The terms listed here have been sourced from many reference and tea books. Some of the definitions are derived from the author's personal experience with tea, while others have been gleaned from knowledgeable experts in the tea trade. Every definition in this glossary has been further researched and reconfirmed with definitions in various trade glossaries and tea books to assure that they are congruent with the accepted meanings within the tea industry. We hope you will use the reference list at the end of this section to continue your own research into the exciting world of tea.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Sources

A

Afternoon Tea - A meal inadvertently invented by Anna, The Seventh Duchess of Bedford, in the 1840's. The meal traditionally consists of tea, scones, jam, Devon cream, crustless sandwiches, chocolate, and fruit. It is served around four o'clock . The meal and tradition of Afternoon Tea is generally ascribed to the upper classes. High Tea, which is often the erroneous name given to Afternoon Tea, is a completely different meal and custom, and was considered a meal of the middle to lower classes.
Agony of the Leaves - The unfurling or expanding of tea leaves while steeping. The high grade rolled tea varieties can be quite beautiful to watch, e.g. Jasmine Pearl tea.
Amber - Reddish brown color can be light or dark. Used in describing appearance of the leaf and the liquor.
Anhui or Anhwei - One of the tea producing districts of China . Keemun tea is grown and manufactured here. See organic Keemun tea page.
Anti-Oxidants - Substances found in food and tea that scientists believe help fight against damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are believed to cause premature aging, cancer and other illnesses. Vitamins A, C & E are examples of anti-oxidants.
Aroma - The scent of the tea liquor and the infused leaf.
Assam - Tea from the Assam River Valley, India . A region East of Bangladesh. see Assam tea page
Astringent - A puckery quality due to high tannin content, somewhat pungent and pleasant if not too strong. Oftentimes due to the tannin reaction to protein in the saliva. This term is used to describe the taste and mouth-feel of the liquor.
Autumnal - The plucking of tea that occurs in the autumn, after ambient temperatures begin to cool and the tea leaves begin to grow more slowly. See Makaibari Autumnal Organic Black Tea page.

B

Bakey - Indicates a high-fired black tea in which too much moisture has been removed.
Bao Zhong (also, pouchong) - A lightly oxidized oolong tea with a twisted long leaf rather than a rolled one. Bao Zhongs are typically 8% to 15% oxidized. These teas are generally high in price and have a pronounced flowery aroma and flavor. See Wen Shan Bao Zhong Tea page.
Bergamot - The fruit of a Mediterranean citrus tree. The essential oil from the rind is used to flavor tea, e.g. Earl Grey. It has a distinct citric aroma and flavor. see Earl Grey Tea page
Billy Tea - Tea brewed in a billy, (a tin brewing vessel), in the Australian outback.
Biscuity - A pleasant, warm aroma or flavor, slightly sweet liked freshly baked biscuits.
Bite - A pleasant, astringent quality in flavor and mouth-feel; lively.
Black Tea - Made from the Camellia sinensis plant. A tea produced through a process of withering, rolling, maceration, oxidation, heating and drying. Black teas are fully oxidized and generally have more caffeine than other varieties of tea. They have a longer shelf life as well. see Black Tea page
Blend - A combination of two or more kinds of teas which produces a better or different taste than any of the teas separately. Blends can be made with teas from the same estate or with teas from different estates and different growing regions.
Blending - The act of creating a blend.
Bloom - Refers to a sheen apparent on the dry leaf which has not been lost due to over-handling or over-sorting.
Blue Tea - Semi-oxidized tea. Another term for Oolong tea. see Oolong Tea page
Body - A sensation of weight and viscosity. Not weak.
Bohea - Pronounced "bo-hee." Presently, a rarely used term. Was first used to name black tea from the Wuyi Mountains of China, then later used to describe a lesser grade from Java.
Bold - Leaf size is too large for the specified grade.
Bouquet - A distinct and characteristic fragrance (see also nose').
Brassy - Unpleasant metallic quality in the flavor; similar to brass.
Brew - To prepare a drink by infusing a substance like tea or herbs in hot water.
Brick Tea - Small particles of black tea that have been pressed into bricks for transport. Very popular in Russia during the 19th century.
Bright - Describes a uniform reddish tinge to the leaf or a sparkling and clear quality to the liquor. Very desirable in either case, this is a sign of freshness and good quality tea.
Brisk - A lively quality with a pleasing degree of pungency. Indicates a quality tea that has been handled and fired well.
Broken Leaf or Grade - Is created intentionally by actually breaking the leaves during or after the processing of the tea leaves is complete. This grade of tea brews a strong cup, quickly.
Broken Orange Pekoe - Defines the smaller leaf pieces or leaves after sorting. Can be what is left after the larger whole leaves are removed from the harvest after the processing of the tea leaves is complete. This grade of tea brews a strong cup, quickly.
Burned - Unpleasant taste caused by too high a firing temperature during manufacture.

