Tee-Glossar
Umfassende Tee-Terminologie aus Verarbeitung, Verkostung, Zubereitung und Teekultur.
Tea Basics
Fundamental tea concepts: Camellia sinensis, oxidation levels, leaf grades, and core terminology every tea drinker should know.
Astringency
A drying, puckering sensation in the mouth caused by tannins (polyphenols) in tea binding to salivary proteins. Astringency is not a taste but a tactile …
Body
The perceived weight and viscosity of tea liquor in the mouth, ranging from light and thin to full and thick. Body is influenced by tea …
Briskness
A lively, bright quality in tea that produces a sharp, clean sensation on the palate. Briskness indicates fresh, well-processed tea and is especially valued in …
Camellia Sinensis
The evergreen plant species from which all true tea is produced. Native to East Asia, it has two primary varietals: sinensis (Chinese) for delicate teas …
CTC
Crush, Tear, Curl — a mechanized processing method that produces small, uniform granules designed for strong, quick-brewing tea. CTC dominates global production, especially for tea …
Cultivar
A cultivated variety of the tea plant selected and propagated for specific desirable traits such as flavor profile, disease resistance, yield, or climate adaptability. Hundreds …
Flush
A distinct seasonal harvest period, particularly significant in Darjeeling and other regions. First flush (spring) yields delicate, floral teas; second flush (summer) produces muscatel character; …
Infusion
A single steeping of tea leaves in hot water, or the resulting liquid. Many quality teas support multiple infusions, with each steeping revealing different layers …
Liquor
The professional tasting term for brewed tea — the liquid produced when tea leaves steep in water. Tea liquor is evaluated for color, clarity, brightness, …
Mouthfeel
The overall tactile sensation of tea in the mouth, encompassing body, astringency, smoothness, viscosity, and texture. Mouthfeel is a composite sensory experience that professional tasters …
Orange Pekoe
A leaf grading term for whole-leaf black tea, not a flavor description. OP indicates a standard-size leaf without tips. Higher grades include FTGFOP (Finest Tippy …
Orthodox Processing
Traditional tea manufacturing that preserves whole or large-piece leaves through sequential steps of withering, rolling, oxidation, and drying. Orthodox teas offer greater complexity and support …
Oxidation
The enzymatic browning process in which tea leaf polyphenols react with oxygen, darkening the leaf and transforming its flavor from grassy-fresh to malty-rich. Oxidation level …
Terroir
The complete environmental context — soil, climate, altitude, latitude, and microclimate — that gives a tea its unique regional character. The same cultivar grown in …
Terroir in Tea
The complete set of environmental factors — soil, climate, altitude, rainfall, and microbiome — that give a tea its distinctive regional character. Borrowed from wine …
Chinese Tea
Terms from China's rich tea heritage: gongfu, pu-erh aging, Wuyi rock teas, Yixing clay, and the six major tea categories.
Cha Qi
The subtle physiological and psychological sensation experienced when drinking high-quality tea, often described as a feeling of warmth, lightness, clarity, or gentle euphoria. A concept …
Da Hong Pao
Big Red Robe — the most famous Wuyi Mountain rock oolong, traditionally harvested from ancient mother bushes on a cliff face. Modern Da Hong Pao …
Gaiwan
A lidded bowl used for brewing and drinking tea, consisting of three parts: a saucer (tuo), a bowl (wan), and a lid (gai). The gaiwan …
Gongfu
A Chinese brewing method emphasizing skill and attention, using a high leaf-to-water ratio, small vessels, and short multiple infusions to extract maximum flavor complexity from …
Gushu
Ancient tree — tea harvested from old-growth Camellia sinensis trees, typically over 100 years old, found primarily in Yunnan's remote forests. Gushu pu-erh is prized …
Hui Gan
A returning sweetness experienced in the throat after swallowing tea, considered one of the highest marks of quality in Chinese tea evaluation. The Chinese term …
Kill-Green
The heat application step (sha qing) in tea processing that deactivates oxidation enzymes in fresh tea leaves, halting or preventing oxidation. Kill-green is the defining …
Long Jing
Dragon Well — China's most renowned green tea, from Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. Pan-fired in a hot wok to halt oxidation, it produces flat, smooth leaves …
Maocha
Rough or raw tea — the sun-dried, unfinished tea material from Yunnan that serves as the base for pu-erh production. Maocha is either compressed directly …
Pu-erh
A post-fermented tea from Yunnan province, China, made exclusively from sun-dried large-leaf tea (maocha). Pu-erh undergoes microbial fermentation and can be aged for decades, developing …
Tie Guan Yin
Iron Goddess of Mercy — a celebrated Chinese oolong from Anxi, Fujian. Available in lightly oxidized (qingxiang) and traditionally roasted (nongxiang) styles, it is one …
Yan Yun
Rock rhyme or mineral essence — the distinctive taste quality of Wuyi Mountain rock oolongs (yancha) attributed to the mineral-rich soil and rocky terroir of …
Yixing
A city in Jiangsu province famous for its unglazed purple clay (zisha) teapots. Yixing clay is prized for its porous structure, which absorbs tea oils …
Yixing Clay
A unique purple clay (zisha) found exclusively near Yixing city in Jiangsu province, China. Yixing clay is prized for tea brewing because its porous structure …
Japanese Tea
Japanese tea vocabulary: matcha, sencha, gyokuro, shade-growing techniques, and the art of Japanese tea preparation.
