Tea Terms

Did you discover a tea term that you didn't quite know the meaning? As with any industry there are terms or jargon that's associated with it, and of course the tea industry is certainly no exception. Below is a list of some of the more commonly used and not-so-commonly used tea terms. We hope you find this list both informative and helpful. If you can't find the term you are looking for or you happen to have a tea term you would like to see added to our list, please contact us and we'll be more than happy to include it here.

• A
• Agony (of the leaves)
  The unfolding of the tea leaves in boiling water during infusion.
• Antioxidant
  A compound which retards oxidation. Commonly found in tea.
• Aroma
  An important consideration in cupping teas is the smell which is given off. A favorable aroma is most often associated with a flavorful taste. Also known as the nose, the odor of the brewed leaf and the resulting liquor.
• Assam
  A black tea grown in the Northeast section of India. A strong full-bodied tea with a rich robust flavor. Considered by many tea lovers to be a wake-up tea for consumption in the morning. Often used in blends because of its strong taste. These black teas are known for their strong malty flavor.
• Astringency
  A live, pungent sensation on the tongue and gums, inclined to be acidic. Astringency is not to be confused with bitterness, which is undesirable. Astringency gives tea its refreshing quality.
• Autumnal
  Tea produced late in the growing season (cool autumn weather), such as 4th flush teas. This term is most often applied to teas from Northern India.
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• B
• Baggy
  Describes an undesirable taint sometimes found in teas withered on inferior hessian bags or stored in sacks.
• Bakey
  An unpleasant taste caused by firing a leaf at too high a temperature; not as strong as "burnt". Too much moisture has been driven off during processing.
• Bancha
  A Japanese tea made from coarse leaves, usually from the last plucking. This tea is generally consumed domestically.
• Bergamot
  A citrus oil derived from the bergamot orange used to flavor black tea such as Earl Grey.
• Biscuity
  Term used to describe infused leaf. A pleasant and desirable aroma often found in a well fired Assam.
• Bite
  Not a taste but an astringent puckeriness that gives black tea its refreshing quality. Characteristic of a very brisk and "alive" tea liquor. A desirable trait.
• Black Tea
  The most commonly consumed tea in the world accounting for approximately 80% of all consumption. In the U.S. well over 90% of the tea consumed is black. One of three major types of tea, the others being Green and Oolong. Black tea is the most processed of all teas in that it is oxidized or fermented.
• Blend
  A mixture of teas from several different origins to achieve a certain flavor profile. Most branded teas in the U.S. use 20 or more origins to achieve their desired taste.
• Bloom
  A sheen or luster on the tea leaf which has not been removed by over-handling or over-sorting. It is a sign of good manufacture and sorting.
• Body
  The impression of thickness or viscosity in the mouth in combination with its weight on the tongue. Teas may feel light-, medium-, or full-bodied. Describes a tea liquor possessing fullness and strength.
• Bold
  Term describing dry leaf. Pieces of leaf that are too large for a particular grade, outsized.
• Bouquet
  A complex flowery or perfumy aroma.
• Brassy
  A unpleasant tang in the liquor caused by under-withering.
• Brick Tea
  Tea leaves that have been steamed and compressed or formed into bricks. Done centuries ago to make transportation more efficient and easy. Pu-erh is a common brick tea.
• Bright
  When describing the infused leaf it means a lively bright appearance usually indicating a bright liquor. When describing a tea's liquor it demotes a lively fresh tea with good keeping qualities. Also describes taste opposite to "dull".
• Brisk
  A lively flavor found in high quality tea, as opposed to flat or soft. Results from good manufacture.
• Broken Orange Pekoe
  A size of tea leaf comprising the smaller leaves and tips.
• Burnt
  Tea that has been subjected to extreme over-firing. Undesirable. A degree worse than bakey.
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• C
• Camellia Sinensis
  Botanical name for the tea plant.
• Ceylon Tea
  The common name of teas grown in Sri Lanka.
• Chai
  The word for tea on the Indian subcontinent. In the west, it generally means a blend of black tea and spices mixed with steamed milk, such as Masala Chai.
