 |
 |
|
| |
agony
of the leaves: |
expression
describing the unfurling of rolled or twisted
leaves during steeping . |
|
|
anhui: |
one
of the major black tea producing regions
in China |
|
aroma: |
a
fragrant smell usually derived from the
dry or infused leaf. Non-volatile components
are generally responsible for the test whilst
the more volatile components comprise the
aroma . |
assam:
|
a
region in northeastern India, known for
its robust, high quality teas characterized
by their smooth round, malty flavour.
|
|
astringency: |
the
drying sensation in the mouth caused by
teas high in unoxidized polyphenols. |
|
autumnal: |
teas
harvested in autumn and touched with cooler
weather. |
bakey:
|
tea
taster expression for overfired teas |
|
bergamot: |
essential
oil of the bergamot orange used to flavor
a black tea base to make Earl Grey tea
|
|
billy: |
Australian
term referring to tin pot with wire handle
to suspend over an open fire in which tea
is boiled |
|
biscuity: |
tea
taster's expression, often used with Assam
teas that have been fired well but not overly
so |
black:
|
the
most common form of tea worldwide. prepared
from green tea leaves which have been allowed
to oxidize, or ferment, to form a reddish
brew. |
|
blend: |
mixture
of teas, usually to promote consistency
between growing seasons |
bloom:
|
A
sign of good manufacture and sorting (where
reduction of leaves are taken place before
firing) a “sheen” that has not
been lost through over-handling or over-sorting. |
|
body: |
tea
taster's term to denote a full strength
brew |
bold:
|
large
leaf cut tea |
|
brassy: |
unpleasant
acidic bite from improperly withered tea |
break:
|
auction
term referring to a lot for sale, usually
18 chests or more. |
|
brick
tea: |
tea
leaves that have been steamed and compressed
into bricks. Tea is typically shaved and
boiled with butter and salt to make a soup |
bright:
|
denotes
a bright red brew or light leaf, as opposed
to a dull brown or black color. |
|
brisk: |
a
tea high in astringency. Also a trademarked
characteristic of Lipton tea. |
| broker: |
A
tea taster who negotiates the selling of
tea from producers, or buying of tea for
packers and dealers, for a brokerage fee
from the party on whose behalf the broker
is working. |
broken:
|
smaller
leaf style usually created during manufacture
by passing the leaf through a cutter |
| caddy: |
the
name given to a tin or jar of tea, which
takes its name from the Chinese or Malayan
word ‘catty’ – term used
to describe the weight of one pound of tea.
In the past tea caddies were equipped with
a lock and key. |
|
caffeine: |
stimulating
compound present in tea |
cambric
tea: |
a
very weak tea infusion in an excess of milk
and sugar |
|
catechins: |
class
of polyphenol present in high concentrations
in green tea, but found in varying levels
in other teas derived from the teaplant |
ceylon:
|
teas
made in Sri Lanka |
|
cha: |
the
word for tea derived from the Chinese and
Indian languages. |
|
chai: |
tea.
Often refers to masala chai, or spiced tea,
a strong black tea infused with milk, sugar,
and spices. |
chest:
|
classical
tea package, usually made of wood and aluminum-lines,
used to ship tea from plantation |
|
chesty: |
tea
taster's term signifying off odor in tea
from the wood in the tea chest |
|
coppery: |
bright
infusion of good quality black tea
|
|
ctc: |
stands
for Crush, Tear, and Curl, a machine-based
process which macerates the leaves by pressing
through counter-rotating rollers to create
a stronger, more coloury tea. |
|
darjeeling:
|
A
tea growing area in north India on the foothills
of the Himalaya Mountains. Teas grown here
take their name from the area and are said
to be the ‘Champagne’ of Indian
teas. Grown at altitudes up to 7,000 ft
(1291 m) above sea level. Darjeeling tea
is known as a high grown tea and is light
in colouring with a delicate muscatel flavour
and aroma. |
|
dhool: |
refers
to the tea leaf during fermentation, noted
for its coppery color. |
dust:
|
the
smallest grade of tea, this is typically
associated with lower quality, but is prized
for its quick extraction and is commonly
used in teabags. |
|
earl
grey: |
Black
tea that is scented with the essential oil
of bergamot, a citrus. |
|
fannings: |
small,
grainy particles of leaf sifted out of better
grade teas |
fermentation:
|
used
in the process of preparing black and oolong
tea, this step involves allowing the natural
browning enzymes present in tea leaf to
oxidize fresh green tea leaves and to impart
the darker brown-red color and characteristic
aroma. |
|
fibrous: |
teas
which contain a large percentage of fannings
|
firing:
|
the
process of rapidly heating the leaf, either
with hot air or in a wok, to quickly halt
fermentation and dry the leaf to its final
product. |
|
flat: |
teas
lacking astringency or briskness |
|
flowery: |
used
in grading the size of tea, it typically
indicates a leaf style with more of the
lighter colored tips. |
flush:
|
the
freshly-picked tea leaves, typically comprising
the bud and first two leaves of the growing
tea shoot. |
|
formosa: |
tea
produced in Taiwan, typically oolong teas
|
full:
|
strong
tea without bitterness and posessing good
color |
|
genmaicha: |
green
tea with toasted rice |
golden:
|
denoting
the orange colored tip present in high quality
black tea |
|
gong
fu: |
meaning
performed with care, this typically refers
to a style of brewing with many repeated
short infusions. |
|
gongfu: |
meaning
performed with care, this typically refers
to a style of brewing with many repeated
short infusions of leaf in a miniature pot.
