Title: Theory / Unimportant / Art / Cuisine / Tea
Tags: Glossary examplesSwitchExample1 hasSeenConjDef

Name: Tea
Definition: a caffeinated beverage brewed from the leaf of the Camellia sinensis bush
Page: 9
Chapter: Intro

Name: Camellia sinensis
Definition: The tree whose leaf are used to make tea.
Page: 9
Chapter: Intro
Typ: Bush
French: Théier

Name: Herbal tea
Definition: noncaffeinated, herbal beverages
Page: 10
Chapter: Intro
Example: peppermint, chamomile, and lavender
Name2: herbal infusions
Name3: tisanes

Question: Country of origin of tea
Answer: China
Page: 10
Chapter: Intro

Question: Number of distinctions of tea
Answer: 20 000
Page: 10
Chapter: Intro

Name: var. sinensis
Definition: small-leaf China bush
Page: 10
Chapter: Intro

Name: var. assamica
Definition: large-leaf Assam bush
Page: 10
Chapter: Intro
Context: Camellia sinensis

Name: var. cambodi
Definition: medium-leaf Java bush
Page: 10
Chapter: Intro
Context: Camellia sinensis

Name: 6 classes of tea
Definition: green
Page: 13
Chapter: Intro
Definition2: yellow
Definition3: white
Definition4: oolong
Definition5: black
Definition6: Pu-Erh

Question: Main classes of tea produced in Japan
Answer: green
Page: 13
Chapter: Intro

Question: Main classes of tea produced in China
Answer: All six
Page: 13
Chapter: Intro

Name: Terroir
Definition: the place where the roots of a bush or tree or plant nestle into the ground, and the effects that a distinctive environment, including geography, climate, and weather, contributes to the unique character and taste of a food.
Page: 13
Chapter: Intro

Name: Subvariety
Definition: A naturally occuring distinction appearing in the tea plant
Page: 15
Chapter: Intro
Context: Tea

Name: Cultivar
Definition: A change in the tea plant created by men
Page: 15
Chapter: Intro
Context: Tea

Question: What cause change between two teas
Answer: terroir
Page: 15
Chapter: Intro
Context: Tea
Answer2: subvariety/cultivar of tea bush
Answer3: cultivation practices
Answer4: season of the pluck
Answer5: method of leaf manufacture
Extra: position of the leaf on the plant ?
Answer6: craft of tea making

Name: Pluck
Page: 15
Chapter: Intro
French: ceuillir

Question: How is tea plucked
Answer: premium is plucked by hand
Page: 15
Chapter: Intro
Answer2: In some part of japan, by mechanical cutters

Name: Leaf manufacture
Definition: the process of turning freshly plucked leaf into finished tea
Page: 21
Chapter: Intro
Section: Method of Leaf Manufacture

Question: Which step of the production decide the class of the tea ?
Answer: leaf manufacture
Page: 21
Chapter: Intro
Section: Method of Leaf Manufacture

Name: Soundness of tea
Definition: the overall impression that a tea has on us when we look at it
Page: 25
Chapter: 1, Purchasing tea

Name: Sound tea
Definition: are even in color/tone, size and shape
Page: 25
Chapter: Purchasing tea
Definition2: pleasant enticing inaroma
Conjdef: Tea leaves that

Question: Why should you avoid trusting «high-quality» or «world's finest» indication
Answer: it is pure advertising
Page: 25
Chapter: Purchasing tea

Question: How chinese tea drinkers evaluate tea?
Answer: Dry leaf, which is evaluated for color and shape
Page: 25
Chapter: Purchasing tea
Answer2: Tea liquor which is evaluated for aroma and taste
Answer3: Wet leaf after steeping, which is evaluated for shape, color, and aroma

Name: Tea liquor
Definition: “liquid” sippable tea
Page: 25
Chapter: Purchasing tea

Name: Expected appearance of tea
Definition: color, leaf size and shape of a tea
Page: 25
Chapter: Purchasing tea
Context: tea

Question: How the authors evaluate tea
Answer: Overall appearance of the leaf
Page: 26
Chapter: Purchasing tea
Variables: t a tea
Context: tea
Answer2: Aroma of the dry leaf
Answer3: Aroma of the liquor
Answer4: Color of the liquor
Answer5: Aroma and appearance of the wet leaf
Answer6: Flavor of the liquor

Name: Blended tea
Definition: A tea mixing leafs from various garden
Page: 22
Chapter: 1 Purchasing tea
Section: Learn to Identify and Evaluate Tea
Intuition: easy drinking and a constant balanced flavor profile.

