It's not just the messy affairs between people that are bizarre; the small world of tea is also blooming with all kinds of peculiarities~

Yellow Flakes

Here, "Yellow Flakes" refers to the old leaves from ancient tea trees. Because most old leaves turn yellow over time, they are named "Yellow Flakes." These old leaves are tragically picked out during the raw material screening process according to production standards because their strips are loose and large, and they do not curl properly during rolling.

However, although "Yellow Flakes" may not look great, they are known for their sweet, mellow, and thick flavors, as well as their enduring brewability. Moreover, they are not as harsh on the stomach as tender raw tea leaves, making them deeply loved by tea enthusiasts. This appearance-obsessed world should tremble a little.

Duck Shit Aroma

Don't dislike this name for its heavy rustic vibe; this tea called "Duck Shit Aroma" is one of the premium teas from Phoenix Mountain, the famous Big Dark Leaf Dan Cong. Who doesn't have a bit of a dark history or an embarrassing childhood nickname!

The story goes that this nickname came about like this: The Big Dark Leaf Dan Cong tea was originally introduced from Wudong Mountain and planted in a tea garden with "duck shit soil" (actually yellow soil). It grew dark blue leaves, similar in shape to the leaves of the duck shit wood plant. After villagers tasted this tea, they all said its aroma was good and its flavor rich, asking what variety of tea it was and what aroma type it had. The tea farmer, afraid someone might steal it, falsely claimed it was "Duck Shit Aroma."

Bingdao Tea

What, does the cold Iceland produce tea? If you think that, you're too "adorably naive"! The "Bingdao" in the tea circle actually refers to a small mountain village named "Bingdao Village" in Lincang, Yunnan. The Pu-erh tea produced there is extremely famous and is one of the most precious Yunnan large-leaf varietals. It has nothing to do with that Nordic island country.

Beheading Tea

Oh my, drinking tea leads to "beheading"? Dear, that's an overreaction! So-called "Beheading Tea" refers to a "cruel" method invented by tea farmers in Yunnan's ancient tea tree areas to increase tea yield and facilitate picking—they cut off the upper part of the tea tree, leaving a tree one or two persons tall. It still has nothing to do with that bloody scene.

Water Removal, Revival

Ha, it's such a wonderful thing for tea to become popular. However, in the tea circle, "Water Removal" and "Revival" are not about popularity or some long-lost unique skill. They are two steps in the oolong tea production process: shaking the tea leaves is to help them better undergo "water removal," the process of losing moisture and becoming soft; during air-drying, moisture from the stems begins to move back into the leaves, bringing out the high aroma of oolong tea. This "rehydration" process is vividly metaphorized as "revival."

Horse Hoof

This "Horse Hoof" is not that "horse hoof" and has nothing to do with the grasslands. It actually refers to the hard knot at the base of the tea stem. It mainly results from improper picking by tea farmers—instead of gently pinching off the leaf stem, they forcefully pull and tear off the entire stem. The lignified part at the stem end becomes the "horse hoof" in the finished tea. So, "With spring breeze delight, the horse's hooves speed," haha.

Throat Lock

After tasting tea, an overly dry throat, difficulty swallowing, tightness, itchiness, and other discomforts may occur, making one feel uneasy and irritable. Usually, good tea does not cause a "throat lock" sensation; it is warm, smooth, and promotes continuous salivation.

Heart Burn

The term "Heart Burn" must not be used casually. Some seemingly professional tea merchants talk about fermentation causing heart burn. Hearing this, I immediately feel heartburn. "Heart Burn" refers to the result of poor processing techniques during the production of finished compressed tea. During pile fermentation, if the temperature in the center of the pile becomes too high, the raw tea undergoes carbonization. This is called "Heart Burn."

Water Path

What is Water Path? If a tea's water path is "coarse," it indicates that the raw material has thin substance and high lignin fiber content! High lignin fiber content means a relatively large proportion of hollow structure within the raw material, and its water-soluble extract content is similarly thin. This manifests in the taste as a sensation of astringency, roughness, dryness, and prickliness. Tea with a "coarse" water path has a weak flavor and aroma that floats on the surface of the mouth, lacking penetration and permeation power. Consequently, its flavor and aroma have poor persistence and do not linger!

Tea friends, if you also know about the peculiar terms in the tea world, welcome to share and let's increase our knowledge together!

Source: Tea Art