C

Caffeine - A stimulant found in tea (Camellia sinensis), coffee, cola nuts, cacao, yerba mate, and guarana. Its chemical make-up is; C8H10N4O2. A xantheine alkaloid.
Cambric Tea - A mixture of hot water, milk and sugar. Sometimes a small amount of tea would be added, just enough to color the liquor.
Catechin - An anti-oxidant found in Green tea.
Ceylon - a.k.a. Sri Lanka. A tea producing island off the East coast of Southern India.
Ch'a - [Chinese] Tea.
Chado - [Japanese] The art of making tea.
Chai - [Hindi] Tea. In Western culture chai means a black tea cooked and flavored with many spices; clove, black pepper, cinnamon, vanilla, cardamom, and allspice, with milk and sugar or honey added. This recipe originated in India and each district has its own formula. See Indian Masala Tea page.
Chanoyu - [Japanese] Literal translation: hot water for tea. The accepted term for the Japanese tea ceremony.
Character - An attractive taste, specific to growth origin describing teas grown at high altitude. A notable or defining quality found in a tea.
Chest - This is the original tea package in which tea was, and still is, sold and transported from the tea gardens. Today a chest can weigh anywhere from about 22 lbs. to over 100 lbs.
Chesty - Tea with an aroma tainted by inferior or unseasoned packing materials.
Chunky - Broken-leaf tea comprised of large tea leaf pieces, usually of orthodox manufacture.
Citrus notes - Nuances in aroma and flavor that resemble citrus fruits e.g. orangey, lemony, zesty, etc.
Clean - Free from dust, stalk, fiber and evenly sorted.
Clear - Absence of cloudiness or muddiness in the liquor.
Coarse - A poor and unpleasant tasting tea from uneven firing.
Common - No pronounced flavor characteristics, thin.
Congou - Used to describe black tea from China regardless of producing district. This term is not commonly used in the present day.
Coppery - Describes a uniform copper tinge to the leaf. Highly desirable.
Cream Tea - 1. A simple English meal consisting of a pot of tea, a scone, Devon cream, jam and marmalade. 2. A concentrated boiled down black tea in which cream is added.
CTC - Crush Tear Curl is a mechanized way to process and oxidize the tea leaf. This process is not used with hand-picked tea. Generally the desired color of this kind of tea is blackish and not brown. A brown color denotes over-processing by the machines. Looks a little like Grape Nuts cereal.
Cup - (v) To cup tea means to brew and taste it with the intention of judging and grading.
Cuppa - A colloquial British term for cup of tea.
Curly - Distinct from wiry, denotes a leaf appearance of whole leaf.

D

Darjeeling - A tea producing region in Northern India at the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains . It boarders Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and the Indian state of Sikkim. Chinese varieties were planted here in the mid-1800's. Assam tea (Camellia sinensis assamica) is planted here as well. see Darjeeling Silver Tips page. See White Darjeeling page. See Makaibari Autumnal black tea page.
Dimbula - A high-grown tea producing region of Ceylon.
Dull - Refers to tea liquor's color, aroma, taste, and leaf appearance. Denotes a lack of briskness in flavor, flatness in aroma, and cloudy liquor.
Dust - The finest particle grade of tea. Usually of low quality and reserved for tea bags.