Name: Single-garden estate tea
Definition: A tea whose all leaves comes from the same garden
Page: 22
Chapter: 1 Purchasing tea
Section: Learn to Identify and Evaluate Tea
Intuition: Tea with a very specific flavor components and complexity

Question: How much teas are in blend generally
Answer: 6 to 8
Page: 24
Chapter: 1 Purchasing tea
Section: Learn to Identify and Evaluate Tea

Name: pre-Quing ming teas
Definition: Chinese tea plucked before April 5
Page: 24
Chapter: 1 Purchasing tea
Section: Learn to Identify and Evaluate Tea

Name: First flush
Definition: Tea plucked in February-March
Page: 24
Chapter: 1 Purchasing tea
Section: Learn to Identify and Evaluate Tea
Context: Darjeeling

Name: Shincha
Definition: 10 to 14 days begin of April in Japan
Page: 24
Chapter: 1 Purchasing tea
Section: Learn to Identify and Evaluate Tea
Context: Darjeeling
Intuition: Period of Japan first flush

Question: Which tea can age
Answer: Oolong
Page: 24
Chapter: 1 Purchasing tea
Section: Learn to Identify and Evaluate Tea
Answer2: Black
Answer3: Pu-Erh

Question: Most common mistakes of tea steeping
Answer: Not correct amount of tea
Page: 32
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Answer2: not correct steeping time
Answer3: incorrect temperature

Question: The most important water-soluble components of tea
Answer: Amino acids
Page: 32
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Section: The Chemistry of a Cup of Tea
Answer2: Tannins
Answer3: Alkaloids
Answer4: Volatile compounds
Answer5: Vitamins
Answer6: Minerals

Question: What is the principal Amino Acid of thea?
Answer: Theanine
Page: 32
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Section: The Chemistry of a Cup of Tea

Question: What is responsible for astringency
Answer: Kaempferol
Page: 32
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Section: The Chemistry of a Cup of Tea
Answer2: Myricetin
Answer3: Quercetin

Question: What is responsible for bitterness in low quality teay
Answer: alkaloids
Page: 32
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Section: The Chemistry of a Cup of Tea

Question: What are the Alkaloids of tea
Answer: Caffeine
Page: 32
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Section: The Chemistry of a Cup of Tea
Answer2: Theophylline
Answer3: Theobromine

Question: What are the vitamins in the tea beverage
Answer: B2 and C
Page: 32
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Section: The Chemistry of a Cup of Tea

Question: When you are given a tea cup, how to taste it
Answer: Breathe out.
Page: 35
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Section: Making Peace with Your Tea: Eastern and Western Differences in Steeping Tea
Answer2: Take a sip
Answer3: Hold the tea liquor in your mouth and breathe in through your nose.
Answer4: Swallow the tea.
Answer6: The aroma of the tea should fill your retro-nasal passages.

Name: Gaiwan
Page: 35
https://www.thecalin.com/gaiwan-porcelaine-blanc-chine.html
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Section: Making Peace with Your Tea: Eastern and Western Differences in Steeping Tea

Name: Asian-style steeping
Definition: fill 1/4 to 1/2 of a small teapot/gaiwan with tea, steep for more or less one minute and serve immediately. Then reinfuse many time. Each time reaching more leaves and getting differente flavor
Page: 35
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Section: Making Peace with Your Tea: Eastern and Western Differences in Steeping Tea

Name: Orange pekoe
Definition: fine-cut black tea
Page: 37
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Section: Making Peace with Your Tea: Eastern and Western Differences in Steeping Tea

Name: Western-style steeping
Definition: Infuse a black tea for 3-5 minutes in a big teapot. Serves. Removes the leaves to keep the remaining of the water to over-steep
Page: 37
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Section: Making Peace with Your Tea: Eastern and Western Differences in Steeping Tea

Question: Best water for tea
Answer: Fresh
Page: 40
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Context: Tea
Answer2: Oxygenated
Answer3: Somewhat sweet tasting
Answer4: pH 7 or slightly acidic
Answer5: Boiled exactly once

Question: How to find the best water for your tea
Answer: Try the various water company and take notes of the difference
Page: 40
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Context: Tea

Question: What to do with water that is hotter than expected for your tea
Answer: Add a small drop of cold water
Page: 40
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Context: Tea
Answer2: wait a few minutes

Question: How to get 70°-75°C (160°-170°F) water
Answer: Bring the water to a boil and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before using.
Page: 41
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Context: Tea

Question: How to get 75°-80°C (170°-180°F) water
Answer: “Column of Steam Steadily Rising.” This is the period during which a visible pillar of steam materializes. Or bring water to a boil and allow it to rest for 3 minutes before using.
Page: 41
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Context: Tea

Name: Shrimp eyes
Definition: First small bubbles
Page: https://zhaozhoutea.com/fish-eyes-in-your-kettle-chinese-water-temperature-methods/
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Context: Tea
Intuition: Water at around 70°C, 155°F

Name: Crab eyes
Definition: Bubbles after Shrimp eyes, and start of steam visible
Page: https://zhaozhoutea.com/fish-eyes-in-your-kettle-chinese-water-temperature-methods/
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Context: Tea
Intuition: Around 80°C, 175°F

Name: Fish eyes
Definition: Bubbles starting to raise to the top
Page: https://zhaozhoutea.com/fish-eyes-in-your-kettle-chinese-water-temperature-methods/
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Context: Tea
Intuition: 85°C (185°F)

Name: A string of Pearls
Definition: A steady stream of bubbles forms that look like a string of pearls on a string.
Page: https://zhaozhoutea.com/fish-eyes-in-your-kettle-chinese-water-temperature-methods/
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Context: Tea
Intuition: between about 90-95°C (195–205°F).