• Character
  The aroma and flavor that can be associated with country, region, district, or even garden of origin. A most desirable quality which permits recognition of the origin of growth of the tea. An attractive taste when describing better high elevation growth, and peculiar to origin.
• Chesty
  Odor or taste taint caused by inferior or unseasoned packing materials.
• Chop
  From the Hindi meaning to stamp. A chop of tea means a certain number of chests all carrying the same brand.
• Choppy
  Chopped in a breaker mill or cutter during sorting rather than in the roller. Used under the Orthodox or Rotorvane method of leaf manufacture. Synonymous with cut.
• Chunky
  Usually applied to large-sized tip. Desirable.
• Chunmee
  A grade of Chinese tea with a curled form.
• Citrusy
  A lemon, grapefruit, or orange rind flavor.
• Clean
  Leaf that is an evenly sorted grade, free from quantities of other grades, dust, stalk, fiber and any extraneous matter. When describing liquor, it means lacking in character but not having an unpleasant taint or taste.
• Colory
  Denotes depth of color and strength in the liquor. Different growths/grades possess varying depths of color.
• Common
  Leaf with no style. A very plain tea, light and thin liquor with no distinct flavor. Sometimes referred to as a poor quality or inferior tea.
• Complex
  The harmonious mingling of various flavor characteristics found in the very finest of teas. A flavor or aroma with many dimensions, as opposed to simple.
• Congou
  A general term used to describe all whole leaf black teas from northern China.
• Coppery
  Refers to the color of the tea liquor, like a new penny. When describing infused leaf, it refers to a bright leaf which indicates a well manufactured tea.
• Creaming Down
  A high quality tea which turns cloudy after cooling, generally believed to be caused by the precipitation of tannins.
• Croppy
  Describes a bright, strong creamy liquor with distinctive character. Usually found in some second flush Assams and Dooars of Orthodox manufacture.
• CTC
  Acronym for Cut, Tear, and Curl, a machine process which cuts the withered leaves into uniform particles to facilitate a complete oxidation. Typical of most black tea grown in India and other low-land producing countries, and used in teabags to create a stronger more colorful tea.
• Curly
  The leaf appearance of whole leaf grade Orthodox teas such as OP. Opposite to wiry.
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• D
• Dark
  When describing infused leaf, a dark or dull color which usually indicates poor leaf quality or bad manufacture often at firing stage.
• Darjeeling
  A very high quality black tea grown in the Himalayan Mountains in Northern India. Sometimes called the "champagne of teas". These teas are renowned for their muscatel flavor.
• Display Tea
  A tea that has a special appearance once steeped.
• Dry
  Slighty bakey or over-fired.
• Dull
  A liquor that is not clear and lacks brightness or briskness. When describing infused leaf, it refers to leaf lacking brightness and usually denotes a poor tea. Can be due to faulty manufacture and firing or a high moisture content.
• Dust
  A term which has been used to describe the smallest particles of tea leaf. The smallest grade of tea, typically associated with lower quality. Dust is prized for its quick extraction and is commonly used in teabags.
• Dusty
  Leaf tea containing smaller particles.
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• E
• Earl Grey
  Any black tea blend flavored with bergamot oil.
• Earthy
  An unfavorable characteristic generally caused by storing tea under damp conditions. A taste which can at times be "climatically inherent" in leaf from certain origins.
• English Breakfast
  Traditionally a blend of China Keemuns. However, today the blend has evolved to include Ceylon and Indian teas to produce a full-bodied brew.
• Estate
  A term used to describe a plantation or garden where tea is grown.
• Even
  Dry leaf true to the grade and consisting of pieces of leaf of quite even size. Referring to liquor, the term is usually combined with "bright" or "coppery". No irregularity in color.
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• F
• Fannings
  Very small particles of tea leaf one grade larger than dust. A by-product of the tea manufacture process.
• Fermentation
  A term used to describe the processing of Oolong and black teas. The actual chemical transformation which takes place is oxidation. A process whereby elements in the tea leaf react with the air to create a darker brown-red color and characteristic aroma to the resulting tea.
• Fibrous
  A term used to identify pieces of stem in tea. The presence of excessive fiber.
• Fine
  Teas of exceptional quality and flavor.
