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.