Name: Raging torrent
Page: https://zhaozhoutea.com/fish-eyes-in-your-kettle-chinese-water-temperature-methods/
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Context: Tea
Intuition: Water reaching 100°C

Question: How to get 80°-85C (180°-190°F) water
Answer: “Fish Eyes.” This is when large lazy bubbles gently break the surface.
Page: 41
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Context: Tea
Answer2: Or bring water to a boil and allow it to rest for 2 minutes before using.

Question: How to get 87°-95C (190°-200°F) water
Answer: “String of Pearls.” This is the moment almost at the boil, when tiny bubbles appear to loop near the perimeter of the kettle.
Page: 41
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Context: Tea
Answer2: Or bring the water to a boil and allow it to rest for 1 minute before using.

Question: How to get 93°-199°C (200°-212°F) water
Answer: “Turbulent Waters.” This is a full, rolling boil, when the water is most active. Bring the water to a boil and use it at the boil.
Page: 41
Chapter: 2 Steeping the perfect cup
Context: Tea

Chapter: 2
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: White tea
Minutes: Less than 2 minutes
How many steeps: At least one, sometime up to three
Temperature: 160-170F
Page: 41

Chapter: 2
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: Japanese green tea
Minutes: Less than 2 minutes
How many steeps: At least one, sometime up to three
Temperature: 160-170
Page: 41

Chapter: 2
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: Chinese spring green tea
Minutes: Less than 2 minutes
How many steeps: At least one, sometime up to three
Temperature: 160-170
Page: 41

Chapter: 2
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: Standard green tea
Minutes: Less than 2 minutes
How many steeps: At least one, sometime up to three
Temperature: 170-180
Pluck time: produced year-round in subtropical locations but only at specific times in the warm months in temperate zones
Taste: honey, a lightly salty sea spray, a gentle breeze passing through a stand of pines, or pure water washed over stones in a stream
Important action: manufacture of green tea are preventing oxidation of the fresh leaf and preserving the natural green color.
Page: 41

Chapter: 2
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: yellow tea
Minutes: Less than 2 minutes
How many steeps: At least one, sometime up to three
Temperature: 170-180
Page: 41

Chapter: 2
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: Oolong tea
Minutes: 1-5 minutes, depending on whether the leaf is a semiball-rolled style or a long, strip-style leaf, and whether the tea is being steeped Asian or Western style.
How many steeps: At least one, sometime up to three
Temperature: 180-190
Page: 41, 162

Chapter: 2, 3
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: Large-leaf Black tea
Minutes: up to 5 minutes
Temperature: 190-200F
Page: 41, 44

Chapter: 2
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: Pu-erh
Temperature: 200-212F
Page: 41

Chapter: 2
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: Finely cut orthodox Black tea
Minutes: 2-3 minutes
Temperature: 190-200F
Page: 42

Chapter: 2
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: CTC style Black tea
Minutes: 2-3 minutes
Temperature: 190-200F
Page: 42

Question: Most important factor in creating green tea
Answer: Preventing oxidation of the freash leaf
Page: 44
Chapter: 3 the six classes of tea
Section: Green tea
Answer2: Preserving the natural green color

Name: Classic Leaf Styles (Shapes) of Manufactured Green Tea (Dry Leaf)
Definition: Bud-only: Sword or sparrow’s tongue
Page: 45
Chapter: 3 the six classes of tea
Section: Green tea
Definition2: Budset: Sword or twisted-needle
Definition3: Needle or wiry
Definition4: Ball or rolled
Definition5: Open or leafy
Definition6: Compressed
Definition7: Spiral or crimped
Definition8: Flat or flaky
Definition9: Twist

Name: Compressed tea
Page: 45
Chapter: 3 the six classes of tea
Section: Green tea

Name: Ball tea
Page: 45
Chapter: 3 the six classes of tea
Section: Green tea

Name: Rolled tea
Chapter: 3 the six classes of tea
Section: Green tea

Name: Needle tea
Chapter: 3 the six classes of tea
Section: Green tea

Name: wiry tea
Chapter: 3 the six classes of tea
Section: Green tea

Name: Curlead tea leaves
Chapter: 3 the six classes of tea
Section: Green tea

Name: Curlead tea leaves
Definition: ?
Chapter: 3 the six classes of tea
Section: Green tea

Name: Spiral tea leaves
Chapter: 3 the six classes of tea
Section: Green tea

Name: Twist tea leaves
Chapter: 3 the six classes of tea
Section: Green tea

Name: Flaky tea leaves
Chapter: 3 the six classes of tea
Section: Green tea
Name2: Flat tea lives

Name: Open or leafy tea leaves
Definition: ?
Chapter: 3 the six classes of tea
Section: Green tea