Chasen
A bamboo whisk hand-carved from a single piece of bamboo, used to froth matcha in the Japanese tea ceremony. Chasen come in various tine counts …
Chawan
A ceramic tea bowl used for preparing and drinking matcha in the Japanese tea ceremony. Chawan come in diverse shapes, glazes, and styles, each influencing …
Fukamushi
Deep-steamed sencha processed with 60-120 seconds of steaming, roughly double the standard 30-40 seconds. This longer steaming breaks down leaf structure, producing a rich, full-bodied, …
Genmaicha
A Japanese green tea blended with toasted brown rice (genmai), creating a nutty, popcorn-like aroma that complements the tea's vegetal character. Originally a way to …
Gyokuro
Jade Dew — Japan's most prestigious shade-grown green tea. Shaded for 20+ days before harvest, gyokuro develops extraordinary umami depth, low astringency, and a sweet, …
Houjicha
A roasted Japanese green tea with a warm, toasty, caramel-like flavor and reddish-brown liquor. Houjicha's roasting process reduces caffeine, making it popular as an evening …
Matcha
Finely stone-ground powder made from shade-grown tencha leaves. Unlike steeped teas, matcha is whisked into water and consumed whole, delivering the full spectrum of nutrients …
Sencha
Japan's most popular green tea, accounting for roughly 60% of production. Sencha is steamed immediately after picking to halt oxidation, then rolled into needle-like shapes, …
Shincha
New tea — the first harvest of the Japanese tea season, typically picked in late April to early May. Shincha is prized for its fresh, …
Tencha
The shade-grown, steamed, and dried leaf material that is stone-ground into matcha. Unlike sencha, tencha is not rolled — stems and veins are removed, leaving …
Indian Tea
Indian subcontinent tea terms: Darjeeling flushes, Assam CTC, chai masala, orthodox processing, and estate grading systems.
Assam
India's largest tea-producing region in the Brahmaputra River valley, known for strong, malty, full-bodied black tea made from the indigenous Camellia sinensis var. assamica. Assam …
Autumnal Flush
The autumn harvest of tea, typically picked from October through November after the monsoon season. Autumnal teas offer a mellow, copper-toned character with subdued astringency …
Chai
The Hindi/Urdu word for tea, widely used internationally to describe masala chai — black tea simmered with milk, sugar, and a blend of spices including …
CTC
Crush, Tear, Curl — a mechanized processing method that cuts tea leaves into small, uniform granules for rapid extraction. CTC produces the strong, dark tea …
Darjeeling
A renowned tea-growing region in West Bengal, India, at elevations of 600-2,000 meters in the Himalayan foothills. Called the 'Champagne of Tea' for its delicate, …
First Flush
The first spring harvest of tea leaves, typically picked from late February through mid-April after winter dormancy. First flush teas are prized for their bright, …
FTGFOP
Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe — the highest standard grade in the orthodox black tea grading system. Indicates whole leaves with an abundance of …
Muscatel
The distinctive grape-like flavor note unique to Darjeeling second flush tea. Muscatel character is attributed to the combination of Chinese cultivar genetics, high altitude, and …
Nilgiri
A tea-growing region in South India's Blue Mountains (Tamil Nadu), producing fragrant, well-balanced black teas at elevations of 1,000-2,500 meters. Nilgiri tea is brisk, aromatic, …
Second Flush
The summer harvest of tea, typically picked from May through June. Second flush teas are fuller-bodied, darker, and often more muscatel-forward than first flush, with …
Processing
Tea processing terminology: withering, fixation, rolling, oxidation, firing, and how each step shapes the final cup.
