Tea tasting is a fun and social activity that can be done at home, with friends, or even in your own kitchen.
To become a tea expert, you must first master the art of tea drinking and judging. It is an affordable and rewarding hobby that will not only make you more informed about what you’re drinking but also give you an appreciation for quality products that many people spend huge amounts on.
The best way to try some new teas is to visit a tea shop. There you can smell, taste and see the whole process of making a cup of tea. You might be amazed at how simple it is to make your own selection. Some good places to go for Tea tasting include:
Tea shops
Tea shops are great places where you can sample different kinds of tea, have fun and enjoy yourself. You can also ask for tea suggestions or tips about different types of teas or about how to brew them correctly and perfectly every time. If you are lucky, the employees will even give you some samples for free.
Discount stores
Discount stores are another great place to get tea and other food products at a discounted price. With coupons and deals available online and in your local area, you can save a lot of money without spending too much. This will give you some tea at a quality price point that you may not have been able to find in other places.
Whole Foods and other specialty grocery stores
Whole foods are always a great place to start when looking for something new to try. They have tons of different types of teas that go with all kinds of dishes. If you have extra money, A Whole Foods store is also the place to go for fresh fruits and veggies which will help with the great taste of you.
Four Fundamentals of Tea Tasting
STEP 1: Get going with the visuals
90% of the time, my approach to drinking tea is casual. My morning cup of tea is always just there, and I expect it to be perfect. As my morning progresses and the day gets busier, I make a mental note of how often I drink tea so that I can have time to make a proper cup when the time comes. What happens then? My taste buds might finally agree with me. Or they may protest loudly, as they usually do; resulting in a caffeinated haze with no flavor or depth at all. If this sounds familiar, here’s a 4-step guide to tasting tea that promises better flavor without caffeine:
A formal tea tasting consumes all the attention of your senses in one go and the experience gets going with your eyes. Before you start sipping the hot tea, a variety of things need to be analyzed in regard to tea leaves and the cup:
1. Dry leaf: When you first look at the dry leaves, you may find some of them rather unappealing or confusing. A tea leaf that looks a bit like a fish, for example. But don’t be discouraged – there is much to learn from even the most unusual tea leaf appearance. After all, not all teas are created equal and neither are their origins!
2. Wet leaf: Give the wet leaf a good rub between your fingers to experience the natural oils that create the tea’s scent. What do you get? Perhaps a hint of apricot? The most important aspect about this stage is to not rush it!
3. Tea in the cup: This is the fun part: observing the tea in its final form. How does it look? What do you taste? Out of five senses, which one is having the most impact on your experience? In general, smell wins over sight as the most powerful of all five senses.
In general, each visual cue I have cited above will help fine-tune your expectations for what the tea should taste like.
STEP 2: Split up “Taste” Into Aroma & Flavor And Use Your Tea Tasting Wheel
Tea can be split up into two constituents: aroma and flavor, which we typically feel through our noses and tongues, respectively.
Aroma: The first thing to consider when tasting tea is the most important aspect of all four steps, which is smell. It makes sense that a tea can smell either great or terrible, with no middle ground because flavor will not be present in your cup if there is no aroma to experience. Aroma contributes a lot to the overall taste of tea; so much so that some teas can be more enjoyable than others depending on their scent alone.
Flavor: Flavor is the second step in tasting a cup of tea and the one that most people are familiar with. When you think of flavor, think beyond sweet and sour. Appearance and aroma will contribute to the overall flavor, not just bitterness or sweetness. A fantastic cup of tea should balance between the two extremes and result in a mixture of fascinating flavors.
To assist with your sense of taste, a tea tasting wheel is highly recommended. Not only will it make it easier for you to record your thoughts, but it can also be a fun thing to have on hand when you are tasting tea with friends! This can turn into a party game if done right; just make sure that everyone involved is clear on what they are looking for in tea!
