New tea drinkers are prone to three common misconceptions that can influence their judgment of good tea. Do you have any of these?
Misconception One: Sweetness = After-Sweetness
Many new tea drinkers, upon tasting sweetness, will exclaim, “Ah! I taste the after-sweetness! That must be a sign of a good tea!” However, sweetness is not the same as after-sweetness. As long as the tea leaves contain Sugar substances, they will dissolve or break down into maltose in water. The tea's flavor will become sweet, almost like rock sugar.
To put it simply, an after-sweetness is experienced when the initial bitterness turns to sweetness. If you're unsure whether a tea has after-sweetness, try drinking a glass of cold boiled water. If the water seems to turn sweet, then the tea has after-sweetness.
Misconception Two: Bitterness = Strong Astringency
Tea contains substances such as polyphenols and Caffeine, which can impart bitterness. Newcomers might be influenced by the saying, “If it isn't bitter and astringent, it isn't tea,” leading them to think, “Wow! This tea is so bitter! Ah, bitterness equals strong astringency, this must be a good tea!”
This is actually a misconception; bitterness does not equal strong astringency. Astringency is related to the after-sweetness mentioned earlier. If after-sweetness is described as “bitterness followed by sweetness,” then the strength of astringency relates to how quickly the transition from bitterness to sweetness occurs.
In simpler terms, the faster the transition from bitterness to after-sweetness, the stronger the astringency. The slower the transition, the weaker the astringency. So, newcomers should not assume that bitterness indicates strong astringency.
Misconception Three: Tastelessness = Flavor of No Flavor
Newcomers to Tea drinking may encounter many tea-tasting terms but may not fully understand their meanings, leading to wild assumptions and misapplications. For example, if they taste a very mild, almost water-like tea, they might mistakenly conclude it's a high-quality tea because of the term “flavor of no flavor.”
However, if the “flavor of no flavor” means the tea tastes like plain water, what would be the difference between tea and plain water? What does “flavor of no flavor” really mean?
During his tasting of Longjing tea, Lu Ciyun of the Qing Dynasty said, “True Longjing tea has a sweet fragrance without being sharp. It tastes very mild, almost like it has no flavor. But after drinking it, one senses a harmonious essence lingering between the teeth and cheeks. This flavor of no flavor is the ultimate flavor.”
In other words, true (Longjing) tea has a sweet fragrance. When tasted carefully, it seems very mild, almost without flavor. Yet, after drinking, there is a harmonious and exquisite tea essence that lingers between the teeth and cheeks. This is the ultimate flavor experience of “flavor of no flavor.”
When judging whether a tea is bland or has the “flavor of no flavor,” it's not enough to taste it; you also need to consider the aroma and its persistence. If the tea lacks aroma and tastes bland, it is likely an average quality tea, far from having the “flavor of no flavor.”
If the tea emits a delicate orchid-like fragrance, and even though the taste is mild, the aroma still lingers on the tongue and between the lips and teeth after drinking, it is likely to be the “flavor of no flavor.”
The “flavor of no flavor” is the highest realm of tea flavors, quite rare. It's no wonder that newcomers confuse tastelessness with the “flavor of no flavor,” leading to such misconceptions.
These three misconceptions are common among new tea drinkers who have little experience with tea. Due to their superficial understanding of tea-tasting terminology, they often incorrectly apply the flavors, leading to misconceptions that affect their judgment of good tea.
Experienced tea drinkers, having tasted many different teas, are less likely to fall for these misconceptions. It appears there is still a long way to go from being a novice tea drinker to becoming a connoisseur.