Do you drink tea?
Do you want to learn more about the different types of teas out there and how they are made?
Then you have come to the right place. Its Only Tea has compiled a glossary of the most common terms and their meanings, as well as information on several different types of tea.
Afternoon Tea – Afternoon tea, also known as ‘high tea’ or ‘cream tea’, is a popular custom in the Southern English counties of England. It is generally served between 3-5 PM, and consists of sandwiches, scones with jam and clotted cream, cakes and biscuits.
Aroma – Aroma refers to the aroma that a tea has, derived from the volatile oils and essential oils that naturally form on the leaves. There are four primary types of aromas found in most teas: grassy, woody, floral and fruit.
Astringent – Acids tenderize the tissues of the mouth and other bodily tissues, allowing one to absorb the minerals and vitamins that are contained within the food. Oolong and black teas are bitter, so they produce an astringent effect in the mouth.
Camellia Sinensis – The plant that yields a primary type of tea leaf used in making most teas.
Caffeine – Caffeine, also known as 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine, is a bitter alkaloid compound found naturally in tea. It is used to treat nervousness and sleep disorders.
Cup – A cup is a small, stem and stemless tea vessel used for serving tea. It is usually made of porcelain or fine bone china, but may also be made of glass or silver.
Cuppa – A slang for a “cup of tea”.
Cutch – The dried residue left from the peeling of the leaves after manufacture and drying.
CTC – Cut, tear, curl is a method of processing black tea in which the leaves are passed through a series of cylindrical rollers with hundreds of sharp teeth that crush, tear, and curl the tea into small, hard pellets.
Devil’s Cup – A porcelain teacup, saucer, and plate set. It was also known as a coffee set.
Ding – To snap or “ding” your tea cup is to tap it against the kitchen table to remove any excess tea leaves inside it before placing it into a cupboard.
Dry tea – A type of tea, which does not require any additional preparation before drinking other than preparing the tea itself (i.e., roasting, grinding, etc.).
Fermentation – Fermentation is the process of converting sugar into alcohol. During fermentation, yeasts feed on sugar and take in carbon dioxide as a by-product. This will result in the production of alcohol and carbon dioxide, which is then absorbed by the tea leaves.
Flush – This refers to a season of the year in which tea bushes produce new layers of leaves. The autumn flush is the most important one, and is harvested between September and November. A ‘second flush’ occurs later, in February and March when the weather is warmer.
Grading – Grading is the process of sorting and classifying tea leaves into different grades, to ensure that the most valuable grades are selected for processing. The higher grades of tea are called ‘fakes’.
High Tea – High tea is a term given to afternoon tea in the English-speaking world. The tradition of serving tea in the afternoon originated as a way to extend breakfast into the middle of the day.
Jasmine Tea – The jasmine leaf is an aromatic herb that is used in China to wrap around other tea leaves and aromatize them while they are drying.
Matcha – Matcha is a finely powdered tea made from green tea leaves. It is used to prepare green tea beverages, and is also consumed as a drink. Most matchas are produced in Japan and are also known as ‘cereal’, ‘lolly topping’ or ‘powder’.
Muscatel – A muscatel is a light-textured, sweet tea with delicate flavors of peach and apricot. It derives its name from ‘muscat grapes’, from which it is made.
Orthodox – An orthodox tea is used to describe a full-bodied, rich tea. It is used in comparison to ‘broken’ teas, which are fussy varieties of tea.
Pluck – It refers to the process of plucking tea leaves to remove them from the stem.
Pungent – A pungent tea is one that has a strong flavor, or that is sharp and astringent.
Tannin – A tannin is an astringent chemical compound found in many plants. It is often used as an ingredient in beverages, including tea, and has also been used in tanning leather.
Tisane – A tisane is a tea that does not come from the parts of a tea plant, but rather herbs and flowers. Also known as herbal tea or infusions, they are most often consumed to obtain health benefits or medicinal properties.
We have tried to include the popular tea terms and tea terminologies in this tea glossary. We know there are many words that are still missing. Please suggest if any important word is missing and we will do our best to include them here.
Happy tea reading!
