Know Your Tea
REGION
Steps Of Tea Tasting
Step 1
1
FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT
As a tea taster, the first thing you do is inspect the dry tea. Surprisingly, a large proportion of our overall option is based on its look: shape, size, colour, texture and tea buds.
Step 2
2
BREW THE TEA
Brew the tea as per the instructions. Different tea types require varying amounts of tea, brewing temperatures and brewing times. Weight of tea - between 2 and 3 grams. Brew time - that's three and a half minutes. It's the right amount of time for the colour, flavour and goodness to come out.
Step 3
3
APPEARANCE OF THE BREW AND LEAVES
The colour, physical appearance and clarity of the brew is what we look for here. Using a teacup with a white interior or a clear tea cup will help you to observe these characteristics. A darker brew may indicate a fuller flavour, and murkiness or sediment may indicate a lower quality tea
Step 4
4
SMELL THE BREW, AND LEAVE
The aroma of a tea is just as important as its flavour. Fully appreciating the aroma of a tea adds a new dimension to tea tasting. Using a narrow cup and closing your eyes as you sniff may help you to smell the brew better.
Step 5
5
TASTE THE TEA
Finally, it's time to taste the tea! To get the full taste of the tea one should slurp it. The goal is to spray a fine mist of tea over the entire palate and at the back of the throat. Once you have slurped the tea, roll it over your tongue in a swishing motion. If you'd like, you can aerate it more by sucking more air into your mouth and through the tea. The process activates the flavours more. Once you have tasted the tea you can swallow it or spit it in a tasting bin.
Flush refers to the harvesting season or the right time to pluck tea leaves. According to this time of harvest, there are generally three flushes – the first flush, second and the third. The first and the second are two main harvests that produce mostly high-quality tea.
Seasons/ Flush
In conclusion, the main difference between tea flushes is the season in which they are harvested. The way the leaves are processed adds to give the tea their unique flavour.
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
First Flush - This first harvest usually takes place from February till April at the time of spring. Also called the Easter Flush or the Spring Flush, this is considered the best flush of the growing season, bringing in high prices from tea connoisseurs. First flush tea is described as a light infusion with delicate tasting, having a pale colour with light yellow to red cup colour, giving out a flowery aroma.
Second Flush - From early summer throughout the monsoon is the time for the second flush. Between May to June, the tea leaves are picked and are characterized as well-rounded, fruity and mature, flavoured tea leaves. The liquid is bright, and the taste is distinctive and slightly on the sweeter.
Indian
Tea
History
Types Of Tea
There are approximately 1,500 types of tea in the world, but if we talk about categories of tea — there are four:
PROCEDURES
BLACK TEA
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Plants
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Wither
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Rotorvane
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CTC
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Oxidation
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Drying
PROCEDURES
GREEN TEA
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Plants
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Heat
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Roll/Maceration
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Drying
PROCEDURES
OOLONG TEA
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Plants
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Wither
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Roll
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Partial Oxidation
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Drying
PROCEDURES
WHITE TEA
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Plants
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Wither
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Roll
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Oxidation
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Drying