Name: Budset tea leaves
Chapter: 3 the six classes of tea
Section: Green tea

Chapter: 3 the six classes of tea
Section: Green tea
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: An ji bai cha
Region: Zhejiang Province, China
Manufacture: Basket-fired
Style: Needle leaf
Flavor: Sweet, woodsy, and earthy
Aroma: Lingering, fresh, and slightly vegetal
Liquor: Clear pale green color
Minutes: 2
How many steeps: 2-3
Temperature: 170-180F
How to drink: Plain
Extra: An Ji Bai Cha has the quintessential flavor of the high-mountain green teas of eastern China. An Ji Bai Cha is comprised of long, slender, needle-shaped leaves that feature a distinctive lengthwise pleat. Leaf shaped like this often dangles in the water while steeping if there is enough vertical height to allow movement of the leaf into that position. Green tea from the eastern mountains of China has clarity and a fresh taste, and is a rare treat when of premium quality.
Color: Green
Page: 45

Chapter: 3 the six classes of tea
Section: Green tea
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: Genmaicha
Region: Japan, particularly Shizuoka prefecture
Manufacture: Oven-fired (roasted)
Style: Needle leaf, with toasted brown rice added
Flavor: Toasty and nutty, but clean
Aroma: Spicy, warm, with hints of roasted rice
Liquor: Clear green color, tinged with an olive hue
Minutes: 2
How many steeps: 2-3
Temperature: 170-180F
How to drink: Plain
Extra: one of the most established teas of Japan, especially among youthful tea drinkers; its popularity has spread to tea enthusiasts in the West.
Manufactured by blending grains of toasted brown rice (both whole and popped) with either Sencha or Bancha leaf, Genmaicha can be exquisite or just okay. When well made, the deep, vegetal flavor of a high-quality Sencha, combined with the toastiness of perfectly roasted artisanal brown rice, offers a glorious beverage. Genmaicha can be sipped just for pleasure, and it is one of the few teas that marries well with East Asian foods both savory and sweet.
Color: Green
Page: 45

Chapter: 3 the six classes of tea
Section: Green tea
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: GUNPOWDER (Imperial Pinhead)
Region: Zhejiang Province, China
Manufacture: Tumble-fired
Style: Rolled leaf
Flavor: Hearty, but sweet
Aroma: Robust, slightly flinty
Liquor: Classic straw color, tinger with an amber hue
Minutes: 3-4
How many steeps: 2
Temperature: 175-185F
How to drink: Plain or use as the base for North African–style minted tea
Extra: Gunpowder tea is one of the best-known and most liked of all the standard green teas. Although it is complicated to manufacture, even the higher grades are inexpensive. Gunpowder tea is one of the most forgiving green teas to prepare. It is easy to measure, will tolerate a range of water temperature, and is fun to watch infuse. Gunpowder tea is the base tea used most commonly for the minted tea of North Africa. Not only does it travel to and store well in a hot and dry climate, but it also infuses slowly, in tandem with the mint.
Color: Green
Page: 45

Chapter: 3 the six classes of tea
Section: Green tea
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: Gyokuro (Jade dew)
Region: Japan, particularly Fukuoka and Kyoto (Uji) prefectures
Manufacture: Steamed and oven-fired (roasted)
Style: Twisted needle
Flavor: Robust and vegetal
Aroma: Fresh, kelpy, and “green”
Liquor: Pale emerald color
Minutes: 2
How many steeps: second with cooler water
Temperature: 165F
How to drink: Plain
Extra: Gyokuro is the connoisseur’s Japanese green tea; its flavor stimulates the palate and engages all the senses. Gyokuro is highly revered in Japan for purity of flavor, depth of the “green” taste, and the robust breadth of flavor that is so unique to Japanese tea. It is one of the few Japanese teas still plucked by hand. Covered with a tana (natural reed or plastic netting) for its final period of growth, the chlorophyll content of Gyokuro’s fresh leaf increases, providing a softer, sweeter, and more complex flavor than that of the simpler Sencha.
Color: Green
Page: 45

Chapter: 3 the six classes of tea
Section: Green tea
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: LONGJING (Dragonwell)
Region: Zhejiang Province, China
Manufacture: Pan-fired
Style: Sword budset, or sparrow's tongue bud-only
Flavor: Soft, rich and toasty
Aroma: Full, deep and chestnutlike
Liquor: Straw-colored, tending tower amber with a tea-oil sheen
Minutes: 2
How many steeps: 2 or 3
Temperature: 170-180F
How to drink: Plain
Extra: One of China’s Ten Famous Teas (those teas previously only enjoyed by the Emperor), Longjing is perhaps China’s most beloved green tea. Longjing has a toasty, yeasty flavor with delicate chestnut overtones. Fired in woklike pans over wood charcoal, Longjing tea is created by artisans who are masters of their craft. “Competition-grade” Longjing (which may even be village-specific) is traditionally manufactured into either tiny flattened budsets or bird’s beak shapes—seek these out in mid-spring. High-quality, first-grade Longjing is comprised of flattened budsets that have a characteristic straw-yellow tinge. All are distinctive and in China may be purchased in sealed boxes with provenance.
Color: Green
Page: 49

