Tea Tasting Journal
Drinking Tea For The Aesthetics
I love drinking tea. A warm mug of chamomile on a cold rainy night; a refreshing glass of iced green tea on a hot summer day; a cup of rich and smooth matcha latte early in the morning; the gentle sound of water being poured into teapots. Just writing these sentences is enough to fill my brain with dopamine.
I had minimal interest in tea before my twenties. Back then, if you had asked me what type of tea I enjoyed, you’d be wasting your time. I only knew green, black, and the weird herbal ones that reminded me of perfume. When I was young, my parents would take me to dim sum every weekend, and they would always ordered pu’er or chrysanthemum to pair with the assortment of dumplings and other culinary delights. Of course, the beverage they ordered was of no relevance to me. I preferred iced water or Sprite over some weird leaf water.
Then, on that fateful day in my third year of college, I discovered bubble tea, and it has been inflicting damage on my weight and diet plans ever since. I had heard of boba before, but I truly “discovered” (i.e. “became obsessed with”) boba in 2015. It became especially bad when I started working and had more disposable income. By 2021, I had tried most if not all of the notable bubble tea shops in the Bay Area. I had enough wherewithal to stop eventually. Despite its deleterious effects on my health, bubble tea became a gateway drug for real tea: the ones with better quality, more subtle flavors, and infinitely less sugar.
This blog documents my journey into the wonderful world of tea.
Tea (茶 - Chá)
Tea drinking was first recorded in China in 59 BC, possibly earlier. Ancient people actually ate tea before they started drinking it. Initially, people drank tea mostly for medicinal purposes. The tea plant - Camellia sinensis - likely originated in Southwestern China in modern day Yunnan, near its borders with Myanmar.
Within China, tea drinking gained prominence during the Tang dynasty when the 8th century writer Lu Yu published a three volume treatise on tea called “The Classic of Tea” (780 CE). The book is divided into ten chapters and served as a seminal text in Chinese tea culture. It covered everything from history of tea, ideal growing conditions, tools for harvesting and processing, best practices for preserving aroma and flavor during processing, best utensils, optimal brewing temperature, timing, and ratio, the various growing regions in China, the philosophy of tea drinking, and much more. The fastidiousness reminds me of third-wave coffee culture, except this was during the time of Middle Age Viking raids in Europe.
This amazing beverage simmered quietly in China for almost 1,600 years before the Portuguese traders brought it to Europe in the 1500s. It quickly became a smash hit, especially amongst the British Aristocracies, and then later to the broader public. The problem is the price of tea is still quite high. To break up China’s monopoly on tea production, the British successfully introduced tea cultivation in India in the 1800s; ending its reliance on China. Assam, Darjeeling, and Ceylon teas are all named after regions in and around India. By the 19th century, large quantities of tea from India meant it had become an everyday beverage for all classes of society.
Tea Drinking
The rabbit hole for tea-drinking culture is deep. This is an area of interest that goes back thousands of years! If you want to savor a tea’s full potential, definitely follow expert recommendations. I am not an expert. I like tea, but I also like simplicity. Short of ordering test kits on Amazon to measure water hardness and pH levels, here are some general pointers that gets you 80% of the way there with 20% of the effort. Or just drink tea “Grandpa Style”, and skip all this stuff.
- Use good quality water - Ideally use cold filtered or spring water, not to hard (too much mineral content), and not too soft (flat distilled water). Do not boil water more than once.
- Ideal water temperature depends on level of oxidation. Cooler water highlights sweetness but may not fully extract darker teas, while hotter water brings out flavors but can over-extract lighter teas leading to excessive astringency and bitterness. Here’s a rough rule of thumb:
- Green (80° C)
- Oolong (90° C)
- Dark (100° C)
- Adjust steep time and water-tea ratio according to your taste. You can find specific recommendations from your tea supplier. At the end of the day, you should find what works for you. Some prefer lighter while others prefer stronger. Some brew one big batch in a teapot, while others prefer multiple infusions with gaiwan. When it comes to tea tasting, I am of the belief that no one can agree on what’s “best”, but everyone can agree on what’s “bad”. It’s not hard to make tea… Don’t overcomplicate things. Yes, it is amazing to drink tea gongfu style every once in a while, but don’t be so lost in the details that you forget to enjoy the tea. For one pot steeping, steep time can vary from 2-5 minutes, and ratio can vary from 2-4g of tea per cup (240 mL). Some teas are more forgiving than others. When I am not sure, I tend to err on the side of using less tea. Adjust according to your personal taste.
I will be sampling 14 different tea varieties I bought from Cha Mood. You can probably find something cheaper and better locally within the US. I liked their website design which is why I bought from them.
Tea Sampler Set From Cha Mood
My personal ratings:
| Tea Name | Rating (Out of 5) |
|---|---|
| Moonlight White | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Maofeng Green | ⭐⭐ |
| Jin Xuan (Milky) Oolong | |
| Dianhong Black | |
| Raw Pu’er | |
| White Peony (Baimudan) | |
| Long Jing Green | |
| Honey Orchid Oolong | |
| Lapsang Souchong Black | |
| Ancient Tree Pu’er | |
| Tie Guan Yin Oolong | |
| Alishan Oolong | |
| Ya Shi Xiang Oolong | |
| Da Hong Pao Oolong |
Moonlight White (月光白 - Yuè guāng bái)
Moonlight white tea is produced in Yunnan province of China. It is picked annually in April. Because it is produced in the same place as pu’er tea, some people call this tea “white pu’er”. The leaf buds are crescent shaped like the moon with one side white, and the other dark.
The taste is light, mild, with a floral sweetness that resembles honey. Imagine how honey-water would taste with 10% of its sweetness. This tea is very easy to brew. Astringency and sourness does creep in on later brews. There is a Chinese phrase that I think perfectly describes Moonlight white: 淡雅花香小甜茶 (light and elegant floral tea with a hint of sweetness).
Maofeng Green Tea (毛峰 - máo fēng)
Maofeng green tea is produced Anhui province of China, typically near Huangshan (yellow mountain). It is one of the most well-known green tea variety in China. 毛峰 (mao feng) can be translated as fur peak, which refers to the tiny white hair on the tea leaves.
The taste is grassy and nutty and reminds me of Long Jing green tea but with less umami and maybe more bitterness? The taste reminds me of sweet potato. I read online that maofeng is incredibly forgiving and can be brewed forever without becoming astringent and bitter. This was definitely not the case for the ones I bought. I think I prefer a lighter brew. Will add less leaves next time.
TO BE CONTINUED…
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