subject: The World Of Tea Tasting [print this page] When we thing of a beverage and tasting the beverage, wine is the only drink that comes to our mind! But guess what, the world of tea is so intricate and delicately woven in our cultures that tea tasting is a fast growing trend and is now considered a science as well as an art. Tea tasting pays attention to 4 main things touch, taste, smell and sight. Tea tasting is a popular career choice and they usually get employed in large factories and plantations. They usually test different types from the same plantation or the estate and mainly look out for these things:
Appearance, feel and touch of dry leaves
Color, aroma, flavor in terms of liquor
Wet, freshly brewed tea leaf
Dry Leaf:
Just by looking at a dry tea leaf, experts can know a lot of the plantation. If the tea leaf is older, it will crumble in your hand faster. Experts notice things like the shine on the leaf, appearance of the leaf, feel of the leaf etc and them carefully give their verdict
Infuse and examine leaf:
Put teaspoon of each leaf sample into an infuser. Try using crystal clear cups to view the right color. Analyze the leaves as the infuser fills up. Smaller the leaves, more the body they will show and vice versa because larger or twisted leaves take more time to steep. 3-5 min is the ideal time to steep the leaves
Color of the Liquor:
Take in the aroma and the fragrances of the tea when it is steeped in. Examine the leaves and how they change color. Color does not really indicate the strength of the brew but every type of tea will have a unique taste, flavor, body and aroma!
Tasting:
This is the best part where I you take a teaspoon of the liquor and slurp it so that entire mouth gets the feel and taste of the brew. Just like wine, swirl the tea around your mouth to catch the finer nuisances! This is important because we taste sweetness in front of the tongue, sourness at the sides, saltiness in the middle of the tongue and bitterness towards the back!
Tea tasting is done across the world in different regions and cultures to ensure premium quality tea which can be enjoyed by one and all! Just like wine, tea has a culture and heritage of its own!