Question: How to conserve tea
Answer: in a clean glass or tin container to preserve its flavor and soundness
Page: 158
Chapter: 4 Tea storage and freshness

Question: Why can tea in market be left in plain air in tea market
Answer: Beacuse tea is sold quickly and air don't have time to alter the quality
Page: 158
Chapter: 4 Tea storage and freshness

Question: Why can some show seal tea in glass
Answer: Because the turn over is high enough that light don't affect tea
Page: 158
Chapter: 4 Tea storage and freshness

Name: Tin tie bag
Page: 158
Chapter: 4 Tea storage and freshness

Name: zippered foild
Page: 158
Chapter: 4 Tea storage and freshness

Name: Paper pouch
Page: 158
Chapter: 4 Tea storage and freshness

Question: What to avoid when storing tea
Answer: Light
Page: 158
Chapter: 4 Tea storage and freshness
Answer2: Heat
Answer3: Smell (reused container, plastic, spices)
Answer4: Air and wind

Chapter: 4 Tea storage and freshness
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: Modern-style unroasted semiball-rolled oolongs
Page: 162
How long to conserve it: one to three years.

Chapter: 4 Tea storage and freshness
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: open leafy–style oolongs
Page: 162
How long to conserve it: one to three years.

Chapter: 4 Tea storage and freshness
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: Highly oxidized strip-style and traditional-style roasted semiball-rolled oolong
Page: 162
How long to conserve it: Decades. Re-roasting every year

Chapter: 4 Tea storage and freshness
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: Black tea
Page: 162
How long to conserve it: 1 to 3 years

Chapter: 4 Tea storage and freshness
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: Sheng Pu-erh
Page: 162
How long to conserve it: kept for twenty years or more under the right storage conditions.

Chapter: 4 Tea storage and freshness
Other fields (not shown on cards):
Name: Loose-leaf Pu-erh
Page: 162
How long to conserve it: mellows with age and keeps well for two to three years, or sometimes longer in good storage conditions

Name: Aroma
Definition: The scent released from the leaf as a result of steeping; a suggestion or preview of the combination of the brisk flavor components and the taste attributes inherent in the leaf. There are two of types of aroma: the fresh, clean, or dull aspects that show style and quality of manufacture, and the floral, nutty, or grassy descriptors that the palate will amplify.
Page: 164
Chapter: glossary
Context: steeped tea liquor

Name: Astringency
Definition: A sensation of drying felt throughout the mouth, similar to what mixologists refer to as “pull” (an essential quality in a great cocktail), this sensation is refreshing and satisfying, thirst-quenching, and stimulating all at the same time.
Page: 164
Chapter: glossary
Context: steeped tea liquor

Name: Baked
Definition: An overly fired leaf, not a positive toasty or smoky characteristic; a negative dry, overcooked taste.
Page: 164
Chapter: glossary
Context: steeped tea liquor
Name2: bakey

Name: Basket-fired
Definition: An artisanal process traditionally used in green and yellow tea manufacture in which fresh leaf is fired to prevent oxidation and finish-fired using the same equipment—a locally woven basket of varying diameters and heights (depending on the leaf) placed on and off over embers for as long as necessary to shape and dry the leaf. A similar basket-firing is also used sometimes as a part of traditional white, oolong, black, or Pu-erh firing.
Page: 164
Chapter: glossary
Context: fresh leaf

Name: Beeng cha
Definition: The unit of measure for traditional compressed Pu-erh. Beeng translates to “biscuit” or “cake” in reference to the shape of the disk. Approximately 375 grams, they can be made in half-sized or oversized disks as well.
Page: 164
Chapter: glossary
Context: finished tea

Name: Biscuity
Definition: An aromatic term used most frequently with black tea made from Assam bush, this is a positive attribute that indicates proper manufacture and the presence of the signature malty taste that Assam bush teas should possess.
Page: 164
Chapter: glossary
Context: steeped tea liquor

Name: Bloom
Definition: A leaf luster indicative of careful sorting and handling.
Page: 164
Chapter: glossary
Context: finished tea

Name: Body
Definition: The sensation of viscosity on the palate, variously subcategorized as light, medium, or heavy, in reference to the concentration of heft as sensed by the sides of the tongue; also known as fullness; the opposite of the term thin.
Page: 164
Chapter: glossary
Context: steeped tea liquor

Name: Bolt, bolted, bolting
Definition: The phenomenon, common to modern Darjeelings and several astringent green teas, wherein the brisk flavor components suddenly overwhelm the body characteristics and the cup qualities become unpleasantly assertive and harsh.
Page: 164
Chapter: glossary
Context: steeped tea liquor

Name: Bright
Definition: Indicates a clean, clear style that refreshes the palate; the opposite term is muddy.
Page: 164
Chapter: glossary
Context: steeped tea liquor

Name: Brisk
Definition: Having an appropriate amount of astringency; a palate-stimulating infusion that is not heavy and will readily accept the addition of dairy (if desired). Brisk teas are of necessity well made. The opposite term is soft.
Page: 164
Chapter: glossary
Context: steeped tea liquor