|
| grade: |
term
used to describe a tea leaf or particle
size of leaf |
grainy:
|
term
used to describe high quality CTC teas
|
|
green: |
unfermented,
dried tea, more commonly found in China
and Japan. |
|
gunpowder: |
a
green tea which is rolled into pellets which
unfurl in hot water. |
|
gyokuro: |
Japanese
green tea produced from shaded plants. "Pearl
Dew" |
|
hard: |
pungent
tea, desired in some Assam teas |
|
harsh: |
bitter
teas |
|
heavy: |
a
thick, colory infusion with little briskness
or astringency |
|
hyson: |
chinese
green teas. Brand of tea in common usage
during 18th century. "flourishing spring". |
|
jasmine: |
black
tea scented with jasmine flowers, typically
made with green Pouchong tea as the base |
|
keemun: |
black
tea from central China, typically hand rolled
and fired. |
|
lapsang
souchong: |
a
Chinese black tea which is fired (dried)
over a smoky (pine wood) fire to impart
its characteristic smoky flavor. |
|
light: |
liquor
lacking body or thickness |
| matcha: |
powdered
green tea from Japan used in the tea ceremony |
|
malty: |
slightly
over-fired tea, sometimes desirable |
|
metallic: |
tea
taster's term to denote coppery taste of
some teas |
|
muddy: |
tea
taster's term to denote a dull, blackish
color of the infusion |
nose:
|
the
aroma of the tea |
|
oolong: |
a
form of tea characterized by lighter brews
and larger leaf styles. This tea is typically
understood as a lightly fermented tea, between
green and black tea on a continuum.
|
orange
pekoe: |
referring
to size of leaf, not quality or flavor,
this term indicates a larger-size grade
of whole leaf teas. |
|
orthodox: |
prepared
using a technique which leads to larger
leaf styles mirroring hand-produced teas. |
pan
fired: |
tea
that is steamed and then agitated in an
iron wok over a fire |
|
pekoe: |
whole
leaf black tea produced by a medium plucking
of the second leaf on the tea bush. The
word Pekoe comes from the Chinese meaning
‘white hair’ and was originally
applied to the early tea pluckings, due
to the white down on the backs of the young
leaf tea. |
plain:
|
tea
taster's term to denote dull liquor with
sour taste |
plucking:
|
the
process of harvesting the tea by cutting
the flush from the growing tea shrub.
|
|
polyphenols:
|
astringent
compounds present in tea |
|
pungent: |
tea
taster's term to denote a very astringent
tea |
|
rawness: |
bitter
taste |
|
rolling: |
the
process of crushing the leaves to initiate
fermentation and impart twist. |
|
self
drinking: |
rounded,
well bodied tea that can be served unblended |
|
smoky: |
tea
taster's term for teas that have been fired
over smoky flames, imparting a smoky flavor
|
|
soft: |
tea
taster's term for underfermented teas
|
| sorting: |
the
fifth stage of manufacture. The dried leaf
is sorted mechanically by sifting the different
leaf size particles or grades through different
size meshes |
|
souchong: |
term
for large leaf teas derived from the third
and fourth leaf of the tea shoot |
|
stalk: |
describes
teas with presence of red stalk pieces from
a hard plucking |
|
tannin: |
erroneous
term referring to the astringent polyphenols
of tea, unrelated to tannic acid polyphenols
of other plants |
|
tarry: |
tea
taster's term for teas that have been fired
over smoky flames, imparting a smoky flavor |
|
tat: |
shelf
made of wire mesh or burlap used to spread
the leaves out for withering and fermentation |
theaflavins:
|
orange
red potyphenols unique to fermented teas
such as black tea, and formed from the condensation
of two catechins |
|
theanine: |
unique
amino acid in tea. |
|
theine: |
synonym
for caffeine |
| tip: |
the
bud leaves on a tea bush |
tippy:
|
teas
with white or golden tips, indicating high
quality |
tisane:
|
teas
produced from the leaves of plants other
than the tea plant, herbal tea. |
twist:
|
Before
fermentation, the leaves need to be crushed
to initiate oxidation. This imparts the
curled appearance of the finished leaf.
|
two
and a bud: |
the
ideal plucked tea for production, consisting
of the new tea shoot and the first two leaves
|
white:
|
a
special type of green tea. Distinguished
by the presence of the white hairs of the
tea flush (baihao) and a lighter green,
almost clear, infusion. |
|
winey: |
mellow
quality, characteristic of some Keemun teas
which have been given time to age |
withering:
|
the
first step in tea manufacture in the tea
factory. Involves letting the fresh leaves
wither for some period of time after plucking
to reduce moisture content. |
|
woody: |
tea
taster's term indicating an undesirable
grass or hay flavor in black tea. |
