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 Tea
tasting opens the door to
our senses. With hundreds of
tea varieties, discovering
your favorites will take you
on a journey where the
complexities of flavor,
aroma and color seem
endless. The more tea you
taste, the more you will
learn to appreciate the
nuances between tea types.
Getting Started
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A good way to start tea
tasting is to line up your
favourite teas in different
categories and start
comparing
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As you begin your tasting
adventure, note how the
flavors may differ depending
upon origin, soil type,
style of tea and steeping
time. Like wine, differences
in taste can be attributed
to location, climate and how
the tea is processed
▪
Try focusing first on the
basic differences between
blacks, oolongs, greens and
white teas
▪
As you become more familiar,
challenge yourself by
tasting more similar teas.
Soon you will come to
understand what key elements
you desire in a tea
▪
Remember to always have fun
and that tasting remains
subjective.
A Tasting Guide – The
Elements of Leaf, Aroma,
Liquor and Flavor
Traditional tea tasting
focuses on the appearance of
the leaf, the aroma both
before and after steeping,
the color of the resulting
infusion or liquor and the
tea’s taste or flavor:
▪
Leaf: Examining the leaf is
telling. Is it twisted,
rolled or a natural, flat
leaf? This and whether it’s
broken or whole will affect
the taste and body
▪
Aroma: Smell the leaves
before steeping. Do they
smell grassy, smokey or
sweet? Once infused, inhale
the aroma deeply and enjoy
the bouqet. Does the smell
appeal to you and whet your
taste buds for sipping? Is
it citrusy, flowery, toasty
or fruity? A tea’s nose can
reveal not only quality but
subtle flavors that the
mouth might overlook
▪
Liquor: The color of infused
tea or liquor can vary in
color. Look at the
consistency of its color,
and appearance of the liquid
in a white cup. Depth of
color will denote proper
brewing time
▪
Taste: After slightly
cooling, slurp your tea to
make sure the full flavor
spreads out all over your
tongue. Does the tea make a
strong impression? Assess
whether it has a full,
medium or light or round
body. Is it smooth? Does the
flavor leave a lasting and
memorable finish or
dissipate after swallowing?
Note elements of its flavor
traits – is it malty or
vegetal? How the tea feels
in your mouth is important
too. High quality tea
exhibits briskness. Instead
of flat tasting, briskness
refers to the astringent or
dry tasting affect tea has
on tongue. This astringency
is an important aspect to
tea, giving it a refreshing
feeling.
Tasting Terms
An entire language exists
for describing a tea’s
characteristics. We list
below some of the more
commonly used terms:
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Astringency: A lively and
mouth drying affect on the
tongue. Not bitter, but a
clean and refreshing quality
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Balance: Various
characteristics of the tea,
including body, flavor and
finish all come together to
perfect the cup
▪
Biscuity: A freshly-baked
bread smell present in some
black tea like Assam
▪
Body: The tactile aspect of
tea’s weight and feeling in
the mouth. Teas range from
full to light bodied
▪
Bright: A bright liquor
color or a lively, clear
flavor
▪
Brisk: The mouth-puckering
and lively bite found in
high quality tea versus
dullness
▪
Character: A tea’s signature
attributes depending upon
origin whether its country
or region
▪
Citrusy: A citrus fruit
flavor like an orange or
lemon
▪
Complex: A tea with depth
and subtle flavor or aroma
combinations
▪
Finish: The lasting taste on
your tongue after swallowing
the tea
▪
Fruity: A flavor
characteristic of fruit,
whether it be apple, peaches
or Muscat
▪
Flat: Dull tea lacking
freshness
▪
Flowery: A floral nose or
flavor associated with high
grade teas
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Malty: A sweet, malt flavor
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Muscat: Often used to
describe high quality
Darjeelings – the aromas and
flavors of the Muscat grape
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Pungent: Astringent with
balanced elements of
briskness, brightness and
strength
▪
Self-drinking: Refers to tea
with complex flavor profile
that does not need
additional flavoring such as
milk or sugar
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Smooth: Round bodied, fine
drinking teas
▪
Strength: Refers to the
intensity of flavor, color
and aroma
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Smoky: A smoky wood aroma or
flavor
▪
Toasty: A toasted biscuit
like aroma
▪
Vegetal: A characteristic of
green teas that might
include grassy, herby or
marine flavours.
Food Pairing
Like wine, tea pairs well with food. As you learn to appreciate the characteristics of different teas you can also being to explore pairing them with food. With each tea in Mighty Leaf’s lineup we try and provide you with recommended food pairings under the sub-menu in the upper left hand corner under the “Use" category. Food pairing is not a science and individuals will have subjective opinions.
The key to food pairing is to break down the flavour profile of a particular tea and match that to complementary food flavors.
* For example, pair up a rich Yunnan tea with chocolate or a roasted Hojicha with spicy and nutty foods.
You will find that tea is versatile and any given type can be paired with a variety of foods, ranging from spicy to sweet. If you let your palate be your guide, you will discover the perfect balance of tea and food pairings.Different teas taste best with different kinds of food. As with wine, much depends on personal taste, but the combinations are worth trying.
As a general guideline, try pairing teas with foods from the same geographic region. For example, Japanese green teas taste wonderful with many of the foods indigenous to that country. Here are some examples of teas by region and foods that complement them:
* Japanese green teas: Sencha and other Japanese green teas work well with seafood, fish and rice, or to balance out foods high in sodium.
* Oolong tea: Oolong teas have a light character and often complement shellfish such as lobster and shrimp.
* Black teas: Teas like Lapsang souchong, have full body and taste, and often work well with meat dishes.
* Pu-erh teas: Pu-erhs can often be paired with meats and poultry.
* Classic black teas: Teas like Keemun or Yunnan, or Lapsang souchong with hot, spicy foods.
* Jasmine green tea: Works well with delicately flavoured cooking.
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