Name: Bud-only pluck
Definition: Bird’s beak, lark’s tongue, and sparrow’s tongue are several of the pictorial transliterations from the Chinese used to describe an early-spring bud-only pluck from certain varieties of Camellia sinensis var. sinensis that sprout small tender buds. The reference is obvious—these tiny buds strikingly resemble the shapes of these ornithological features.
Page: 164
Chapter: glossary
Context: fresh leaf

Name: Budset
Definition: The pluck of an emerging bud and one or two leaves. This term encompasses both mao feng and mao jian—see this page.
Page: 164
Chapter: glossary
Context: fresh leaf

Name: Clean
Definition: Tea that is free of debris, odd-sized particles, excess dust, and so on.
Page: 164
Chapter: glossary
Context: finished tea

Name: Clean
Definition: Indicates purity of flavor and an absence of any off-tastes; the opposite term is harsh.
Page: 164
Chapter: glossary
Context: steeped tea liquor

Name: Colory or coppery
Definition: Specific to black tea, most commonly with orthodox leaf, a positive indicator of good pigmentation and general high-quality manufacture.
Page: 164
Chapter: glossary
Context: steeped tea liquor

Name: “Column of air” drying method
Definition: A hot air–firing and drying method in which dry hot air is fan-forced through piping into a vertical cylinder into which a perforated platform has been fashioned. On this screen, fresh leaf is squeezed and rolled by the handful; this handwork ultimately yields a slightly twisted, semi-rolled green tea.
Page: 164
Chapter: glossary
Context: fresh leaf

Name: Cream, creamy, or creaming
Definition: Refers to the amino acid precipitate that forms when steeped hot tea cools. Some teas cream more readily than others; creaming is an important factor in the marketing of liquid RTD (Ready-to-Drink) tea beverages.
Page: 164
Chapter: glossary
Context: steeped tea liquor

Name: Crepey
Definition: The crumpled appearance of a well-made, large, broken-leaf tea.
Page: 164
Chapter: glossary
Context: finished tea

Name: CTC manufacture
Definition: “Cut-tear-curl,” a modern tea manufacture, in which the leaf is chopped to an even size during the process of being oxidized into black tea. The resulting finished tea appears evenly granular or pelleted. Used in reference to black tea, the traditional, primary style of manufacture is orthodox.
Page: 164
Chapter: glossary
Context: finished tea

Name: Cultivar
Definition: A unique member of a species that has been created by human intervention to fulfill a specific trait or need. Cultivars may be designed to be disease resistant, a particular color or shape, or to be more prolific, etc., and are expected to be stable in their characteristics.
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Name: Dan cong
Definition: The familiar term used by tea enthusiasts to describe the market grade of the highly oxidized oolong tea produced from the Feng Huang Dan Cong single-trunk trees in Guangdong Province, China. The higher grades of Feng Huang Dan Cong teas are always referred to by their full name, including the specific type of tea tree (known as its “fragrance”).
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Name: Earthy
Definition: A positive attribute in several premium varieties of green, oolong, and Pu-erh teas; however, the term can also negatively indicate improper storage.
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Name: Even
Definition: Used interchangeably with make and neat, these terms refer to tea that is consistent in size and correct to grade; indicates a well-made tea.
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Name: Fannings
Definition: The tea that remains after all the other market grades of tea have been sieved. Most commonly used in reference to black tea, this formerly derogatory term has found some fashion recently with those looking for inexpensive, strong tea to make into concentrate, chai, or tea latte beverages. See muddy.
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Name: Firing
Definition: The general term used to describe the heating and/or drying of the fresh leaf during the manufacture of green tea. Firing can also refer to an application of heat during the manufacture of any of the classes of tea.
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Name: Fresh
Definition: Indicates a new-crop tea or proper storage of any tea; not a positive component of an aged tea.
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Name: Frost tea
Definition: Specific to tea from the Nilgiri Hills (the Blue Mountains) in southern India, this tea is harvested during the coldest months of winter; however, due to the unique climate in these hills, buds do emerge at that time and the result is a tea similar to but different than white tea.
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Name: Fruity or stone fruit
Definition: A negative term in reference to black tea, as it indicates improper oxidation or firing; stone fruit is the customary positive descriptor for the aromatic quality of standard Formosa oolongs, as a familiar and engagingly enticing attribute.
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Name: Full
Definition: References a positive sensation of body and good heft; indicates a well-made tea.
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Name: Gaiwan
Definition: A ceramic vessel used either to steep a single portion of tea or as a small pot for oolong or Pu-erh tea service. It consists of three pieces: the tea-steeping bowl, a saucer, and a lid. Once practiced, one drinks or pours from a gaiwan using only one hand.
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Name: Granular
Definition: Properly made CTC tea. Used for standard tea bags, chai, concentrates, and caffeine extraction for the pharmaceutical trade; a few well-made granular teas can be quite delicious.
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Name: Green
Definition: In reference to most black tea this is usually a poorly made tea, hurried in the early processing so it tastes raw or underdeveloped; in green tea vernacular, green indicates a steamed leaf in the Japanese style and is good for the style.
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Name: Green Darjeeling firing
Definition: A recent convention in which a Darjeeling is fired to leave a significant proportion of slightly oxidized leaf. This yields a cup that is astringent and thin, but reminiscent of an “old-style,” first-flush Darjeeling and is very popular in Europe.
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Name2: “German style” Darjeeling firing

