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Understand terms used to describe tea location

When buying tea products wholesale, your tea distributor should indicate where their teas are grown in the world. Some of these place names, however, are unfamiliar to those not intimate with tea terms. For example, 'Assam' tea is from northeastern India, 'Darjeeling' is from Darjeeling India and 'Nilgiri' is from south India. 'Ceylon' and 'Nuwara Eliya' are teas from Sri Lanka. 'Congou' is a word used for northern China's whole leaf black teas. 'Formosa' is a term used for describing tea grown in Taiwan.

I recommend: For more information about tea terms related to tea-growing location, check out Coffee Tea Warehouse, which covers geographic areas such as China, Russia, India and Africa. The United Kingdom Tea Council also has an interactive map allowing you to see all the major producers of tea and learn about tea in those regions.

Know the right terms to describe tea taste

When selling tea, there are many useful terms used to describe the flavor. Take advantage of these terms to help your customers understand what sort of tea they are purchasing. For example, 'autumnal' describes the taste of teas grown during the fall, 'cream' describes the cloudiness you might observe as the tea cools (the best teas have a bright cream), and 'thin' means the tea has been fermented inadequately.

I recommend: For a list of tea terms related directly to flavor, see the Plymouth Tea Company. Teaosophy also has a comprehensive list of terms.

Learn about terms used by tea distributors to grade tea

Although there are no standard gradings for tea, some tea distributors and manufacturers use a tea grading system. For example 'D' stands for 'dust' (tiny pieces left in the tea after it is sifted), 'F' stands for 'fanning' (pieces of leaf slightly larger than dust), and 'S' stands for 'souchong' (the leaves from the bottom of the plant, which are the plant's largest).

I recommend: Imperial Tea Garden offers a beginner's guide on grading, while The Simple Leaf Tea provides more comprehensive information.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Bear in mind that black tea, green tea and oolong tea are all produced from the same plant (the tea plant, 'Camellia sinensis'). However, each is oxidized (or fermented) differently. Black tea is fully oxidized, oolong tea is semi-oxidized and green tea is un-oxidized.

1. Look for companies that sell tea products wholesale.
2. Request samples of tea before placing a large opening order.
3. Find a company with a satisfaction or freshness guarantee.

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Purchase from a tea distributor that specializes in food service

In the food industry, selling tea may occur by the cup or the bag. Providing your customers with a tea box or racks of individually packaged teas not only makes a nice display, it allows you to charge more for the tea than if you just bring the tea already brewed to the table.

I recommend: I recommend: Use a tea distrubtor like Stash Tea that provides a variety of teas, packaging and tea supplies. Stash Tea also sells tea products wholesale.

Offer fair trade certified organic specialty teas

Purchasing specialty teas adds value to the tea you serve. Organic teas undergo natural processing and use packaging like non-bleached tea bags to help protect the environment. With fair trade certification, your customers know that the tea was purchased at a fair market value.

I recommend: Order from The Republic of Tea, which sells fair trade certified organic teas. Contact customer service at 1(800)711-8768 to become an Embassy, which allows you to buy wholesale tea and products from the company.

Buy from herbal tea companies

Herbs add flavor, anti-oxidant properties and medicinal properties to tea. To make herbal teas, tea manufacturers use the leaves, roots, stems, flowers and seeds from herbs. Some companies may mix fruit or extracts with the herbs.

I recommend: Shop online with Celestial Seasonings, which also offers herbal teas for food service. Celestial Seasonings offers 100% natural tea blended with a variety of herbs.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Buy wholesale bottled teas to sell for warm climates.
• •  Reduce the cost of tea by ordering in bulk.
• •  Carry accessories like honey sticks to increase profits.

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Learn how to best store wholesale tea and products

Even the finest teas will quickly become disappointing if you don't store them properly. First, make sure to store it in an airtight container at a consistent temperature, away from light, strong odors and moisture. When buying in bulk, keep most of the tea in a large container, and use a smaller container for a day or two's supply of the tea.

I recommend: For a simple and good explanation of how to store loose-leaf tea or tea bags (and why you should store them that way), see Upton Tea Imports. The Stash Tea Company also offers an interesting article on how to properly store teas.

Improve your tea selling rates by brewing the best cup in town

In the United States, not everyone is familiar with how to brew loose-leaf tea. But making a delicious, perfect cup of tea will greatly improve your chances of getting customers to come back for more.

I recommend: For an excellent guide to brewing loose-leaf tea, see The Fragrant Leaf. Be sure to also check out their guides for brewing green and iced tea, found in links at the bottom of the article. For information on the best way to brew tea in bags, see Empire Tea Services.

Bring customers back by hosting afternoon, speciality teas

Are you wanting to add an elegant touch to your food business' service? Try hosting afternoon tea. Serve tea in ceramic (not metal) pots, use pretty china, serve delicate food and host the serving between 3:30 and 5 pm. It's an easy, inexpensive way to impress your customers and bring them back again and again.

I recommend: BrendaCoulter.com and Eras of Elegance both offer great advice about hosting a traditional afternoon tea. The Tea Association of Canada provides tips on offering tea combined with other things. For example, they have a recipe for tea smoothies and smoked quails made with black tea.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you wish to serve a perfectly traditional tea service, be sure to use the proper serving pieces. This includes: teapot, creamer, sugar, cookie plates and cake plates.

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Explore various types of loose leaf tea

The easiest way to save money on tea purchases is to buy bulk loose leaf tea. Tea bags, strings and sealed, individual envelopes cost money. A decent quality tea bag runs about 25 to 75 cents per cup, while the loose tea required for a cup costs around 5 cents. Loose leaf tea is of higher quality than anything in a tea bag, so you'll produce a finer-tasting cup of tea while saving.

I recommend: "The Advantages of Loose Leaf Tea Over Tea Bags" from Gomestic details the cost, taste and health benefits of using loose tea. The Maya Tea Company examines the economics of tea bag versus loose leaf tea.

Find a Japanese tea manufacturer or other distributor offering tea pots

When you or your customers use a tea bag or loose leaves to brew a single cup of tea, you're under-utilizing the tea's capabilities. If you brew tea in a pot then pour it into individual cups, you'll save money by using less tea (a single pot makes six to eight servings). Make sure to use a good tea pot, because a poor quality tea pot produces poor-quality tea.

I recommend: "How to Save Money on Tea" at eHow offers a number of useful tips, including suggestions for how to use tea pots. Mauna Kea Tea offers suggestions for purchasing the best tea pot.

Get creative with leftover traditional and speciality teas

Leftover tea should always be reused. Place it in the refrigerator right away, and use it as iced tea. Or use tea in recipes, for example, add it to stock, pastry recipes, smoothies and virtually any dish requiring liguids.

I recommend: Home-herb-garden.com offers some good basic guidelines for using tea in cooking. The Stash Tea Company and Tetley, black and herbal tea companies, both offer tea recipes for main dishes, drinks, appetizers and desserts.