The Benefits and Effects of Tartary Buckwheat Tea and How to Tell Good from Bad

Tartary buckwheat tea is a tea that many people enjoy drinking. It is made from the seeds of tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) that have been screened and roasted, and it belongs to the category of roasted grain teas. In China, tartary buckwheat tea is mainly produced in Sichuan, Yunnan, Shanxi, Guizhou and other places. Tartary buckwheat tea is divided into two types: ordinary tartary buckwheat and black tartary buckwheat. The outer husk of ordinary tartary buckwheat is a yellowish white, while the outer husk of black tartary buckwheat is deep black, earning it the title of “black pearl.” So what benefits and effects does tartary buckwheat tea have? With so many kinds of tartary buckwheat tea on the market, how do we tell the good from the bad?

1. What benefits and effects does tartary buckwheat tea have?

Traditional Chinese medicine holds that tartary buckwheat tea has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, and drawing out toxins and promoting tissue regeneration. At the same time, the bioflavonoid rutin (vitamin P) and the rich vitamins and minerals contained in tartary buckwheat tea can not only lower blood lipids, lower blood sugar and reduce cholesterol, but also promote blood microcirculation, offering a certain protective effect on our cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health.

2. With so many kinds of tartary buckwheat tea on the market, how do we tell the good from the bad?

1. The first step is to start with the appearance of the tartary buckwheat tea. Good-quality tartary buckwheat tea should have a yellowish-green color, with tea seeds of uniform size and little variation in color; tartary buckwheat tea shaped like pills is the best quality. If the tartary buckwheat tea you see is more whitish in color, or the grains are uneven in size and vary in shade, then the quality of that tartary buckwheat tea is not very good.

2. The second step is to judge by the color of the tea once brewed. If the brewed tea is very clear, with few impurities and a yellowish-green color, that indicates the tartary buckwheat tea is of better quality; if the brewed tea has almost no color and contains more impurities, that indicates its quality is inferior.

3. The third step is to judge by the aroma of the tartary buckwheat tea. After steeping in hot water, if it gives off a light, pure buckwheat fragrance, that indicates it is a good cup of tartary buckwheat tea, rather than an unnatural, impure aroma blended from chemical additives.

4. The fourth step is to judge by how the tartary buckwheat tea brews. A good pot of tartary buckwheat tea will retain its color and aroma for a relatively long time, still lasting after six to nine infusions.

Tartary buckwheat tea has so many benefits and effects, and we have also learned how to select good-quality tartary buckwheat tea, but we should also know the contraindications and side effects of tartary buckwheat tea. It is best not to drink tartary buckwheat tea on an empty stomach, because due to its fairly pronounced effect of strengthening the stomach and aiding digestion, if you drink a large amount of tartary buckwheat tea while there is no food in the stomach, it will make you feel even hungrier; especially for people with conditions such as low blood sugar, it can easily cause blood sugar to drop and bring on symptoms related to hypoglycemia, and in severe cases may be life-threatening. At the same time, because tartary buckwheat tea is cooling in nature, people with stomach conditions are not suited to drinking too much of it, otherwise diarrhea and acid reflux are likely to occur. Also, because the buckwheat in tartary buckwheat tea is an allergen, people with a history of buckwheat allergy are also not suited to drinking it.