The first step of tea tasting: from dry tea, moist tea to smelling
When a cup of good tea is placed in front of you, before you drink it, just the opening smell can immerse your body and mind in the tea rhyme. Dry tea is the first impression of tea. Gently pick up a small handful and put it close to the tip of your nose. The dry fragrance of high-quality tea is fresh and natural, or has a faint sweet fragrance and hair fragrance, without any mixed or strange smells. For example, before brewing Biluochun, the faint flower and fruit fragrance is intertwined with the tea fragrance, just like walking in the orchard in the early morning of spring; like Baihao Yinzhen, the hair fragrance is obvious, just like being in the reed marsh in late autumn, pure and distant, just smelling it, the mind will outline the fresh appearance of tea leaves and the beautiful growing environment. This dry fragrance is not only an olfactory enjoyment, but also hides the secrets of the inner quality, craftsmanship and storage of tea, which can preliminarily determine the quality of a tea.
Moistening tea is a ritual to awaken tea leaves. Soak dry tea leaves in hot water, and in an instant, steam rises with the tea fragrance, which is the wet fragrance. At this time, the tea leaves seem to be awakened from their slumber, stretching their bodies and releasing a richer and more direct aroma. Compared with the dry fragrance, the wet fragrance is more agile and fresh, as if the tea leaves are whispering their own stories. After brewing, the aroma of the cup lid cannot be missed. The moment the lid is opened, the hot air comes with the aroma, and the high-boiling point aroma substances are fully released at high temperatures. Like rock tea, when it is hot, the caramel aroma and fruity aroma are intertwined, warm and unrestrained; after a little cooling, the delicate aromas such as orchid and cinnamon gradually emerge, and the layers are rich like a grand symphony. Smell the aroma of the cup lid quickly and accurately. The changes in aroma at different stages are like the growth diary of tea, recording the flavor code of tea. The aroma at the bottom of the cup is the lingering aftertaste of tea. After drinking all the tea soup and turning the bottom of the cup, the remaining aroma will slowly spread, either fresh and elegant, or rich and mellow. The fragrance of the bottom of the cup of high-quality tea lasts for a long time, just like an old friend, who still leaves a warm breath when leaving, making people savor it again and again. Like Pu'er cooked tea, the bottom of the cup often leaves a stale and glutinous fragrance, which is calm and deep, telling the charm of years of precipitation.
The moment of entrance: smooth and full texture of tea soup
When the tea soup slides into the mouth, you can really feel the difference between good tea and ordinary tea. The first thing you feel when you drink high-quality tea is a full feeling, as if the tea soup "blooms" in the mouth, filling the entire mouth, from the tip of the tongue to the root of the tongue, from the cheeks to the throat, full of the rich taste of tea. This fullness is not a single strong, but a harmonious interweaving of multiple flavors, with the fragrance and sweetness of tea, and perhaps a hint of fruit acid, rich and balanced, and by no means thin and bland like clear water with only a hint of tea flavor.
Drinking water can be compared with drinking milk. Boiled water is light and has almost no texture; while milk is mellow and thick, and can wrap the mouth. The tea soup of good tea is similar to the fullness that high-quality milk brings to the mouth, but it has a few more smart tea fragrance and refreshing taste. After swallowing, the aftertaste still lingers in the mouth. Like the top-grade West Lake Longjing, it is fresh, mellow and refreshing. The fragrance of beans and orchids is slowly released in the full texture of the tea soup. After swallowing, the fresh sweetness between the lips and teeth lingers for a long time, making people unable to resist taking another sip.
At the same time, the smoothness of the tea soup is also the key. High-quality tea soup passes through the throat, like silk brushing across the skin, round, natural, without any obstruction, without the slightest roughness or irritation. This is due to the rich inner quality of tea leaves. Under the polishing of craftsmanship, various substances are perfectly integrated. Poor quality tea is either bitter and irritating, or has a strong watery taste and the tea soup is separated. When swallowing, there will be a noticeable "scratching" feeling in the throat, which is difficult to swallow, forming a sharp contrast with the smoothness of good tea.
The charm of "sweet aftertaste" and "aftertaste" of good tea
When you take a good tea, the sweet aftertaste is an inescapable wonderful experience. When you first taste it, the tea soup may have a slight bitterness, just like the hardships of life. In a flash, a trace of sweetness rises from the throat and becomes more and more intense, and finally ends with sweetness, completing a "bitter and sweet" taste feast. This sweet aftertaste is not only an enjoyment for the taste buds, but also a key indicator for judging good tea.
The secret of sweet aftertaste lies in the ingredients of tea leaves. The high content of tea polyphenols brings bitterness, but it is closely related to the intensity of the aftertaste. The more bitter some teas are, the more turbulent the aftertaste is. Organic acids stimulate the secretion of salivary glands, making people salivate and feel sweet. Flavonoids are bitter at first, but release natural sweetness later. The higher the content, the longer the aftertaste is. Sugars are retained in the mouth by their own viscosity and catalyzed into maltose by salivary amylase, thus creating the "bitter and sweet" time difference. When these ingredients are exquisitely matched, the aftertaste of good tea comes into being.
The aftertaste is often accompanied by the experience of salivation. The most common way to salivate is on the cheeks. The ingredients in tea stimulate the inner wall of the mouth, making it tight and astringent, and the secretion of saliva is like a long drought meeting a sweet rain, which quickly relieves the feeling of thirst. If the tongue produces saliva, it will be softer and smoother. After swallowing the tea soup, saliva will slowly come out, and the tongue seems to be wrapped in a soft layer, and the artistic conception of tea tasting is instantly sublimated. The sound of springs at the bottom of the tongue is the ultimate. The best tea melts in your mouth. When the tea soup touches the bottom of the tongue, tiny bubbles surge up, and saliva gurgles, like the sound of spring water. It is wonderful.
