GLOSSARY OF TEA TERMS:

Terms used to describe the liquor of tea.

• Autumnal - A seasonal term applied to teas grown during the period.
• Bakey - Unpleasant taste caused by excessive temperatures during     the firing process resulting in a loss of moisture.
• Body - A liquor possessing fullness/richness and strength.
• Bright
• Brisk - A "live" taste in the liquor vs. flat or soft.
• Burnt - An undesirable note in teas that have been exposed to     excessive heat during processing.
• Character - An intangible quality in a tea that identifies its     origin of growth.
• Color - A measure of the depth of the tea's physical color. Based     on season/growth/grade factors.
• Cream - The "cloudiness" one notices upon the cooling     down of brewed tea. A bright color denotes quality.
• Dry - Slightly bakey or high fired. Once again, a quality that     denotes an over-processed tea.
• Flat - Usually a symptom of old or improperly stored tea. The     briskness of the brew is lacking.
• Full - A term used to describe a full-bodied tea with color and     strength. Treasure these!!

DRY LEAF TERMS (Physical Appearance)

• Attractive - Quality made with uniform color and size leaf.
• Bold - Pieces of leaf that are too big for the grade it's in.
• Chunky - A tea that possesses large sized tips-something to look     for!!
• Cut - A method of leaf production that utilizes a "breaker"     as opposed to a "roller" AKA:Orthodox method.
• Even - A grade of tea that is comprised of equal sized pieces of     leaf.
• Flaky - A flat, open leaf which has been improperly withered and     rolled.
• Golden Tip - A quality to look for in a tea. This denotes proper     withering and rolling.
• Grainy -Well made hard leaf.
• Large - Pertaining to leaf grade/size. Applies to a leaf that is     too large for its grade.
• Make - To have "make" is a desirable quality to have if     you're a tea. This means you have been properly processed.
• Milled - This applies to tea that is cut and ground with a cutter     machine. (Oh, the agony of the leaf!!)
• Mixed - Teas that have other grades of teas added to them.
• Neat - Similar to "make"..... a desirable quality: a well     made tea that has an attractive quality.
• Ragged - Rough an un-even leaf.
• Shotty - Well-made and rolled ......... usually applies to Orthodox     teas.
• Small - A grade of tea that has a smaller size leaf than it     normally has.
• Stalky - A by-product of sloppy plucking-excessive amount of tea     plant stalk is visible.
• Stylish - Neat with premium quality leaf apparent.
• Twist - When referring to whole leaf teas, the leaf has a "rolled"     appearance denoting careful processing.
• Well-Made - All is well here!! Beautiful color of the leaf, even     texture and size.......

Terms used to describe the infusion:

• Mouldy - This denotes an old improperly stored tea or one that has     been exposed to moisture/water.
• Musty - Also pertaining to mould
• Old - Flavor/palette lost to age.
• Pungent - Very brisk- look for this!!
• Strength - A "presence" of body in the mouth.
• Thin - Teas lacking in body that have been over withered and/or     inadequate fermentation.
• Wild - An undesirable quality usually found in end-of- season teas.     A harshness/thinness is apparent.
• Bright - A cup displaying a "liveliness"- as opposed to     dull and lifeless.
• Coppery - This term describes the color of the infused leaf-     denotes quality.
• Green - Typical of first flush- lacks depth. Generally an     undesirable quality.
• Dull - Lacking in sheen/lifeless. Not a good thing.......
• Even -This term applies to a bright, coppery tea that has no un     -evenness in color.

More Tea Terms:

• Assam - the world's largest black tea producing region, located in     Northern India .Assam teas are best known for their pungent, malty     qualities. Self drinkers, they can also stand up to milk and sugar.
• Darjeeling - Translation: "Land of the Thunderbolt" This     tea-growing region of India produces the "champagne" of teas .     Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, the volatile weather at 6000 ft     above sea level can produce upto 16 ft. of rain during monsoon season. Hot     days and cool nights during the growing season yields a glorious brew in at     least 3 flushes.
• Flushes - This term applies to the new growth of leaves and buds of     the tea plant. There are usually 3 flushes on the average- some temperate     regions with their year round hot weather can produce up to 10 flushes.
• Orthodox- Tea was processed this way for centuries, by hand, with     great care. Some of today's great teas are still produced in this manner.
• CTC- "CUT-TORN-CRUSHED" In the name of efficiency, this     mechanized method of harvesting the leaf replaced the kinder, gentler     orthodox method sometime early in the 20th century.
• Camellia Sinensis - A relative to the common garden variety     Camellia, the top few leaves (and sometimes bud) of only this plant (some     hybrids do exist) are what "tea" is comprised of. If it doesn't     originate from this plant- it is not "tea". Allowed to grow on its     own accord , the tea plant ,a member of the evergreen family ,will reach     heights of 60 feet. As a tea bush it is usually kept pruned to heights of no     more than 3-5 feet. This one plant produces black , green, and oolong teas.     Processing the leaf is what makes different tea varieties.
• Withering - A process that removes moisture from the freshly     plucked leaf. The leaves are spread on trays in a cool room for a period of     24hrs .. The resulting leaf is soft and pliable and has lost about 50% of     its weight. It is now ready for the next step
• Rolling - Twisting the leaf bruises it while releasing enzymes that     react to the air This chemical process is called oxidation .Twisted leaves     make a better cup of tea by allowing the leaf to give up its essences     slower, making the tea smoother and milder.
• Fermentation - This process applies mostly to black teas. The     withered and rolled leaves are again spread out on a table and allowed to     ferment for up to 5 hrs. Oolongs for a lesser period , greens not at all.     The longer the leaf ferments, the darker it becomes. This part of the     processing alters the flavor of the tea, allowing the constituents of the     tea to emerge, thus it is a critical step in achieving the ultimate "cuppa"     tea.
• Firing - This step merely involves heating the now fermented leaves     to a constant temperature of 120F, thereby stopping the fermentation     process. This is where black tea turns black and is just about 100% dry,     maintaining only 2-3% of its original moisture content. Too much heat can     produce a loss of flavor, color and aroma……..While this process is     critical to the making of black teas, oolongs and green teas are fired as     well, albeit for a shorter time.
• Polyphenols - A component of tea, they account for approximately     30% of the soluble matter in tea. Modern science has learned that these     compounds are potent cancer fighters, immune stimulants, as well as     anti-oxidants making it one of the best things a human can put in their     bodies. Take that Orange juice!!
• Essential oils - Another component of tea, essential oils lend     aroma and flavor to your favorite cup. Whole leaf teas maintain their     essential oils, while excessive processing allows much of the oils to     escape- thus a teabag with its fine cut is flat while a whole leaf tea is     sublime!
• Ceylon - This island off the coast of India produces superb teas.     Currently known as Sri Lanka, it was once known only for its coffee. In     1867, a Scotsman named James Taylor, planted 19 acres of tea plant seeds and     well, the rest is history….
• China - No discussion about tea is complete without mentioning     China. Tea and China have have had a relationship well before the birth of     Christ. There was a time when the Chinese had categorized over 8000     different types of tea. Today tea is grown in 18 regions, the majority of     that being green tea. Chinese teas generally are sold by names that let the     buyer know their origin and quality . Although mechanization has made some     inroads into tea production, due to the huge workforce and a love of tea,     hand made teas are still common place. With worldwide demand increasing for     fine teas, China stands poised to increase market share. Tea is currently     3rd in China's exports,( but gaining ground )after silk and grain.