E

Earthy - A taste that is sometimes 'climatically inherent' in teas from certain regions. Normally caused by damp storage of tea but can also describe a quality found in Yunnan and Pu-Erh teas. see Yunnan Gold Tea page
Earl Grey - A blend of China black tea with the essential oil of Bergamot, a Mediterranean citrus fruit. see Earl Grey Tea page
Empty - A liquor lacking fullness in mouth-feel. No substance.
English Breakfast - Traditionally a blend of Yunnan or Keemun and Darjeeling teas. Presently, any brisk blend of black tea where certain characteristics of Chinese black tea dominate. see English Breakfast Tea page.
Estate - The place where the tea is grown. A tea farm is a tea estate. Self-drinking (a.k.a. single harvest) teas come from a single harvest from one estate. An estate may produce blended teas when they take different harvests of the same type of tea and blend them for consistency.
Even - Consistent color and size throughout the leaf sample, corresponds with characteristics of the specified grade.

F

Fannings - The second to the smallest particle grade for tea. Can be of any quality depending on the plucking it came from, though usually from the better quality teas than dust. This is what you find in many commercial tea bags because it infuses immediately.
Fermentation/ed - Used to describe the process of macerating and oxidizing the tea leaves.
Firing - A direct heat method of removing moisture from the tea leaves. This can be done in a metal pot or basket.
Fish Eyes - A colloquial Chinese expression coined by Lu Yu, used to describe the appearance of bubbles in a pot of water while being heated. Fish eyes are the first sign of the water being hot enough to pour over high quality, delicate green tea (e.g. Gyokuro). They are the tiny bubbles that cling to the bottom of the heating pot of water and float up to the surface, individually. This is also called the first boil.
Flaky - Due to faulty withering, rolling, plucking, or a combination thereof, the resulting leaf is flat, open and without twist.
Flat - Lacking flavor and depth, due to deterioration from age or over-boiled water.
Flavenoids - Anti-oxidants found in fruit, vegetables and tea.
Flavor - A predominant quality that affects the sense of taste.
Flavored Tea - A tea that has had naturally derived essential oil, or chemically derived flavor oil, powder or beads added to create a desired affect. see Flavored Tea page
Floral notes or Flowery - Nuances in aroma and flavor that resemble flowers e.g. Iris, Jasmine, Narcissus, Orchid, Rose, etc. Describes a complex aroma, heady and perfumed. Desirable attribute found most often in green and Oolong teas.
Flush - The new shoots growing off a tea bush. The leaves on these shoots are picked to make tea. Darjeeling teas are often classified by flushes. 1st flush meaning the first pluckings of the new growing season.
Formosa - Another name for the island of Taiwan and the teas grown there.
Free Radicals - An atom or group of atoms that has an unpaired or several unpaired electron/s. It can be produced naturally in the body or introduced through exposure to a toxic substance, e.g. tobacco smoke. These elements can damage cells and DNA and are believed to be the cause of illness and premature ageing. Current scientific evidence suggests that anti-oxidants may combat free radicals.
Frivolous - Although rich in aroma, a tea that leaves a fleeting impression. Opposite of lingering.
Fruity - Can be due to over-fermenting during manufacture and/or bacterial infection before firing or drying, which gives the tea an overripe taste. Unlike wines, this is not a desirable taste in tea, unless the tea has fruit pieces and/or fruit flavoring in it.
Fujian - A tea producing province of China.
Full - Describes a round, smooth mouth feel. A liquor that fills the mouth.
Full-Bodied - A heavy sensation of weight in mouth-feel accompanied by a rich and full flavor.
Full in the Mouth - See full-bodied.

