Tea tasting
The professional tasting of tea, also known as ‘tea
tasting’, is a central process in the tea industry in which tea buyers
or ‘tea tasters’ evaluate the quality, flavour and aromas of different types of
tea. This practice requires not only a skilled palate formed over several years
of training, but also extensive knowledge of tea cultivation, processing and
preparation.
The importance of tea tasting
Professional tea tastings are crucial for quality control in tea production.
They help to select the best teas for the trade from each harvest, ensure
quality standards and provide consumers with objective information about the
products. In addition, tasting is also an important tool for developing new tea
blends and for training specialised personnel.
Tea tasting is therefore
much more than just drinking tea; it is an art based on experience, knowledge
and a deep appreciation of the product. The tasting of orthodox or pure teas is
internationally standardised and proceeds as follows:
1. Preparation and infusion of the tea:
Tea tasting begins with the careful preparation of the teas. The teas are
first laid out on a tray or cardboard and then weighed using a hand scale, which
weighs approximately 2.8 g of tea. The tea tasting sets are internationally
standardised and have a capacity of 125 ml. All teas - including green and white
- are infused with boiling water and left to infuse for five minutes. This is
necessary to release all the ingredients from the tea leaf that are required for
the flavour assessment and to simplify communication with the producers in the
country of origin, who use the same tasting methods.
2. Sensory assessment:
Appearance: The first priority is the visual assessment of
the dry tea leaves. Attention is paid to the colour, shape and size of the
leaves, as these give an indication of the quality and processing of the tea.
Leaf tips or ‘tips’ give an indication of good quality, but are not always
decisive. After brewing, the infused leaves, is also
assessed.
Flavour: The flavour of the tea is judged
before and after infusion. The fragrance of the leaves and the finished tea
provides information about the freshness, purity and character of the
tea.
Taste: The tasting itself is done by noisily slurping the
tea in order to better perceive the flavours. Experts analyse the flavours such
as sweetness, bitterness and umami as well as the aftertaste, i.e. the
aftertaste that remains after swallowing.
Texture: The
texture of the tea, i.e. how the tea feels in the mouth, also plays an important
role. It can be velvety, watery or astringent.
3. Evaluation and comparison:
After tasting, we conduct a careful evaluation of our tea varieties to
identify the subtle differences in quality and flavor. We often taste several
teas side by side to pinpoint the best options for our customers and determine
the optimal price.
Our tea department maintains close relationships with
renowned tea estates worldwide. We are constantly searching for new suppliers to
discover the finest teas for our customers. In addition to selecting and
importing high-quality teas, our experts create both orthodox and flavored tea
blends that delight the palate.
Regular tastings and trips to the countries of origin are essential parts of
our diverse routine. This ensures that we always offer the best teas and delight
our customers with high-quality products.
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