Body

Body describes the physical sensation of tea's weight and texture on the palate — it is what you feel, not what you taste. A full-bodied tea (Assam, aged pu-erh, heavily roasted oolong) coats the mouth and feels substantial, almost viscous. A light-bodied tea (white tea, lightly oxidized oolong, Japanese green tea) feels clean and ethereal. Medium body (Darjeeling, Ceylon, moderate oolong) sits between these extremes. Multiple factors contribute to body: dissolved solids (minerals, amino acids, sugars), polyphenol concentration, and colloidal particles (microscopic compounds suspended in the liquor). Higher leaf-to-water ratios increase body; longer steeping increases body up to a point (but may also increase bitterness). Gongfu brewing — with its high leaf ratio and short infusion times — typically produces maximum body with minimum bitterness. Water mineral content affects body significantly: soft water produces lighter body; moderately hard water produces fuller body; very hard water can make tea taste flat and chalky. Professional tasters describe body using terms borrowed from wine: thin, light, medium, full, thick, creamy, syrupy.