G

Gaiwan - A small porcelain cup with a lid and saucer that has been used in China since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) for brewing and drinking tea. The cup sits atop a saucer and is shaped like a deep bowl. The lid fits snugly inside the rim of the bowl. The tea is brewed in the gaiwan and poured into a cup or drunk directly from the gaiwan while using the lid to hold back the tea leaves.
Garden - A tea estate or plantation or a part of a tea estate or plantation.
Garden Mark - The stamp placed onto a chest of tea that identifies the garden from which it was harvested.
Genmaicha - A traditional Japanese tea made with toasted brown rice and Sencha tea. Some blenders add popcorn or matcha to the blend. See Genmaicha with Matcha page.
Genus Camellia - An evergreen shrub. Of the 81 designated species described, only one is used to make tea; Camellia sinensis. C. sinensis includes three known varieties; var. sinensis, var. assamica, and var. cambodiensis. These three varieties have been cultivated extensively and used to make hybrids.
Golden or Gold Tip - Black tea leaves with either a golden tip or gold color to the leaves. There can also be an abundance of gold hairs on the leaves. A sign of quality and expert handling.
Gone-Off - Spoiled or tainted tea, usually due to high moisture content from improper storage or advanced age. Moldy.
Grade (of tea) - A classification of leaf size and color, e.g. Orange Pekoe, Flowery Tippy Orange Pekoe, Pekoe, etc.
Grassy - A flavor or aroma reminiscent of grass. Used to describe some green teas. Syn.; vegetal, herbaceous.
Green - The result of little or no oxidation. Desirable in green and light Oolong teas, not so in black tea.
Green Tea - Made from the Camellia sinensis plant. A tea comprised mostly of the top leaves and leaf bud off the shoot. Involves a process of steaming, heating or pan-frying to arrest oxidation, then drying. Some withering and rolling can also be employed. Generally green tea is minimally or not at all oxidized, and contains less caffeine than black or Oolong teas. see Green Tea page
Gungfu Tea Method - Gungfu or Gongfu means skill and practice. This method of brewing tea was born during the Ming Dynasty. It is a ceremonial and traditional Chinese way of sharing tea with friends, family and guests of honor. The method involves at least 11 different components; a Yi-Xing clay teapot, tea tray, pitcher/decanter, strainer, aroma cups, tea cups as well as a tool kit which is comprised of a scoop, pusher stick, pick, tongs, and a funnel. Using the small clay pot, a generous dose of tea leaves, and all the specified tools, creates a unique experience for the tea drinker. The tea is often steeped 5 times or more.
Gunpowder - A kind of rolled tea, usually a green tea, e.g. gunpowder green. A tea where the individual leaves are rolled into small pellets. Was named as such by westerners for the similarity in appearance to gunpowder. See Organic Gunpowder tea page.
Gyokuro - [Japanese] Means Jewel Dew or Pearl Dew; one of the highest grades of Japanese green tea. This tea is grown in the Uji district of Japan near Kyoto. It is harvested in the early spring and the bushes are shaded by bamboo mats two weeks before the scheduled harvest. Current scientific evidence suggests that teas grown in the shade have a higher concentration of anti-oxidants and caffeine with out an increase in tannins. see Gyokuro Tea page

H

Hairy - Describes a leaf or bud with small white or gold hairs apparent on the leaves. The hairs can be evenly distributed all over the leaf or concentrated at the tip.
Hard - A very pungent liquor, a desirable quality in tea.
Harsh - A bitter and thin liquor generally due to the presence of non-oxidized polyphenols because the tea has not withered enough before rolling or firing. Undesirable and unpleasant aroma and flavor.
Heavy - A strong, weighty, thick and dark liquor lacking briskness.
Herbaceous - Having an aroma or flavor similar to that of herbs, fresh cut grass or hay. Generally found in green teas and not undesirable. Syn.; grassy, vegetal.
High-fired - Over-fired or dried, but not bakey or burned.
High Tea - A meal served at six or seven in the evening consisting of tea, scones, jam, Devon cream, meat pies, stew, cheese, and supper type dishes. Considered a working class meal as it usually consisted of leftovers from the large midday meal that this societal class served. Not to be confused with Formal Afternoon Tea, a lighter fare served in upper class homes at 4:00PM.
Honey - Describes a flavor or aroma similar to that of honey, sweet.

I

Iodine - A flavor present in some teas like Japanese green teas. Not entirely undesirable.
Infusion - The result of steeping tea or an herb in a hot liquid until the liquid has absorbed the flavor or aromatic qualities of the substance. The resulting liquid is referred to as an infusion.
Irish Breakfast - A strong, malty brew of black tea. Usually made up of broken leaf Assam teas. See Organic Assam Tea page.

J

Jasmine - A flower used to scent tea. The aroma and or flavor of Jasmine flowers. see Jasmine Pearl Tea page

K

Keemun (also qimen) - A Chinese black tea grown in the province of Anhui . Comes in many qualities and is generally a fine tea. See Organic Keemun Black Tea page.
Koicha - [Japanese] Thick tea. A strength of matcha tea which is served in the Japanese tea ceremony. The ratio of the powdered matcha to water is high.