STEP 3: Take note of the Mouthfeel
Biting into a piece of food that has the right amount of heat and chewiness can be a lot of fun, but can also indicate that something is wrong. The same goes for drinking tea. A tea that leaves your mouth feeling almost hot may be too hot or too sweet, while a flat-tasting tea may mean that something is amiss.
If you happen to have one of the many available temperature sensors, it would be helpful to use it to take note of the temperature that the tea leaves are imparting on the cup. Tea leaves can become over-steeped or under-steeped and the resulting cup can be a bit misplaced for the situation. A hot cup of tea that is too sweet may find itself at a loss when served with a slice of cake, for example.
STEP 4: Treasure The Finish
The tea-tasting experience is truly a sensory one, so you will always want to finish your cup of tea while you still can. Tasting the finish of tea has many purposes, but the most important among them is to take note of the flavors that are left behind when you drink your cup of tea.
This step can also be used to compare teas with different producers, since they usually brew their teas differently. Experimentation with different manufacturers can be fun and enlightening as well! Plus, it will help you narrow down which teas are right for you.
How to Host Your Own Tea Tasting Party?
Tea ceremonies are also a great way to spend time with friends over a cup of your favorite beverage!
But how do you host your own tea tasters?
You may not have noticed, but every group of people has their own particular methods for hosting an event like this; whether it be planning ahead or inviting guests en masse. Below we help you host your own tea tasting party by offering 4 handy tips:
1. GATHER THE ESSENTIALS (INCLUDING YOUR GUESTS!):
Tea, teacups, teapots and tea cups are the essentials of any tea tasting party. But it’s also a good idea to have other things too; like delicious cookies and cake or a nice spread of snacks. We recommend bringing something that you can actually eat with your tea; even if you do enjoy it with only one thing (e.g. cup of tea).
When putting together your guest list, keep in mind the type of tasting party you’d like to plan. Sometimes, it’s nice to have a smaller gathering of just a few people who can have an in depth discussion on their favorite tea flavors and blends; other times, it’s fun to have a larger party so people can try new teas with others who’ve tried different ones as well.
2. PREPARE THE SNACKS MATCHING THE PARTY:
We’ve all seen it before. People have a favorite snack of theirs, and as soon as they get a taste of it, they eat it almost nonstop, often leaving no room for the tea itself. When hosting your own tea tasting party, you can make sure your guests enjoy the tea by making sure their preferred snacks are more in the background than the forefront.
We recommend having more than one kind of snack; and we also recommend eating these snacks while sipping on your tea so that one flavor doesn’t completely overpower another.
3. FURNISH YOUR GUESTS WITH THE TOOLS THEY MAY NEED:
Apart from serving your guests the types of tea they need, it is good to offer them note cards and pens. Also, when you’re inviting guests, we recommend putting a variety of teas in the same pot or cup to let your guests sample each kind of tea and learn more about their own likes and dislikes.
This way, they can pick out their favorite type of tea before they begin working on the notes they need to take. Moreover, do not forget to share your extensive tea knowledge with them — this will really wow them!
4. STEEP, TAKE SIPS, AND HAVE FUN:
This all comes down to the tea tasting, and if you do it correctly, your guests will have fun as well! We recommend putting a timer on the steeping of your teas so guests know how long it should take for each pot. Alternatively, if you over steep tea, it will critically affect the taste. Also, make sure you offer some hints and tips to begin their tasting; whether that means suggestions or hints on how they can enjoy their tea.
Lastly, remember to have fun while hosting your own tea tasting party! After all, it’s the perfect way to spend an afternoon with friends or family.
There is a lot to love about tea, but it can be difficult to find the best flavors or get a sense of what the differences in taste are. That’s where The Virtual Tea Tasting event comes in!
Virtual Tea Tasting
Virtual tea tasting is an online tea tasting activity. The concept is not new but is picking up after the world went on a halt due to the global pandemic.
The way the world did not stop for any industry, tea lovers started hosting tea tasting events virtually. It has become easier than ever to get the flavor you are looking for. You can connect with anybody who has the product you want and can order and taste it along with tea makers.