Name: Harsh
Definition: Generally negative, indicates hurried manufacture or poor-quality leaf; also sometimes used as the description for tea that has bolted during steeping; the opposite term is clean.
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Name: Heavy
Definition: The most extreme heft of body.
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Name: High Mountain gao shan
Definition: Taiwan’s most prestigious oolong teas are hand-processed, semiball-rolled modern-style oolongs. These teas grow in gardens over six thousand feet in elevation in Taiwan’s central mountains.
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Name: Hot air–fired
Definition: The general reference for tea (of several classes) that has been fired and/or dried using moving hot air. These techniques include basket-firing, column-of-air drying, fluid-bed drying, tumble-drying, and others.
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Context: fresh leaf

Name: Huang ya
Definition: The Chinese term for yellow tea. Can be either a bud-only pluck or a budset, but huang ya is always plucked in early spring and consists of only the tender young growth of Camellia sinensis var. sinensis.
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Name: Koicha
Definition: One of the two classic matcha preparations, koicha is “thick tea,” served during Chanoyu, the Japanese tea ceremony. Traditionally, koicha is served communally, with participants sharing the tea from one chawan (tea bowl). See usucha.
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Name: Light
Definition: The most minimal heft of body.
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Name: Make
Definition: See even.
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Name: Manufacture
Definition: The term used for the general description of everything that happens from the time the fresh tea leaf arrives at the factory (large or artisan) until it leaves as partially finished or finished tea.
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Name: Mao cha
Definition: Mao cha is semi-finished, sun-withered leaf that has undergone traditional pan-firing, and is the base for sheng and shou Pu-erh.
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Context: fresh or dry leaf

Name: Mao feng
Definition: Traditional premium green tea pluck: two leaves and a bud.
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Name: Mao jian
Definition: Traditional premium green tea pluck: one leaf and a bud.
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Name: Matcha
Definition: The finely powdered tea used for thick and thin beverage making. Premium matcha is made from tencha, a special grade of Japanese green tea in which the stem and veins have been removed from the leaf; this eliminates all extra chaff and fiber from the powder, yielding an incredibly smooth and rich tea that is used for Chanoyu.
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Name: Men huan
Definition: ” (fresh leaf) The term in yellow tea manufacture that describes the process used to encourage the leaf to reabsorb some of its own aromatics. Also known as “smothering,” this step is unique to yellow tea manufacture and involves gently steaming and covering fresh leaf with a cloth. Yields a tea that is smooth and has no astringency.
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Name2: sealing yellow

Name: Muddy
Definition: Showing an excess of particulate in the infusion; a generally negative opacity that tends to dullness; may also refer to the cult-brewing-style “tea latte” in which CTC tea is brewed “hard” with steam in an espresso machine.
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Context: steeped tea liquor

Name: Musty
Definition: This is an off-taste that indicates improper drying and potential mildewing.
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Name: Neat
Definition: See even.
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Name: Nose
Definition: Aroma (smell) of the dry leaf usually only indicates blatant or negative characteristics: smokiness; off-taste (tiredness); the intentional addition of a fragrance (as in flavored or scented teas); or contamination by a foreign odor. Unlike the aromatics of steeped tea, which can afford a glimpse of the ultimate flavor profile of the prepared tea, smelling the dry leaf reveals very little of an informative nature.
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Name: Orthodox manufacture
Definition: Traditional whole-leaf tea manufacture. Various grading systems are used in different countries to distinguish the finish-fired, sieved leaf particles, which range from very large whole leaves to tiny bits of broken leaf. Used in reference to black tea, the second, modern style of manufacture is CTC.
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Name: Oven-fired (baked or roasted)
Definition: An efficient drying and finish-firing combination often used in tea manufacture. Can be used as the principal oxidation-preventing and drying method in the manufacture of green tea (such as for Japanese greens—roasted, or Chinese budset greens—baked) or as a post-oxidation finish-firing in the manufacture of black tea.
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Name: Oxidation
Definition: Simply, the term used for the chemical change due to a material’s absorption of or reaction with oxygen, ex: a banana’s browning or metal’s rusting. In tea manufacture, oxidation refers to the process in which withered fresh leaf is encouraged to absorb a controlled amount of oxygen, facilitating the transformation of this withered leaf into oolong or black tea.
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Name: Pan-fired
Definition: The general reference for tea (of several classes) that has been fired and/or dried using a woklike pan heated over a wood, a charcoal, a gas, or an electric source. Used when the leaf is flat or bud-only, and a toasty or nutty flavor is desired.
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Name: Plain
Definition: An infusion that is simple and clear but lacks character.
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Name: Pluck
Definition: Can refer to the action of or the result of removing the bud-only, budset, or bud and as many as five or six leaves from a tea bush.
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Name: Pointy or point
Definition: The extreme of bright, a sharpness and piquancy that may be off-putting; an old-fashioned term used primarily in reference to black tea.
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Name: Ragged
Definition: Uneven sorting or poor manufacture; the opposite of the term even, this is never a good attribute.
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Name: Raw
Definition: Similar to bitter and harsh; generally unpleasant; however, raw is also used to describe the most classic method of producing the compressed forms of sheng Pu-erh, such as beeng cha (in this case raw is used interchangeably with green).
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Name: Rested tea
Definition: 1. When a finished tea is deemed too assertively astringent (green) to be drunk immediately upon finishing (primarily some green, oolong, and black teas), or 2. if it is determined that a tea should be smoother (primarily green and yellow teas) it can be set aside for a period of time (determined by an experienced tea maker) to mellow. Similar to aging but for a much shorter time.
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Context: dry leaf

