Smell of the Flavor, Taste of the Aroma?
Ben C. gave me a pamphlet of information about the teas that Taiwan produces a while ago, containing one of my favorite tea related quotes. “Smell of the Flavor and the Taste of the Aroma” it reads, heading a blurb about tasting tea. Well, I would personally like to thank that crappy translator, because it brings up an interesting subject.
To me, tea is all about taste. Now when I say this, I really don’t distinguish between taste and aroma. Your sense of taste is far too connected with your sense of smell to separate the two. Tea is a sensory experience and if a tea has a wonderful aroma that is part of the tasting experience that that tea gives you. You don’t have to think of tasting tea as some big ordeal, just try to pay attention to the tea and learn to identify flavors. As with everything else, tasting takes practice. Not only do you need to develop you’re taste buds, but you also need to learn your flavors. Tasting is a consciousness that is dependent on sensory awareness. Tasting tea is not only about familiarizing yourself with different flavors in tea and the differences between them, but also about familiarizing yourself with tastes from other things. How could I say that a tea has an orchid-like aroma if I have never smelled a fragrant orchid? On the other hand, I cut brush on farm land one year that smelled exactly like an aroma I commonly smell in Darjeeling tea. There is knowledge to be gained that can be applied to tea from everything you taste. That is why tea is often compared to coffee and wine. Every time I sit down to eat or drink something, I pay attention to what I taste and try to learn about where those flavors are coming from and how much depth they provide. As I often say to people when talking about flavors in tea, I don’t just taste tea; I taste everything, even air.
~Silas
To me, tea is all about taste. Now when I say this, I really don’t distinguish between taste and aroma. Your sense of taste is far too connected with your sense of smell to separate the two. Tea is a sensory experience and if a tea has a wonderful aroma that is part of the tasting experience that that tea gives you. You don’t have to think of tasting tea as some big ordeal, just try to pay attention to the tea and learn to identify flavors. As with everything else, tasting takes practice. Not only do you need to develop you’re taste buds, but you also need to learn your flavors. Tasting is a consciousness that is dependent on sensory awareness. Tasting tea is not only about familiarizing yourself with different flavors in tea and the differences between them, but also about familiarizing yourself with tastes from other things. How could I say that a tea has an orchid-like aroma if I have never smelled a fragrant orchid? On the other hand, I cut brush on farm land one year that smelled exactly like an aroma I commonly smell in Darjeeling tea. There is knowledge to be gained that can be applied to tea from everything you taste. That is why tea is often compared to coffee and wine. Every time I sit down to eat or drink something, I pay attention to what I taste and try to learn about where those flavors are coming from and how much depth they provide. As I often say to people when talking about flavors in tea, I don’t just taste tea; I taste everything, even air.
~Silas