Aging
The deliberate long-term storage of certain teas — primarily sheng pu-erh, dark tea, and some oolongs — under controlled conditions to develop complexity, smoothness, and …
Charcoal Roasting
A traditional roasting method using slow, radiant heat from longan or lychee wood charcoal to finish oolong teas. Charcoal roasting develops deeper, more complex flavors …
Fermentation
In tea, true fermentation refers to microbial activity — distinct from oxidation, which is enzymatic. Only pu-erh (wo dui), kombucha tea fungus, and certain aged …
Fixation
The application of heat to tea leaves to denature oxidizing enzymes and halt oxidation at the desired level. Methods include pan-firing (Chinese), steaming (Japanese), baking, …
Mao Cha
Unfinished or rough tea — the semi-processed material that has undergone initial processing (withering, kill-green, rolling, drying) but has not yet been sorted, graded, or …
Oxidation Control
The tea maker's deliberate management of enzymatic oxidation to achieve a target level, from 0% (green tea) to 100% (black tea). Oxidation is halted at …
Pan-Firing
The Chinese method of fixation in which tea leaves are tossed in a heated iron wok or drum to halt oxidation. Pan-firing imparts characteristic toasty, …
Roasting
A finishing step applied to oolong and some other teas using charcoal, electric heat, or bamboo basket methods. Roasting deepens flavor, reduces moisture for shelf …
Rolling
The mechanical twisting and shaping of tea leaves after withering or fixation, which ruptures cell walls to release juices and enzymes that initiate or continue …
Shading
Covering tea plants with screens or fabric for 7-30 days before harvest to reduce sunlight exposure. Shading boosts L-theanine and chlorophyll while reducing catechins, producing …
Sha Qing
The Chinese term for kill-green or fixation — the high-heat step that deactivates oxidation enzymes in tea leaves. Sha qing literally means 'killing the green' …
Steaming
The Japanese method of fixation using high-pressure steam to halt oxidation immediately after harvesting. Steaming preserves a vivid green color and fresh, marine, vegetal flavor …
Withering
The first step in tea processing where fresh leaves lose 20-30% of their moisture content over 12-24 hours. Withering softens the leaf for rolling and …
Withering Stages
The controlled process of moisture loss in freshly plucked tea leaves, divided into outdoor withering (sun or shade) and indoor withering (on racks or troughs). …
Wo Dui
Wet-piling — the controlled microbial fermentation process used to produce shu (ripe) pu-erh tea. Maocha is piled, moistened, and covered for 45-60 days while bacteria …
Brewing & Steeping
Brewing vocabulary: water temperature, steep time, infusion count, gongfu parameters, and cold-brew techniques.
Cold Brew Tea
A brewing method that steeps tea leaves in cold or room-temperature water for 6-12 hours, producing a naturally sweet, low-astringency concentrate with approximately two-thirds the …
Competition Brewing
Standardized tea evaluation method used by professional tasters and competition judges. Uses a fixed ratio (3g leaf to 150ml water at 100 C for 5 …
Flash Brewing
A Japanese iced tea technique where hot water is poured over tea leaves directly onto ice, rapidly cooling the brew while preserving bright, aromatic compounds …
Gongfu Cha
The Chinese art of brewing tea with skill and attention, using a high leaf-to-water ratio, small vessels, and multiple short infusions to reveal the full …
Grandpa Style
An informal Chinese brewing method where loose leaves are placed directly in a tall glass and hot water is added and continuously replenished throughout the …
Infusion Count
The number of times a single serving of tea leaves can be meaningfully re-steeped before flavor diminishes to an unacceptable level. Premium oolongs and pu-erh …
Re-steeping
The practice of brewing used tea leaves a second or subsequent time, extracting additional flavor from the remaining soluble compounds. Quality whole-leaf teas are specifically …
Rinse Wash
A brief initial steeping of 3-5 seconds, immediately discarded, that wets and opens compressed or rolled tea leaves, rinses away surface dust, and primes the …
Steep Time
The duration that tea leaves remain in contact with water during brewing. Steeping too long extracts excessive tannins, producing bitterness; steeping too briefly yields a …
Teapot Ratio
The proportion of dry tea leaf to water volume used in brewing, typically expressed as grams per milliliter. Western style uses roughly 1:80; gongfu uses …
Water Quality
The mineral content, pH, and purity of water used for brewing. Since brewed tea is over 98% water, its quality profoundly affects extraction efficiency, flavor …
Water Temperature
The heat level of water used for brewing, typically ranging from 60 C for delicate green teas to 100 C for black and herbal teas. …
Health & Science
Scientific compounds and health-related terms: catechins, L-theanine, caffeine, polyphenols, and antioxidant properties.
