Tea Tasting 101

Tea Tasting, like wine tasting, requires practice. But for beginners, here is a guide.

First, sprinkle the leaves onto a flat piece of white paper, in order to observe such qualities as the color, texture, size, and shape of the leaf.

Then, brew the tea. For black and oolong teas, and herbal infusions*, bring the water to a boil. For white and green teas, however, you want the water to be just under boiling. Use the following steeping times:
Black: 3 minutes
Green: 2 minutes
Flavored White: 1 minute
Unflavored White: 5 minutes
Oolong: 3 minutes
Herbal: 5 minutes

*This includes red/rooibos tea and mate as well

You can also use the steeping times recommended on the packaging. It can be very much a matter of taste.

Once the tea is ready, pour into a cup that will allow you to observe the color of the liquor such as a white china cup or a clear cup.
Smell the tea, first cup your hands around the teacup, and deeply inhale through your nose to smell the tea. Describe the aroma.
Next, drink the tea, slurping it and allowing it to roll over your tongue. (It's a good idea to allow the tea to cool slightly first!) Where does it hit your tongue the most? If it hits the back of your tongue, it is bitter. On the sides, sour, and on the tip, salty/sweet.
After you have finished, spread the leaves onto another white sheet of paper, and note whether the leaf has remained rolled or unfurled.

A few notes:
For the initial tasting, the tea should be tasted with no additives such as sweetener or milk. However, if you enjoy these things, you may add them for a second tasting. In my experience, fruit-scented teas do very will with a bit of cane sugar. Cane sugar sweetens a tea without overpowering the taste the way that white sugar does.

I love this cupping set from Serendipitea. At only $15, it's definitely on my wish list!

Next lesson: Pairings!

Information from Tea Time World Wide, and my own personal experience.

Comments

[White Tea]

Have you tried the most exotic and expensive white tea in the world. It is called "Golden Tips" as the tea leaf is gold in color.

http://www.white-tea.com