|
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: |
fragran flavor of brewed
leaf, consisting of the
essential oils of tea |
|
assam: |
Tea grown in the state
of Assam, in India.
These (generally black)
teas are known for their
strong, deep red
infusions. |
|
astringency: |
the drying sensation in
the mouth caused by teas
high in unoxidized
polyphenols. |
|
autumnal: |
tea produced late in the
growing season |
|
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: |
tea taster's term to
describe sheen or lustre
present to finished leaf |
|
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. |
|
broken: |
smaller leaf style
usually created during
manufacture by passing
the leaf through a
cutter |
|
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: |
tea. Romanized spelling
of Chinese and Japanese
character referring to
tea. |
|
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 |
|
chunmee: |
a grade of Chinese tea
with a curled shape. |
|
congou: |
a general name for
Chinese black tea,
derived from gongfu. |
|
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: |
Tea grown in the
Darjeeling region, a
mountainous area around
the Himalayas, of India.
These (generally black)
teas are well known for
their crisp astringency. |
|
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. |
|
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 |
|
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: |
derived from baihao,
the white hairs of the
new buds on the tea
shrub, this term
currently refers to the
smaller-size grade of
whole leaf teas. |
|
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 |
|
pu erh: |
a type of tea most
notably from the Yunnan
province of China. Damp
green tea that has been
fermented
microbiologically to a
black leaf. |
|
puerh: |
a type of tea most
notably from the Yunnan
province of China. Damp
green tea that has been
fermented
microbiologically to a
black leaf. |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
tea: |
|
|
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 |
|
ti kuan yin: |
"Iron Goddessof Mercy"-
a distinctive type of
oolong tea typically
longer-fermented and
possessing a
darker-colored but
fragrant brew |
|
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. |
|
tuocha: |
bowl tea. A form of
brick tea comprised of
pu-erh tea pressed into
a bowl shaped cake. |
|
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
production of most teas.
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 |
|
yixing: |
pronounced ee-hsing,
this region in China is
noted for its purple
clay, used to produce
distinctive unglazed
teapots. |
|
yunnan: |
Tea grown in the Yunnan
province, in the
southwest of China.
These black teas are
known for their spicy
character. This region
also produces Pu-Erh
tea. |