Antioxidants in Tea
Compounds that neutralize harmful free radicals in the body. Tea ranks among the highest dietary antioxidant sources, with one cup of green tea providing antioxidant …
Caffeine in Tea
Tea contains 20-70 mg of caffeine per cup depending on tea type, leaf grade, and brewing parameters. Paired with L-theanine, tea caffeine produces a sustained, …
Catechins
A family of flavonoid polyphenols abundant in tea that serve as potent antioxidants. The four main tea catechins are EGCG, EGC, ECG, and EC. Oxidation …
EGCG
Epigallocatechin gallate, the most abundant and extensively studied catechin in tea. EGCG is a powerful antioxidant associated with anti-inflammatory, metabolic, and neuroprotective benefits in research …
Fluoride in Tea
Tea plants accumulate fluoride from soil, with mature leaves containing significantly more than young buds. Moderate consumption provides dental benefits, but excessive intake of low-grade …
L-Theanine
A unique amino acid found almost exclusively in tea (Camellia sinensis) that promotes calm alertness by increasing alpha brain wave activity. It works synergistically with …
Polyphenols
A broad class of plant-derived compounds rich in hydroxyl groups, making them effective antioxidants. Tea is one of the richest dietary sources, containing catechins, theaflavins, …
Quercetin
A flavonol antioxidant found in tea, onions, and apples. In tea, quercetin and its glycosides contribute anti-inflammatory and antihistamine activity, with concentrations highest in black …
Theaflavins
Orange-red polyphenolic pigments formed during black tea oxidation when catechins dimerize. Theaflavins contribute briskness, brightness, and the vivid color of black tea liquor, and possess …
Theobromine
A mild stimulant alkaloid related to caffeine, present in tea at roughly one-tenth the concentration. Theobromine acts as a gentle vasodilator and bronchodilator, contributing to …
Teaware
Tea equipment and vessels: gaiwan, yixing teapot, kyusu, chasen, chawan, and other essential brewing tools.
Fairness Pitcher
A small pouring vessel, also called a cha hai or gong dao bei, used in gongfu brewing to decant tea from the gaiwan or teapot. …
Gaiwan
A lidded bowl consisting of three pieces — saucer, bowl, and lid — used for brewing and drinking tea in the Chinese gongfu tradition. The …
Kyusu
A traditional Japanese side-handled teapot typically made from Tokoname or Banko ceramic clay, designed specifically for brewing Japanese green teas like sencha and gyokuro. The …
Strainer
A fine mesh filter placed over the fairness pitcher or cup to catch small leaf particles and sediment during pouring. Strainers ensure a clean, clear …
Tea Needle
A pointed implement from the cha dao (tea utensil) set, used to clear the spout of a teapot, break apart compressed tea cakes, and arrange …
Tea Pet
A small clay figurine, usually made from Yixing zisha clay, kept on the tea tray and ritually bathed in tea during gongfu sessions. Tea pets …
Tea Scoop
A utensil, also called cha ze or cha he, used to measure and transfer dry tea leaves from the storage container to the brewing vessel. …
Tea Tray
A drainage platform, also called a cha pan, that catches overflow water during gongfu tea preparation. The tray allows the brewer to rinse vessels, warm …
Tetsubin
A Japanese cast-iron kettle traditionally used for boiling water over charcoal. Authentic tetsubin are not teapots — they heat water, which is then poured into …
Yixing Teapot
A small unglazed teapot crafted from zisha (purple sand) clay mined near Yixing, Jiangsu province. The clay's unique porosity absorbs tea oils over time, seasoning …
Tea Ceremony & Culture
Cultural traditions: Chinese gongfu cha, Japanese chanoyu, British afternoon tea, Moroccan mint tea, and global tea rituals.
