I recently received an email asking about how to taste tea. Here's the reader's question and my answer:
Q: Can you give me some tips on how to learn to put words to flavors? I'm fairly new at tasting teas, and I'm always impressed at people's ability to say "notes of apricot, dried red plum, and cedar wood" or other such nonsense. It's not really nonsense, though, because then after hearing that I can usually taste all of those things. Is that the power of suggestion? Or are some people just really good at naming flavors and aromas? How does one go about developing such a skill?
A: Good questions. Here's a guide I wrote on how to taste tea. Here's a general guide on flavor profiles commonly associated with different tea types. For a more in-depth look at brewing and tasting, sign up for the free Tea 101 Ecourse here on About.com.
Those resources should help get you started, but beyond that, getting better at tasting tea is a matter of acquiring a strong tea palate, which takes years for most people (myself included). My main suggestions are to practice tasting often (perhaps with the aid of top tea samplers os a tea of the month clubs), stay aware of what you're tasting and gather as many sense memories (the smell of cedar, the taste of apricots, etc.) as you can. If you're concerned about the power of suggestion (which can be strong at times), then I suggest doing blind tastings or not reading others' tasting notes until you've written your own.
Do you have any additional questions about or tips for tasting tea? Share them in the comments below!
Photo (c) Marko Goodwin
Do you tweet? Follow About Coffee/Tea on Twitter.
Are you on Facebook? "Like" About Coffee/Tea.
Interested in learning more about tea? Sign up for the free, easy Tea 101 e-course.
Comments