an ingredient that is integral to Indian cuisine, is adulterated. The food regulator had mentioned how to understand the difference between pure black pepper and an adulterated version of it. Click here to find out about the simple test.
Similarly, in another post, the FSSAI had mentioned how powdered brick and soapstone powder were added to red chilli powder to enhance its colour. Since this affected the health of those consuming the adulterated version of the chilli powder, FSSAI suggested a simple test for that too. Find out about it here.
So, from now on, whenever you're suspicious of adulteration, run these simple tests to ascertain the authenticity of whatever you are consuming.