22nd July, 2008: Tea Tasting: What to Taste For
In an earlier post, we introduced you to Bill Hall, the Charleston Tea Plantation tea taster. But we saved what may be the most important question until now: what does a tea taster look for in a cup of tea?
Bill says that there is “a whole set of terminology in tea tasting: whether or not tea has “good character,” is “out of condition,” is “over or under withered.” But basically, what you’re looking for is a very fresh, smooth mellow taste. Not really harsh and bitter like coffee.”
Bill also points out that it is his job to maintain a constant quality all the time. “Because the quality and flavor of the leaves is changing all the time, it’s the taster’s job to keep the quality the same. That’s why many teas, like English Breakfast, are actually blends of a number of different leaves. One of the things Bigelow really excels at is creating blends. They will take the basic tea and add flavors to it.”
There’s still more to learn about the art of tea tasting! So stop back for the last in this series of posts when we’ll explore the importance of tea freshness.
Posted by LizG at 6:00 am |
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