Name: Smoky
Definition: When intentional (as with Lapsang Souchong), this term refers to leaf that has been traditionally smoked over charcoal or green wood; when the leaf has not been deliberately smoked, a smoky taste is generally the result of a flaw in manufacture (with a few provincial exceptions).
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Name2: tarry

Name: Smothering
Definition: See men huan.
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Name: Soft
Definition: Smooth, lush, and subsequently often (but not necessarily) timid in flavor; not a negative term; the opposite term is brisk.
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Name: Stone fruit
Definition: See fruity.
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Name: Strength
Definition: The totality of all the positive attributes of tea in the cup; the sum of the parts.
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Name: Subvariety
Definition: A naturally-occurring or wild derivation of a species with unique characteristics that distinguishes it from the other plants within its botanic species. Its designation will be the species name followed with var.xxx, both in italics. Ex: Camellia sinensis var. sinensis.
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Name: Tana
Definition: The covering used in Japanese tea gardens to reduce or eliminate the amount of sunshine available to the bushes during the final period of growth before harvest. Can be made from either bundled natural straw or reed or woven plastic mesh.
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Name: Tarry
Definition: Old-fashioned reference to the intentionally smoked tea (Lapsang Souchong) when smoked heavily to produce a penetratingly smoky flavor. See smoky.
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Name: Tea liquor
Definition: The drinkable liquid produced when manufactured, fully finished tea leaves have been steeped in water for the appropriate amount of time. Term is used by both professional tea tasters and tea enthusiasts.
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Name: Tencha
Definition: The Japanese green tea from which premium matcha is ground. During its manufacture tencha is neither rolled nor folded to make it easier to remove all stem and vein fiber, which yields a finer, more evenly textured matcha powder.
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Name: Ten Famous Teas
Definition: Teas formerly held in reserve for the Chinese emperors, these teas today represent the premium growths and productions in their style.
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Name: Terroir
Definition: The combined influence of geography, weather, season of the pluck, tea bush variety or cultivar, and method of leaf manufacture that is responsible for the unique flavor of an individual tea.
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Name: Thin
Definition: A generally negative term that indicates an overly light brew that lacks the expected character of a proper cup of tea; can also be tea that has been steeped incorrectly or intentionally diluted; more negative than the term mild.
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Name: Tip, tippy, tippiness
Definition: Consisting of, or inclusion of, the budset; when appropriate, this is positive and an indication of a fine pluck; but not all teas should be comprised of or have tip, so tippiness may indicate the inappropriate addition of purchased tips.
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Name: Tong
Definition: A wrapped bundle of Pu-erh beeng cha. Usually containing seven beeng, the tong’s wrapping is traditionally made from cut bamboo leaf, but cloth may also be used.
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Name: Tribute tea
Definition: Tribute teas include the Ten Famous Teas (see this page) and those that in more modern times have also been found to be in high regard among Chinese tea scholars and experts.
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Name: Tumble-drying
Definition: One of the hot air–drying methods, this refers to placing almost-finished leaf in a large perforated drum rotary tumbler very similar to a dryer used for clothes laundry. Heated air is forced through the drum and vented. A very controllable and evenly drying finish-firing method used by many tea makers.
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Name: Tumble-firing
Definition: Refers to a part of tea manufacture during which the leaf is placed in a tumbler that looks very much like a cement mixer or candy panning machine. The leaf tumbled within this sharply angled cylinder obtains a balled or pelleted shape. Gunpowder green tea and the semiball-rolled oolongs employ this technique as part of their manufacture.
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Name: Umami
Definition: The Asian representation for the hard-to-describe sixth sense of taste that is often associated with mushrooms, soy sauce, and other earthy, texturally rich foods.
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Name: Usucha
Definition: One of the two classic matcha preparations, usucha is “thin tea,” served during Chanoyu, the Japanese tea ceremony. Traditionally, usucha is served to guests in an individual chawan (tea bowl). See koicha.
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Name: Yan cha
Definition: The Chinese term for the top echelon of premium, plant-specific, strip-style rock oolongs from the Wu Yi Shan in Fujian Province. Yan cha are sought after by expert tea preparers and skilled enthusiasts, and are a good example of the stunning nature of unique teas from a specific terroir.
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