The aftertaste is the "echo" left by good tea in the body. After drinking the tea soup, the body will be slightly warm, as if the warm sun of spring is gently brushing, and the warmth radiates from the inside. This is the wonderful interaction between the substances in the tea and the body. After a while, a thin layer of sweat may appear on the forehead and back, the pores will be dilated, and the whole body will feel comfortable, as if the turbid air in the body has been swept away. Sometimes, you will burp gently to expel the stuffiness in your body, accompanied by the comfort and satisfaction of the stomach, as if a "big cleaning" inside the body. What's more, there will be a slight feeling of fullness, not bloating and discomfort, but a just right fullness, which is the nutrients in the tea quietly nourishing the body. Old teas like old Pu'er and old Liubao have a long aftertaste and a distinct physical sensation. Every time you drink it, you have a deep conversation with the tea, letting your body and mind indulge in the long tea rhyme and feel the wonderful power of nature's gift.
Unique physical sensations brought by different types of tea
Green tea: a refreshing and refreshing gift from nature
Green tea is like a breeze in the early morning of spring, bringing the purest sense of freshness. With a cup in hand, before you drink it, the faint tea fragrance has already been refreshing, like the newly-picked bamboo in the mountains and forests, with vigorous vitality. Take a sip, and the tea soup spreads on the tip of your tongue. It is slightly bitter at first, like the greenness of the new green in early spring, which is fleeting, and is replaced by a mouthful of fresh sweetness, just like the morning dew sliding down the tip of your tongue, pure and smart. In the mouth, the cheeks are full of saliva, as if every taste bud is awakened, greedily sucking this natural taste, saliva gushing out, and the whole mouth is immersed in the moist freshness. After tasting a cup, the body is like being washed by a spring rain, the refreshing feeling radiates from the inside out, and the spirit is also lifted, as if all the fatigue and turbidity are dispelled by this cup of green tea, leaving only a clear heart.
Black tea: the mellow taste that warms the body and mind
Black tea, like the warm sun in winter, gives people a warm and mellow body feeling. The dry tea is dark and moist, exuding a rich sweet fragrance, sometimes with a faint longan or honey fragrance. Just smelling it, you can feel the warmth. Brewed with boiling water, the tea soup is bright red and full of fragrance. When you take a sip, the mellow feeling instantly wraps the whole mouth, and the softness is like the caress of a thick blanket in winter, gentle and solid. The sweetness in the tea soup is direct and rich, accompanied by a slight acidity, rich in layers. After swallowing, a hint of sweetness rises deep in the throat, and the aftertaste is long. Black tea is rich in theaflavins and other ingredients, which can make the body slightly warm, especially in the cold season. After a cup of steaming black tea is swallowed, the warm current quickly spreads throughout the body, and the hands and feet also warm up. The body and mind are immersed in this comfortable warmth, feeling comfortable and relaxed.
Oolong tea: a long-lasting and diverse experience
Oolong tea, like a refined scholar with profound background, brings a complex and charming physical sensation. From light fragrance to strong fragrance, it varies. Take Tieguanyin as an example. The light fragrance type is like an orchid in the valley. When you smell it, the orchid fragrance is quiet and elegant. The tea soup is smooth, with a faint sweet fragrance and refreshing aftertaste. The strong fragrance type is like aged wine. The dry tea has a strong roasted fire fragrance, the tea soup is golden and translucent, the entrance is mellow and full, the rhythm is obvious, and the aftertaste at the root of the tongue is strong, accompanied by a long sense of salivation, as if every sense of the body is mobilized and immersed in this diverse flavor. The aromatic substances in oolong tea blend with the rich tea polyphenols, not only allowing the mouth to enjoy a feast, but also after drinking, the body will feel a sense of lightness and comfort, and the mind will become clearer, as if having a long talk with an old friend, with endless charm.
Pu'er tea: deep nourishment of mellow tea aroma
Pu'er raw tea, when first tasted, the bitterness of the tea soup is relatively obvious, just like an unpolished jade, with the roughness of the mountains. However, in a flash, the rapid sweetness hits like a surging wave, rushing from the deep throat to the tip of the tongue. The strong contrast of bitterness and sweetness makes people intoxicated. The tea is full of tea. After a few cups, the back and forehead will be slightly hot, and even fine beads of sweat will seep out, as if the meridians in the body are opened one by one, and the turbid air is discharged, and you feel refreshed. Pu'er ripe tea is like a calm elder, with rich aged fragrance, red and thick tea soup, mellow and soft, and glutinous fragrance, jujube fragrance and other aromas spread in the mouth, giving people a full sense of solidity. Ripe tea is gentle and nourishing, which can promote gastrointestinal peristalsis. After drinking, the stomach is warm and comfortable. Long-term drinking is like a deep maintenance from the inside out for the body, which makes people full of vitality.
Tea tasting, a beautiful dialogue with the body
When we immerse ourselves in a cup of good tea, the reaction given by the body is the most intimate dialogue between tea and us. From the amazing opening of the smell when the tea is dried and moistened, to the "dance" of the tea soup in the mouth at the moment of sipping, to the long aftertaste brought by the sweetness and aftertaste, and the wonderful journey of the unique physical sensations of different teas, good tea uses its charm to write a story about the body. Every time you taste tea, it is a date between the body and the essence of nature. The joy of producing saliva, the surprise of sweetness, and the comfort of the body are like the secret words that tea gives to the body, telling the quality of tea, the customs of the place of origin, and the exquisite craftsmanship. Let us cherish every cup of good tea, feel the response of the body with our heart, appreciate the long-lasting charm of tea at this tea table, enjoy the good time of nourishing the body and mind, and start a poetic life embracing tea again and again.
