Refers to the stimulating sensation in the mouth, including aroma and bitterness/astringency, often described as "strong" or "weak".
2. Tea Quality
Refers to the richness of mouthfeel, often expressed as "thick", "thin", "heavy", or "light".
3. Aroma
Produced during the processing of fresh leaves, categorized as rising, balanced, or sinking.
4. Bitterness and Astringency
Bitterness is a taste, astringency is a sensation. Bitterness is caused by the alkaloids in tea leaves, while astringency is the contraction of delicate tissues in the mouth.
5. Returning Sweetness (Hui Gan)
Refers to the sweetness that emerges as the bitterness transforms and disappears in the mouth.
6. Saliva Secretion (Sheng Jin)
Refers to continuous saliva production on the cheeks, tongue surface, and under the tongue.
7. Astringency (Convergence)
The tightening sensation on the tongue and around the mouth after tasting tea, often a manifestation of astringency.
8. Sweetness and Sweet Character
Ways of expressing sweetness.
9. Water Texture (Shui Xing)
Refers to different sensations the tea soup brings to the mouth, such as smooth, melting, lively, sandy, thick, thin, or sharp.
10. Layering
Refers to the sequential sensation in the mouth—the changing perception of aroma and flavor as the tea soup interacts with the palate.
11. Throat Sensation (Hou Yun)
After tasting tea, the feeling the tea soup brings to the throat, such as sweet, moist, or throat-tightening.
12. Fullness
Refers to the rich substance of the tea soup that gives a sense of fullness in the mouth.
13. Smoky Flavor
Produced during artificial roasting—not necessarily an undesirable smell. It carries a fire-like aroma that can transform into other fragrances over time through aging.
14. Fruity Sourness
A fresh, fruity sour taste in the tea soup.
15. Sour Taste
Occurs when leaves are not fully dried after rolling or when moisture content is too high during pressing.
16. Watery Taste
A separation of tea and water caused by improper brewing or storage.
17. Green Taste
Caused by insufficient pan-firing temperature or time; severe cases produce a "grassy raw" flavor.
18. Throat Tightness (Suo Hou)
An uncomfortable sensation after tasting tea, such as excessive dryness in the throat, difficulty swallowing, tightness, or itching.
19. Tea Energy (Cha Qi)
Produced by the combination of organic germanium and polysaccharides in tea leaves, dissolving in water. Often found in aged teas, manifesting as burping, body warmth, heat, or light perspiration.
20. Aged Charm (Chen Yun)
The charm developed through years of aging, often perceptible in teas of a certain age.
21. Tea-Water Separation
After the tea soup enters the throat, what remains in the mouth is not tea flavor but a water sensation.
22. Melts on Entry (Ru Kou Ji Hua)
The tea soup slides into the throat naturally without conscious swallowing.
23. Crisp and Clear (Shuang Lang)
Tea soup aged and stored well creates a refreshing mouthfeel with a clean sensation on the teeth.
24. Spring Under the Tongue (She Di Ming Quan)
The highest state of saliva secretion—the word "ming" (chirping) implies continuous, unceasing flow.