Mint leaves > Info > Tea tasting 101

Tea tasting 101

When it comes to tea tasting, almost all our senses come into play. Even as beginners, in our Tea tasting 101, we taste tea with our sense of site, smell, taste, touch, hearing, and most of all - our intuition.

First, examine the dry leaves of the tea you taste. Gently press some dry leaves in your hand and hear the sound the tea leaves produce. Fresher teas are springier and their leaves don’t crumble like older tea leaves.

Secondly, note the leaf size and its color, look for fibers, tips and stalks. Does the leaf look shiny and fresh? Or is it dull and stale as in older or low quality teas? Is any dust present on the tea leaves?

Thirdly, sniff the tea leaves. Good tea should always smell sweet and fresh.

Next, measure one teaspoon of the tea you taste and place it in a clear cup to see the true color of the tea. Pure fresh hot water (80-90 C, 180-200 F) onto the tea leaves in the cup. Steep the tea for 1-5 minutes.

Now examine the liquor for brightness and color. If you taste black or white tea, the liquor should be clear. In green tea some cloudiness is normal. The color of the tea should be typical for the type of tea you taste. Black teas may have radish color. Green teas can be yellow or pale green.

Next, smell the liquor. Does the smell resume the smell of the dry leaves? Can you describe the flavor of the tea?

Now you are ready to taste your tea. Take a spoon of the tea liquor in your mouth. It is important to spread the tea all around the mouth so all taste buds of your tongue will participate in tasting the tea. What taste does the tea have? The taste of good quality tea is usually balanced and is combination of astringent, pungent, bitter and sweet tastes. Can you feel these tastes in your mouth? Now we are finished with our tea tasting 101. Remember all your impressions and all your tastes. With practice you will be able to feel all the specifics and difference in tastes of the tea varieties.

Resources for Sweet tea and Mint leaves