L

Lacking - Describes a neutral liquor with no body or pronounced characteristics .
Lapsang Souchong - A Chinese black tea grown in the Wuyi Mountains and smoked over burning pine (this is a specific kind of pine indigenous to the Wuyi Mts.) during withering. Extremely smoky aroma and flavor. Other coarser Lapsang Souchong type teas are created in other tea producing countries and sold as Lapsang Souchong, but the name infers a region and true Lapsang teas come only from the Wuyi Mountains of China. see Organic Lapsang Souchong Tea page
Leafy - Describes teas consisting of leaves that are large and/or long.
Light - Concerning leaf appearance; lacking density and weight or a flaky quality. Concerning liquor appearance; lack of color, clear. Concerning aroma; subtle & fleeting. Concerning flavor and mouth-feel; a tea with little tannin and body.
Liquor - The resulting liquid after the tea is infused in hot water. In this sense it does not refer to alcohol.
Lively - Fresh, light liquor with a pleasant degree of acidity.
Long in the Mouth - A agreeable, pleasant and lingering aftertaste. The flavor tends to linger in the back of the throat. Characteristic generally found in high quality Oolong and green teas.

M

Maceration - The process by which a tea leaf is rolled and bruised to break the cellular structure in the leaf and expose its enzymes (sap) to oxygen. Part of the process for making black, oolong and some Pu-Erh teas.
Maintenance Foliage - The part of the tea bush which is allowed to grow to a certain width and height off of which grow the shoots from which tea leaves are harvested. This foliage is part of the tea bush for its whole life and is responsible for the photosynthesis of the tea bush. The leaves from this area of the plant are never selected to make tea.
Maintenance Pruning - The cutting and trimming back of the maintenance foliage of a tea bush to maintain the density and height. This is done regularly to keep the plucking table at a certain level.
Malty - Nuance of malt commonly found in Assam teas. A desirable feature in black and some Oolong teas. A sign of good firing.
Matcha - A powdered green tea used to make tea in the Japanese tea ceremony. Made of the highest quality Tencha (Gyokuro Japanese green tea where the leaf veins have been removed). Presently used also to make green tea ice cream and other foods and drinks.
Mature - Pleasant tasting, not bitter or flat.
Mellow - Describes a tea that is both round in the mouth and slightly acidic.
Metallic - A sharp or coppery flavor. Most often found in black tea.
Mineral - An airy and metallic quality similar to the minerality found in many French white wines.
Mixed or Uneven - Describes a leaf having more than one color, due to uneven oxidation. This is a desirable attribute for Oolong teas especially Bai Hao Silver Tip. Top quality of this type can have up to 7 different colors on the leaves.
Mother Bush - A tea bush, selected for its desirable characteristics, from which clones are created to cultivate. The clones are made through vegetative propagation or tissue samples.
Mouth-feel - The sense of weight and viscosity a liquid is felt in the mouth.
Muddy - Opaque and dull liquor appearance, indicates a low grade tea.
Muscat or Muscatel - A pleasant flavor and aroma, called as such for its similarity to the flavor and aroma of the Muscat grape used for wine making. Often used to describe Darjeeling or Darjeeling type teas.
Mushy - Tea that has been packed or stored with high moisture content.

N

Neat - Concerning leaf appearance; a well made tea that is true to its grade.
Nilgiri - A tea producing region of India.
Nose - Aroma of the dry leaf.
Nuances - Subtle indications in color, tone, aroma and flavor.

O

Oolong Tea - Made from the Camellia sinensis plant. A tea comprised mostly of the 3rd and 4th leaves (souchong leaves) off the shoots. The tea leaves are put through a process of withering, rolling and partial oxidation before being heated and dried. Oolong teas generally have less caffeine than black teas yet more than green . Derived from the Chinese word wu-lung, meaning black dragon. see Oolong Tea page
Orange Pekoe - A grade of tea leaf size determined by the sifting process. May be whole or broken leaf.
Orthodox Tea Production - A traditional method of producing hand-picked tea where the leaves are rolled by hand or with a mechanized roller. The roller can be powered by hand or electricity. The roller macerates the leaves before they are spread out to allow oxidation.
Oxidize / Oxidation - The chemical reaction that occurs when a compound is exposed to oxygen. The compound becomes oxidized when it loses electrons. In the world of tea the compounds are the enzymes present in the tea leaves, and these enzymes are exposed during maceration.