British Afternoon Tea
A social meal tradition originating in 1840s England, featuring a tiered selection of finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and pastries, served alongside …
Chanoyu
The Japanese Way of Tea, a highly codified ceremonial practice centered on the preparation and serving of matcha. Rooted in Zen Buddhism, chanoyu emphasizes aesthetics, …
Chasen
A bamboo whisk carved from a single piece of bamboo, used exclusively for preparing matcha. The chasen has 60-120 fine tines that aerate and froth …
Gongfu Cha Ceremony
The Chinese art of tea ceremony, combining skillful brewing technique with philosophical appreciation. Unlike Japanese chanoyu's rigid choreography, gongfu cha emphasizes the host's adaptive skill …
Korean Darye
The Korean tea ceremony, emphasizing natural simplicity, seasonal harmony, and Confucian respect between host and guest. Less formalized than Japanese chanoyu, darye prioritizes the meditative …
Moroccan Mint Tea
A North African ceremonial beverage made by steeping Chinese gunpowder green tea with fresh spearmint leaves and generous sugar. Poured from height to create a …
Russian Samovar
A large, ornate metal urn used to heat water for tea in Russian and Central Asian cultures. A concentrated tea essence (zavarka) brewed in a …
Tea Garden
In tea production, a plantation or estate where tea is cultivated. In cultural usage, an outdoor social venue where tea is served — from Turkish …
Tea House
A dedicated establishment for serving and drinking tea, ranging from China's bustling chaguan and Japan's serene chashitsu to England's Twinings shop (est. 1706) and modern …
Tea Master
A practitioner who has achieved deep expertise in tea preparation, tasting, and ceremony through years of study. In Japan, mastery requires decades of training under …
Turkish Tea
A strong black tea brewed using a double-stacked teapot (caydanlik) and served in tulip-shaped glasses without milk. Turkey has the highest per capita tea consumption …
Wabi-Sabi
A Japanese aesthetic philosophy central to tea ceremony that finds beauty in imperfection, transience, and incompleteness. In tea practice, wabi-sabi is expressed through rustic, asymmetrical …
Industry & Trade
Tea commerce: auction systems, grading standards, fair trade, direct sourcing, estate vs garden, and global trade routes.
CTC Processing
Crush, Tear, Curl — the dominant industrial method for black tea production. CTC machines process withered leaves into uniform granules optimized for fast extraction, consistent …
Direct Trade
A sourcing model where tea companies purchase directly from producers, bypassing auction houses and intermediaries. Direct trade typically yields higher farmer income, greater transparency, and …
Fair Trade Tea
A certification system guaranteeing tea producers receive a minimum price above market rate plus a social premium for community development. Fair trade standards also mandate …
Flush Pricing
The significant price variation between seasonal tea harvests, most pronounced in Darjeeling where first flush teas can command 5-20 times the price of monsoon flush …
GI Certification
Geographical Indication — a legal designation protecting teas produced in specific regions using traditional methods. Darjeeling, Longjing, Uji matcha, and Ceylon are among the most …
Orthodox Processing
Traditional tea manufacturing that preserves leaf integrity through careful withering, rolling, oxidation control, and firing. Orthodox teas command premium prices due to their complexity, appearance, …
Single Estate
Tea sourced entirely from one identified plantation or farm, unblended with teas from other origins. Single estate teas offer terroir transparency, traceability, and the unique …
Tea Auction
A wholesale marketplace where tea is sold in bulk lots through competitive bidding. Major auction centers include Mombasa (Kenya), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Kolkata and Guwahati …
Tea Blending
The art and science of combining teas from different origins, seasons, and lots to create a consistent, branded product. Master blenders maintain flavor profiles year-round …
Tea Grading
A classification system that ranks tea by leaf size, appearance, and quality. Grading systems vary by country: India and Sri Lanka use the OP hierarchy, …