• Firing
  The process of drying or removing moisture from tea leaves. Firing heats the enzymes in the leaf and halts the oxidation. This process makes the tea fit for packing and storing. Panfired, baset fired and oven drying are all examples of this process.
• Flakey
  Flat, open leaf, and often light in texture.
• Flat
  Soft, rather flabby-bodied tea lacking "bite" and/or "briskness". Unfresh, usually due to age.
• Flavour
  A most desirable extension of "character" caused by slow growth at high elevations and comparatively rare. Very characteristic taste and aroma of fine teas. Usually associated with high grown teas.
• Flowery Orange Pekoe
  A large leaf size containing an abundance of tip.
• Flush
  Young tea leaf shoots, or new growth that appears at the tip of each branch or shoot, consisting of a full complement of leaves. It takes about 40 days for a new bud to blossom into a flush. Flush also refers to the four separate plucking seasons throughout the year, each known for its distinctive flavor. There can be several flushes in a season.
• Formosa
  Former name of Taiwan. Name is still used when referring to tea grown on this island, typically oolong tea.
• Fruity
  Piquant quality characteristic of good Oolongs, and some Keemuns. A sweet, fruity flavor, such as peaches, apricots, grapes or currants, usually when referring to herbal teas. Can also refer to an over-ripe taste, due to over-fermentation and/or bacterial infection before firing.
• Full
  A strong tea with good color and substance, no bitterness.
• Fully-Fired
  Referring to a taste of the liquor equated with being slightly over-fired.
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• G
• Garden
  Refers to a plantation or estate where tea is grown.
• Genmaicha
  Green tea blended with roasted rice.
• Golden
  Refers to the orange colored tips present in high quality black tea.
• Golden Tip
  A highly desirable feature in Orthodox teas, obtained from good harvesting practices such as good withering and rolling.
• Gone Off
  A flat or old tea. Tea that's been spoiled due to improper storage or packing or because it is simply past its prime and stale. Often denotes a high moisture content.
• Gong Fu
  Meaning skill and patience. It is the style of brewing tea using a high proportion of leaf to water and repeated short infusions.
• Grainy
  Well-made dry leaf. Refers to well-made fannings and dust (particularily Pekoe Dust and Dust 1 grades).
• Grassy
  Teas without physical or chemical wither.
• Green
  When describing infused leaf, it is characteristic of leaf from immature bushes (liquors often raw or light) or it can be caused by under-fermentation. It can also be caused by poor rolling with Orthodox teas. When describing liquors, it is an immature "raw" almost vegetative taste, often due to under fermentation and sometimes under-wither. Can also refer to early first flush in black teas.
• Green Tea
  Tea that has not been allowed to oxidize during manufacture. The tea undergoes minimal processing and most resembles the original green leaf. It is mainly produced in China and Japan.
• Grey
  Describes dry leaf that has had too much abrasion during the sorting process.
• Gunpowder
  A type of green tea which has been rolled into tight pellets.
• Guywan
  A traditional Chinese lidded tea drinking vessel with accompanying saucer.
• Gyokuro
  A prized Japanese Green Tea which is rich to the taste and pleasing to the eye. The tea undergoes special handling at every stage of its growth (shaded) and processing (hand-fired). Translates to "Pearl Dew".
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• H
• Hard
  A desirable quality suggesting a very pungent liquor, particularly applied to Assam teas. Penetrating with desirable strength.
• Harsh
  Refers to a liquor which is very rough. A taste generally related to high-firing or under-withered leaf. An astringent taste.
• Heavy
  A liquor which is thick, strong and colory with limited briskness.
• High-Fired
  A tea that has been over-fired, but is not considered bakey or burnt.
• High Tea
  A traditional mid-day tea service which includes light snacks, typically cookies, finger sandwiches and small pastries.
• Hungry
  Describes the liquor of a tea which is lacking in cup quality.
• Hyson
  A Chinese Green Tea named for the East Indian merchant who first sold it in England. Young Hyson is generally preferred to Hyson. "Young Hyson" also refers to a type of Chinese tea derived from an early spring plucking. A general term for Chinese Green Teas. Also Chinese for "flourishing spring".