P

Palate - The sense of taste.
Pan-fry - A method of halting the oxidation of tea leaves by exposing the leaves to heat in a sort of frying pan or wok. Teas that are pan-fried are usually flat, e.g. dragon well, green tea.
Pekoe - Quite possibly a derivation of the word Bai Hao, meaning white hair. Originally used to describe the first picking of the season, present use denotes a grade of black tea leaf size.
Peppery - A flavor quality similar to that of pepper, usually found in teas from the Yunnan province of China .
Plain - Having no good qualities. A plain tea is an undesirable and poor tea which lacks the desired qualities; e.g. pungency, briskness, pleasant aroma, etc.
Plucking - The harvest of a specific flush.
Plucking Table - The level of growth on a tea bush where plucking begins. The table can be on the top of a tea bush or along the sides depending on how the maintenance foliage is shaped.
Point - A bright, acidic and penetrating characteristic. Not undesirable.
Polyphenols - An antioxidant phytochemical found in tea and other plants which is believed to be beneficial for human health.
Pouchong - A light oolong, with long twisted leaves. Typical characteristics are heady floral aroma and delicate flavor. See also Bao Zhong. see Wen Shan Bao Zhong Tea page
Powdery - Very fine, light leaf particle, dust.
Powerful - A liquor with presence in aroma, flavor and mouth-feel.
Pu-erh Tea - Made from the Camellia sinensis plant. A tea comprised of leaves from the Yunnan variety tea plant. The tea plants cultivated for Pu-Erh tea are grown in gardens interspersed with aromatic trees similar to eucalyptus. After the tea is picked and processed (can be green or black, scented or not) the tea undergoes a composting process and can be loose leaf tea or pressed into cakes of various size and shapes. Some Pu-Erh can be aged for many years. Most are aged from one to four years. See Pu-Erh Tea page.
Pungency or Pungent - A desirable astringent or harsh quality found in tea without being overly bitter. Denotes a good tea especially if combined with briskness and strength.

Q

Qimen - A type of Chinese black tea. See also Keemun.
Qing-Cha - [Chinese] Blue tea, oolong tea.
Quality - Refers to the inherent character or feature of the brewed cup and denotes a combination of the most desirable liquoring characteristics.

R

Rasping - A coarse and harsh liquor.
Raw - A bitter, unpleasant taste.
Robust - A powerful liquor that is both astringent and lively with lots of body.
Rooibos - Its Latin name is Aspalathus linearis. It is a small bush with long needle-like leaves and small yellow flowers that grows only in the Cedarberg area of South Africa. The stems and leaves are harvested, crushed up, oxidized and allowed to dry in the sun. The dried leaf and stem pieces are brewed to make a tisane. Sometimes referred to as red tea. see Rooibos on the Herbal Tisanes page
Round - A mellow and smooth liquor, which gives an impression of fullness in the mouth.
Red Tea - Another name for Chinese black tea. Also another name for rooibos herbal tea.

S

Scented Tea - A tea created by exposing the dried tea leaves to a flower or fruit. The scent is absorbed into the tea leaf. Examples of scented teas are jasmine, osmanthus, and lychee. see Jasmine Pearl Tea page
Self-Drinker - A single harvest tea that can be drunk alone without blending with other teas or harvests.
Sencha - [Japanese] Steamed. A kind of Japanese green tea first heated with steam to arrest the oxidation process before drying. See Organic Sencha green tea page.
Shoot - New growth off the tea bush. Tea leaves are plucked from the new shoots of a tea bush.
Short in the Mouth - Leaves little flavor or effect in the mouth after being drunk.
Single Estate - A tea grown on one estate. Can be a self-drinker or a blend of different harvests.
Smoky - A characteristic aroma and flavor of Lapsang Souchong, a smoked Chinese black tea. Not considered a good quality if found in other kinds of teas.
Smooth - Pleasing round taste that fills the mouth.
Soft - Opposite of brisk in flavor and astringent in mouth-feel. Indicative of an improperly fired tea.
Sorting - The process of removing unwanted matter from the tea leaves. It is also the process by which the tea leaves are separated into leaf size and quality grades. Sorting can be done mechanically or by hand.
Souchong - The 3rd and 4th leaf on a shoot.
Spicy notes - Nuances of aniseed, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, etc.
Spittoon - A special bowl the tea taster uses to spit tea in after tasting.
Stalk and Fiber - Bits of tea bush other than the leaf which should be minimal in superior grades but are unavoidable in lower-grade teas.
Strength - A cup with substance in flavor and mouth-feel.
String of Pearls - A colloquial Chinese expression coined by Lu Yu, used to describe the appearance of bubbles in a pot of water while being heated. String of pearls is the tiny bubbles that form a string on their way to the surface of the water and cling to the sides of the heating pot. Water this temperature is perfect for green tea and light oolong tea. This is also called the second boil.
Structured - Describes a tannic liquor, which is both complex and fills the mouth well.
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T

