Tea Glossary
41 essential tea terms across processing, brewing, grading, terroir, and culture.
Processing
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Oxidation
The chemical process where enzymes in fresh tea leaves react with oxygen, darkening the leaf and transforming its flavor profile. Oxidation is the primary factor that distinguishes…
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Withering
The first step in tea processing where freshly picked leaves are spread out and allowed to lose moisture, becoming soft and pliable. Withering can be done naturally in ambient air …
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Kill-green (Shaqing)
A heat application step - either pan-firing or steaming - that deactivates the enzymes responsible for oxidation, locking in the tea's current level of oxidation. Chinese greens ar…
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CTC
Stands for Crush, Tear, Curl - a mechanized processing method that produces small, uniform pellets of tea designed for fast, strong infusions. Developed in the 1930s as an efficien…
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Orthodox
Traditional tea processing where leaves are carefully rolled (by hand or machine) to preserve their whole-leaf structure. Orthodox processing allows for greater variation and compl…
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Maocha
The rough, semi-finished tea produced after initial processing (withering, kill-green, rolling, and sun-drying) but before final shaping, sorting, or compression. Maocha is the raw…
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Roasting
A finishing step where processed tea leaves are heated over charcoal or in electric roasters to reduce moisture, develop toasty or caramel flavors, and stabilize the tea for storag…
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Aged Tea
Tea intentionally stored for years or decades under controlled conditions to develop new flavors through slow microbial and chemical transformation. Most commonly associated with p…
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Sheng vs Shu
The two fundamental types of pu-erh tea. Sheng (raw) pu-erh is traditionally processed and aged naturally over years or decades, gradually developing complexity. Shu (ripe) pu-erh …
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Steaming vs Pan-firing
The two primary methods used for the kill-green step in green tea production. Steaming (dominant in Japan) uses brief, intense steam to halt oxidation, preserving bright green colo…
Brewing
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Gongfu
A Chinese brewing method using a high leaf-to-water ratio, small vessels (typically a gaiwan or small teapot), and multiple short infusions - often 15–60 seconds each. The name tra…
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Western Brewing
The most common brewing method outside East Asia: a lower leaf-to-water ratio (typically 2–3g per 250ml), steeped in a large mug or teapot for 3–5 minutes, usually yielding one or …
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Grandpa Style
An informal Chinese brewing method where loose leaves are placed directly in a tall glass or mug, topped with hot water, and sipped as-is - no strainer, no decanting. As you drink,…
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Flash Brewing
A method for making iced tea by brewing with half the normal water amount at full temperature, then pouring immediately over an equal weight of ice. The hot water extracts flavor w…
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Cold Brew
Steeping tea leaves in cold or room-temperature water for an extended period (4–12 hours, typically refrigerated). Cold brewing extracts sweetness and umami while leaving behind mo…
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Rinse (Wash)
A brief initial infusion (5–10 seconds) that is discarded rather than drunk. The rinse serves to 'awaken' compressed or aged teas, wash away dust from storage, and pre-heat the lea…
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Astringency
The dry, puckering sensation in your mouth caused by polyphenols (mainly catechins and tannins) in tea binding with proteins in your saliva. Often confused with bitterness, astring…
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Umami
The savory, brothy 'fifth taste' found in teas rich in L-theanine and glutamic acid. Most prominent in shade-grown Japanese teas like gyokuro and high-grade matcha, umami presents …
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Body
The perceived weight and texture of tea in your mouth - how 'thick' or 'thin' it feels. Body ranges from light and watery (like a delicate white tea) to full and viscous (like a ri…
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Liquor
The industry term for brewed tea - the liquid in your cup after steeping. Despite the name, it has nothing to do with alcohol. Professional tasters evaluate liquor for color, clari…
Grading
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First Flush
The first harvest of the tea-growing season, typically in spring (March–April in most regions). First flush teas are prized for their delicate, bright, and nuanced flavors compared…
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Orange Pekoe
A tea grading term describing whole, unbroken black tea leaves of a certain size - not a flavor or variety. Despite the name, Orange Pekoe has nothing to do with oranges; 'orange' …
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Second Flush
The second harvest of the tea-growing season, typically in late spring to early summer (May–June in Darjeeling). Second flush teas are generally fuller-bodied and more muscatel in …
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Tippy
A grading descriptor indicating a high proportion of tips (buds) in the tea. Tips are the youngest, most tender part of the tea shoot and often appear as golden or silver-colored p…
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Broken Grade
Tea leaves that have been intentionally cut or broken during processing to produce smaller, more uniform pieces that brew faster and stronger. Broken grades (BOP, FBOP, etc.) sit b…
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Muscatel
A prized flavor descriptor unique to second flush Darjeeling teas - a sweet, musky, grape-like quality reminiscent of Muscat wine. The muscatel character is partly attributed to th…
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FTGFOP
Stands for Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe - the highest standard grade in the orthodox black tea grading system used primarily for Indian teas. Each letter adds a quality…
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Flush
A harvest period during the tea-growing season. Most tea regions have multiple flushes per year - spring (first flush), summer (second flush), monsoon, and autumn. Each flush produ…
Terroir
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Terroir
Borrowed from wine, terroir describes how a tea's growing environment - altitude, soil, climate, humidity, and surrounding vegetation - shapes its unique character. No two gardens …
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Cultivar
A cultivated variety of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) selectively bred or maintained for specific traits like flavor, hardiness, or leaf size. Examples include Yabukita (domina…
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High-mountain (Gaoshan)
Tea grown above 1,000 meters elevation, primarily in Taiwan but also in parts of China and Nepal. High-altitude conditions - cooler temperatures, frequent fog, intense UV, and grea…
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Single Origin
Tea sourced from one specific garden, estate, or well-defined growing region - as opposed to blends that combine leaves from multiple origins for consistency. Single-origin teas ex…
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Shade-growing
The practice of covering tea plants with shade structures (traditionally straw canopies, now often synthetic netting) for 2–4 weeks before harvest. Shading reduces photosynthesis, …
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Dancong
A category of oolong tea from the Phoenix Mountains (Fenghuang) in Guangdong province, China. The name means 'single bush' - traditionally, each tea tree was harvested and processe…
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Tea Bush vs Tea Tree
Tea plants grow in two main forms: cultivated bushes (kept pruned to waist height for easy harvesting, typical of most tea gardens worldwide) and semi-wild or wild trees (allowed t…
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Gushu
Literally 'ancient tree' - tea harvested from old-growth tea trees, typically over 100 years old, found in Yunnan's remote mountain forests. Gushu trees grow with deep root systems…
Culture
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Gaiwan
A lidded bowl without a handle, consisting of three parts - saucer, bowl, and lid - used for brewing and drinking tea in Chinese tradition. Typically made from porcelain or ceramic…
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Yixing
Unglazed clay teapots from Yixing, Jiangsu province, China, made from zisha (purple clay). The porous clay absorbs tea oils over time, seasoning the pot and gradually enhancing the…
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Chawan
A wide, open tea bowl used in Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu) for preparing and drinking matcha. Chawan come in diverse styles - from rustic, irregular raku ware to refined porcela…
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Cha Qi
Literally 'tea energy' - the physical and mental sensations experienced during or after drinking tea, including warmth, calm alertness, tingling, or a meditative state. Attributed …
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Huigan
Literally 'returning sweetness' - a prized aftertaste sensation where an initial bitterness or astringency in the mouth transforms into a lingering, cool sweetness in the throat. M…