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• I
• I-Chiban Cha
  A Japanese term referring to the first flush or first plucking of tea. It is generally a very delicate tasting tea.
• Imperial Tea
  A rolled green tea from Ceylon, China, or India made from older leaves. It has a good aroma and is very refreshing.
• Instant Tea
  Developed in the 1930's and commercialized in the 1950's, instant tea sacrifices nuances in fragrance and flavor for convenience.
• Irregular
  Uneven blend of leaf grades.
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• J
• Jasmine
  The Chinese use green tea as the base to which jasmine flowers are used to scent the tea. The finest Chinese Jasmine is called Yin Hao and Chun Hao. Formosa Jasmines use Pouchong tea as a base. Pouchong is allowed to wither for a longer period of time than green before it is fired, which places it between Green and Oolong Tea.
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• K
• Keemun
  A fine grade of black tea from China. It has a dark amber color and a unique "sappy" liquor.
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• L
• Lapsang Souchong
  A fine grade of Chinese black tea with a distinctively strong smoky characteristic and flavor imparted in a unique firing process. Tea drinkers either love or hate the taste of this unusual tea.
• Large
  Describing size of a grade, implying it is too large for market requirements.
• Leafy
  Orthodox manufacture leaf tending to be on the large or long side. Tea containing larger leaves than normal.
• Light
  Describes a liquor which is rather thin and lacking strength and any depth of color but which may be flavory and/or pungent. When referring to dry leaf, a tea light in weight and of poor density - sometimes flakey.
• Lot
  Describes all of the teas offered under a single mark or serial number at any tea auction.
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• M
• Make
  Dry leaf that is well made (or not) and must be true to the grade.
• Malty
  Desirable liquor character; a thick, creamy mouth-feel. A sweet, malted barley flavor. A subtle underlying flavour often characteristic of Assam teas.
• Mature
  A liquor which is not bitter or flat.
• Mellow
  Well matured; opposed to raw.
• Metallic
  An undesirable trait which imparts a bitter metallic taste in the liquor. A sharp coppery flavor.
• Milled
  Tea leaf put through a cutter and ground.
• Mixed
  Leaf of varying color due to uneven treatment during withering and oxidation. Denotes presence of other grades in a particular grade.
• Moldy
  An undesirable liquor trait characterized by a moldy taste and odor resulting from improper storage. Tea gone off through age, or damage by high moisture content.
• Muddy
  A term which describes a dull, lifeless or opaque liquor.
• Muscatel
  Describes a characteristic reminiscent of vineyards and muscat grapes. Also describes an exceptional characteristic found in the liquors of some of the world's finest Darjeeling Teas.
• Mushy
  A tea which has been packed or stored with a high moisture content.
• Musty
  Dry leaf affected by excessive moisture content leading to the formation of mold or mildew. A tea liquor in which there is suspicion of mold.
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• N
• Neat
  A dry leaf grade having good "make" and size. Well-made teas of even appearance, conforming to particular grade.
• New
  Describes a tea which has not had adequate time to mellow.
• Nose
  Smell of the dry leaf. Also a term used to describe a good aroma of brewed tea.
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• O
• Old
  Describes tea liquor that has lost most of its original attributes, through age.
• Oolong
  Partially "fermented" tea which has been allowed to wither, and then is partially oxidized and dried. The term is derived from "wu long" the Chinese term for black dragon. Its brew falls somewhere between a green and a black tea. These teas are renowned for their complex tastes and aromas.
• Orange Pekoe
  Used to identify a large leaf size. The tea is characterized by long, thin, wiry leaves which sometimes contain the white or yellow tip of the leaf bud. It does not refer to the flavor characteristics of any tea.
• Organoleptic
  The process used by most tea tasters, to evaluate the quality of a tea using all the senses.
• Orthodox
  The traditional method for plucking and processing teas in India without using CTC technology.
• Oxidation
  The process of enzymes, naturally found in tea, during the manufacture of oolong and black teas.
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• P
• Pale
  A liquor lacking color except in green teas where the liquors are normally pale.
• Papery
  A liquor imparting a paper taint. A dry, flat character, sometimes associated with age.