Tainted - Contaminated with an extraneous aroma or flavor, usually from improper storage.
Tannic - Astringency due to high tannin content.
Tannin - A soluble, plant-based, astringent, complex phenolic substance.
Tarry - A smoky aroma which should not be present unless it is a Lapsang Souchong tea.
Tart - Agreeably sharp and acid to the taste, fresh and acidic.
Tea - From Merriam-Webster's Dictionary 11th Edition; tea \t\ n (ca.1655) 1 a : a shrub (Camellia sinensis of the family Theaceae, the tea family) cultivated esp. in China, Japan and the East Indies b : the leaves, leaf buds, and internodes of the tea plant prepared and cured for the market, classed according to method of manufacture into one set of types (green, black and oolong) and graded according to leaf size into another (as orange pekoe, pekoe, or souchong) 2 : an aromatic beverage prepared from tea leaves by infusion with boiling water 3 : refreshments usu. including tea with sandwiches, crackers, or cookies served in late afternoon.
Tea Brokers - A professional who assesses the taste and leaf quality to determine the value of tea lots before they go to auction.
Tea Taster - A professional who tastes tea to determine consistency in quality and flavor compatibility for creating blends.
Tencha - Japanese, gyokuro tea where the leaf veins have been removed. Used to make matcha.
Tetsubin - A Japanese, cast iron tea pot with an enamel lined interior. See Tea Pot page.
Theanine - An amino acid found in tea.
Thick - A liquor with weight but no strength.
Thick Tea - Koicha [Japanese]. A strength of matcha tea which is served in the Japanese tea ceremony. The ratio of the powdered matcha to water is high.
Thin/Weak - A light liquor lacking any strength of outstanding qualities. Lacking in both thickness and strength of flavor, aroma, and mouth-feel.
Thin Tea - Usucha [Japanese] A strength of matcha tea which is served in the Japanese tea ceremony. The ratio of the powdered matcha to water is much lower than that of the koicha (thick tea).
Tie Guan Yin - [Chinese] A type of rolled oolong tea named after the Goddess Quan Yin (Iron Goddess of Mercy). This tea can be as little as 20% oxidized all the way up to 80% oxidized. There is a wide assortment of teas all classified as Tie Guan Yin due to differences in processing the leaves. They all come from the same variety of tea plant. Tie Guan Yin is produced in China and Taiwan. see Iron Goddess of Mercy Tea page
Tip - A gold tip on the leaf. A sign of fine plucking apparent in top grades of tea.
Tisane - An herb or blend of herbs infused with hot water to make tea. Tisanes are not considered true tea as they do not come from the plant; Camellia sinensis.
Toasty - An aromatic and flavor quality pertaining to highly fired teas.
Tuo-Cha - A form of Pu-Erh tea. The leaves are formed and pressed into the shape of a birds nest or bowl. It can be small medium or large in size.
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U

Uneven and Mixed - Leaves or pieces of leaf particles which vary in size indicating poor sorting and resulting in a tea not true to a particular grade.
Usucha - Thin tea [Japanese] A strength of matcha tea which is served in the Japanese tea ceremony. The ratio of the powdered matcha to water is much lower than that of the koicha (thick tea).

V

Vegetal - A flavor and aroma reminiscent of fresh cut grass or hay. Green teas often have a distinct vegetal aroma and flavor. Syn.; grassy, herbaceous.
Velvety - Describes a sweet, smooth and silky liquor.

