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There are 4 or 5 digit numbers on the back of each green tea box. I know they are used to classify the type of tea and its quality, but I have never found how to read them. How do I figure out which one is higher quality than another one. Here are examples:

Chunmee tea Series: 41022AAAA, 41022AAA, 41022AA, 41022, 4011, 9371, 9370, 9369, 9368, 3008, 34403

Gunpowder Tea Series: 3505A, 3505B, 3505C, 9372, 9373, 9374, 9375, 9475, 9575

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  • Are these all the same brand of tea? Where do you live? – Cascabel♦ Feb 20 '16 at 10:46
  • They are imported from China by different companies. The numbers are independant of the brand. For example if you buy green tea online you'll see that they are called by these numbers. – borilla Feb 20 '16 at 17:06
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Doesn't matter which brand. These numbers indicate exactly which tea and which grade of the tea has been used. It is part of the ISO9001 certified tea trading companies in China.

Similar to ingredient lists, the most used item comes first. This blend of green tea uses several grades and series of leaves of chunmee, from the highest grade to intermediate grades.

The same goes for the gunpowder tea.

The reason it's so hard to find info on the Internet is because it's chinese. But you can rest assured it means you are get good quality and reliable tea.

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    I have to disagree about the good quality. I have been trying many numbers and with some numbers I got pieces of plastic or metal inside! This is the reason I started to look at these numbers and try to figure out how to link them with quality. – borilla Feb 20 '16 at 17:02
  • Well something wrong is happening then. 40122AAAA is super fine grade. I can't say anything about the tea you have received but that's what the numbers mean. – Escoce Feb 20 '16 at 17:06
  • yeah I figured out the As at the end meant higher quality. – borilla Feb 20 '16 at 17:08
  • The one with generally pieces of junk inside is 14603 – borilla Feb 20 '16 at 17:09
  • 14603 doesn't correspond to any tea grading – Escoce Feb 20 '16 at 17:31

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