• Pan-Fired
  A Japanese tea produced by steaming the leaves and then rolling them in iron pans to halt any further oxidation.
• Peak
  The high point of the tasting experience when a few instants after the liquor enters the mouth, its body, flavor, and astringency make themselves fully felt. Green and Oolong teas don't peak but stand immediately and are fully revealed.
• Pekoe
  Tea leaf which is shorter and not as wiry as Orange Pekoe. Liquors made with this leaf generally have more color. Can also refer to an non-distinctive blend of tea.
• Plain
  Describes tea which is "clean" but lacking in desirable characteristics.
• Plucking
  The process during manufacture of harvesting and collecting tea leaves.
• Point
  A most desirable, bright, acidy and penetrating characteristic. A tea liquor is said to "have good point" if it imparts these desirable properties.
• Polyphenols
  Antioxidant compounds present in tea.
• Pouchong
  Some of the world's finest quality and highest priced teas. A very fragrant tea which is commonly used as the base for making Jasmine Tea.
• Pu-erh Tea
  Technically classified not as a black tea but as a dark black tea, the best of which is aged for decades before use. The base may be green or black tea, and its tastes and aromas can range from earthy to elegant. The Chinese customarily drink this tea with or after meals as a digestif. These teas age quite well, and some prized Pu-erhs are 40 years old.
• Pungent
  An astringent liquor with a good combination of briskness, brightness, and strength in its flavor, but without bitterness. It is a highly desirable characteristic and is mostly related to best quality Assam and Ceylon teas.
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• Q
• Quality
  Essential characteristic of good tea. Refers to "cup quality" and denotes a combination of the most desirable liquoring properties.
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• R
• Ragged
  An uneven badly manufactured and graded tea. Rough and uneven appearance of dry leaf.
• Rainy
  Describes the liquor of a dull plain tea manufactured during the rainy season.
• Rasping
  A very coarse and harsh liquor.
• Raw
  A bitter unpleasant liquor.
• Rich
  A mellow liquor, abundant in quality and thickness.
• Rolling
  The process during manufacture by which withered leaves are rolled in order to initiate enzymic oxidation.
• Rough
  A term used to describe the harshness of a liquor.
• Round
  A full-bodied, smooth tea liquor.
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• S
• Sappy
  Describes a tea liquor which has a full juicy flavor.
• Scented Tea
  These are processed teas which are put in close proximity with various flowers or spices, under controlled temperature and humidity conditions, for periods of about 4 hours, and then re-fired.
• Self-Drinking
  Describes an original tea, which has sufficient aroma, flavor, body, and color to stand alone, and does not require any blending for improvement, before being consumed by the public.
• Sencha
  Teas exported by Japan which make up about 75% of Japan's total tea production.
• Shotty
  Well made and rolled, particularly of Orthodox BPS. Can also refer to well made Gunpowder and Souchong.
• Silver Tip Pekoe
  A very costly Chinese tea made from the full-grown buds of a special tea bush. Also referred to as White Tea.
• Silvery Oolong
  Another very costly tea which utilizes the delicate whitish leaf from the first flush of Oolong.
• Smokey
  This term describes an odor or taste of smoke, mainly caused by leaks around the dryer heating tubes during manufacture. Can range from subtle aromas of wood smoke or ash, to very strong scents and tastes of smoke. An undesirable characteristic in the majority of cases except when purposely applied in the manufacture process such as with Lapsang Souchong.
• Smooth
  A tea liquor with a pleasant rounded taste.
• Soft
  The opposite of briskness in a tea liqour and lack of any "live" characteristic. Caused by inefficient fermentation and/or firing.
• Sour
  This describes an undesirable acid odor and taste in a liquor.
• Spicy
  A liquor having character, suggestive of spices such as cinnamon or cloves. This is sometimes, but not always, the effect of contamination.
• Stalky
  Indicating the undue presence of stalk and fibre in dry leaf, a result of coarse plucking. It should be minimal in primary or top grades but is generally unavoidable in lower grades.
• Standing Up
  A tea which holds its original color and flavor characteristics is described in this manner.
• Stand-Out
  A tea liquor which is judged above average.