W

Weedy/Woody - Used in describing an under-withered black tea. A hay or grass-like taste from under-withering. An undesirable flavor in black tea.
Well Twisted - Used to describe leaf appearance of whole-leaf, Orthodox manufacture tea.
White Tea - Made from the Camellia sinensis plant. A tea that is plucked from the tops of the new shoots and allowed to dry in the sun for two days time before being completely dried for packaging. see White Tea page
Winy - Relates to the aging of tea which normally does not enhance flavor. In a fine Keemun or Darjeeling, however, aging may bring out a mellow, pleasant characteristic.
Wiry - Leaf appearance of a well-twisted, thin, long leaf.
Withering - The process of allowing the freshly picked tea leaf to wither either in the sun or with gentle heat applied. Some moisture content is removed in this process and the tea is made ready for bruising and or rolling as in the making of oolong and black teas.
Woody - A smooth sweet wood-like aroma and flavor found in some Oolong teas.
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X

Xanthines - A purine base found in a majority of animal body tissue and in some plants. A derivative of xanthine is the methylxanthine group of alkaloids whose members include caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline.

Y

Yellow Tea - Made from the Camellia sinensis plant. A tea comprised of the same plucking as green tea, but put through a process of partial drying and storing over several hours time before complete drying. See Yellow Tea page.
Yerba Mate - Ilex paraguarensis. A relative of the holly plant, yerba mate is cultivated in and indigenous to South America; primarily Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina. The leaves and stems are harvested, chopped and crushed, oxidized, dried and smoke cured. The finished product is steeped in water and creates a bitter drink and is traditionally drunk out of a gourd through a special straw with a filter on the bottom. Yerba mate is a stimulant, it is generally accepted that the stimulant found in yerba mate is caffeine though there is some evidence that it may by another form of a stimulant found in the Xanthine family.
Yi-Xing 1. A county in the Jiangsu Province where zisha clay is found. 2. A kind of teapot made of zisha clay. Yi-Xing teapots have been used since the Ming Dynasty.
Young - Qualifies teas from early plucking with a slightly acidic character.
Young Hyson - [Chinese] before the rains. Tea plucked before the first spring rains, very early in the season.
Yunnan - [Chinese] South of the Clouds. A tea producing province of China, believed to be the birthplace of tea. Some of the largest and oldest known tea trees live here. see Yunnan Gold Tea page

Z

Zisha - [Chinese] Purple sand clay found in the Yi-Xing County of the Jiangsu province in China. This clay has high iron and sand content and has been used for centuries to make teapots, vases, incense burners, sculptures, etc.

Sources

The terms listed here have been sourced from many reference and tea books. Some of the definitions are derived from the author's personal experience with tea, while others have been gleaned from knowledgeable experts in the tea trade. Every definition in this glossary has been further researched and reconfirmed with definitions in various trade glossaries and tea books to assure that they are congruent with the accepted meanings within the tea industry. We hope you will use the following reference list to continue your own research into the exciting world of tea.

Blofeld, John. The Chinese Art of Tea. U.S.A.: First Shambhala Edition. 1985.

Chow, Kit & Kramer, Ione. All the Tea in China. China Books and Periodicals, Inc. 1990.

Kakuzo, Okakura. The Book of Tea. Tokyo& Rutland: Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc. 1956 (Originally published in 1906).

Miriam Webster. Miriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. 11th ed. U.S.A.: Miriam-Webster Inc. 2003.

Pettigrew, Jane. A Social History of Tea. London: National Trust Enterprises Ltd. 2001.

Pratt, James Norwood. New Tea Lovers Treasury: The Classic True Story of Tea. San Francisco: Tea Society. 1999.

Sen S'Mshitsu XV, translated by Dixon Morris. The Japanese Way Of Tea: From Its Origins in China to Sen Riky'k. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.1998.

Sen M Tanaka. The Tea Ceremony. Tokyo, New York & San Francisco: Kodansha International Ltd. 1973.

Ukers, Williams Harrison. All About Tea Vol. 1 &2. New York: The Tea and Coffee Trade Journal Company. 1935. Tea Importers Reprint: New Hampshire: Echo Communications. 2004.

Wilson, K.C., Clifford, M.N., eds. Tea: Cultivation to Consumption. London: Chapman & Hall. 1992.