"I am in no way interested in immortality,
but only in the taste of tea." ...........................................................................................Lu
T'ung
The tasting of tea is no doubt an art form.
To taste tea involves the use of touch, taste, smell. Our
master tasters here provide some useful tips in tasting tea.
We recommend that teas are compared, choose
5-7 teas of a similar variety for a more exact comparison.
Taste how different grades of the same origin taste.
Any tea that is to be tasted should
always be touched and smelt before brewing. This will
give you a better feel for the subtle link between the
look and feel of a tea with it’s taste. If you
want to taste teabags, break open a bag.
Lay out a small quantity of the tea
on a white piece of paper. Touch the tea and run it
through your fingers to get a feel for its texture.
See the colour, leaf size, length and shape. Note the
aroma of the tea, compare it to the aroma from the brewed
tea and the leftover infusion to see how the water has
affected the leaves. Note your observations.
Brew the tea in a warm teapot with water that
is close to boiling.
Select white or clear teacups that will allow
you to see the colour of the brew.
Observe the brewed tea (liquor) for colour
and appearance.
Click here for a list describing the look
of the dry leaf tea.
Taste 2 or 3 teaspoons of tea, ideally the
tea should be slurped in so that the brew enters the mouth
at speed and breaks into fine droplets at the back of the
palate. The tea should be rolled around the tongue for atleast
a few seconds for it to be really tasted.