• Stewed
  A soft liquor with an undesiable taste caused by faulty firing at low temperatures and often insufficinet air flow. The liquor lacks "point". Also used to describe tea that's been brewed too long and has become bitter.
• Strength
  Describes a liquor with powerful tea characteristics, but not necessarily thick. A very desirable characteristic, but not essential in certain flavoury teas. Tea with this attribute can impart a bold, heavy cup or a sharp, powerful cup.
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• T
• Taint
  Undesirable characteristics, tastes and/or odors which are foreign to tea. Can be caused by chemicals used in cultivation, or by damp conditions. Can also be due to storing the tea next to foreign commodities with strong characteristics of their own during transportation.
• Tannin
  The chemical component of tea thought to be responsible for its presumed health benefits. One of the major components of tea that contributes to its taste and pungency.
• Tarry
  When describing infused leaf it is a smokey aroma.
• Tea
  The processed leaf and extracted liquor of the leaf of the Camellia sinensis plant. No other beverage merits the unqualified term tea.
• Tea Taster
  An expert judge of the cup quality and leaf of tea. A person who uses organoleptic means to discern various characteristics and qualities of tea. This expert also tests for quality at all stages of tea production, brokerage and shipping.
• Thick
  Describes a tea liquor that has substance, but not necessarily strength. A description of viscosity, ranging from light (almost watery) to a heavy, juicy consistency.
• Thin
  An insipid light tea liquor which lacks thickness, strength or any desirable characteristic. Often due to over-withering or inadequate fermentation.
• Tip
  The very end of the delicate young buds of the Camellia sinensis plant. When referring to dry leaf, a sign of fine plucking and apparent in the top grades of Orthodox manufacture. Gives golden flecks to the processed leaf.
• Tippy
  Term denoting tea that contains a generous amount of white or golden tips, indicative of high quality.
• Tired
  Flat or stale, usually from age.
• Tisane
  A term which describes an herbal infused beverage of dried herbs or fruit pieces.
• Toasty
  A baked or biscuity aroma. A tea which has been slightly over-fired during processing. Can be a desirable characteristic in some Darjeeling teas.
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• U
• Uneven
  When describing dry leaf it is a blend containing uneven pieces of leaf usually a result of poor sorting and not true to the particular grade. When describing infused leaf, it refers to leaf of varying color. Same as mixed.
• Useful
  Possessing good blending qualities.
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• V
• Vegetal
  A general characteristic of green teas, ranging from grassy to herbaceous to seaweed.
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• W
• Weak
  Teas which have a thin liquor.
• Weathery
  Describes a soft, unpleasant characteristic, which is occasionally evident in the liquors of teas processed during very wet weather.
• Weedy
  A grass or hay taste related to under-withering. Sometimes referred to as woody. An undesirable characteristic when applied to thin, cabbagy black teas, however, a green tea may be called weedy if it has a not-unpleasant vegetative aroma and flavor, varying from "herbaceous" to hints of new-mown hay.
• Well Twisted
  Dry leaf which has been tightly rolled or twisted, indicative of good withering. Applicable to Orthodox manufacture, and often referred to as "well made" or "rolled". Also used for describing whole leaf grades.
• White
  Similar to green tea. Identifiable by the presence of white hairs on the leaf tips, and a light infusion.
• Wild
  An undesirable liquor characteristic found in end-of-season teas.
• Winey
  A mellow quality characteristic fine Darjeelings or Keemuns acquire given six months to a year or more of age. Can also, more rarely, be used to describe over-fermented tea.
• Wiry
  Leaf appearance of a well twisted, thin leaf Orthodox tea.
• Withering
  The operation which removes moisture from the recently plucked leaves making them less brittle and preparing them for further processing. Generally done by spreading leaves allowing the air to pass over.
• Woody
  A characteristic reminiscent of freshly-cut timber or sawdust. This trait is usually associated with teas processed very late in the season. Can also be associated with old tea.
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• Y
• Yixing
  Pronounced "yee shing", a region of China noted for its purple clay, used to produce distinctive unglazed teapots often used in the gung fu style of brewing tea.
• Yunnan
  A province in southwestern China known as the birthplace of tea. This region also produces Pu-Erh tea.
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