Tea is steeped in rich cultural and historic heritage with an enormous set of terms describing the different styles, flavors, brewing techniques, and traditions. This glossary containing 130 terms from casual consumer to connoisseur will orient you to mainstream awareness. Let's get started!
A
1. Afternoon Tea: A British tradition where tea is served with light snacks like sandwiches and cakes in the late afternoon.
2. Antioxidants: Compounds found in tea (especially green tea) that help prevent cell damage caused by free radicals.
3. Aroma: The scent of the brewed tea, often providing clues to its flavor.
4. Assam: A robust, malty black tea grown in the Assam region of India, known for its deep color and rich flavor.
5. Astringency: The dry, puckering sensation caused by tannins in tea, particularly in strong black teas.
B
6. Black Tea: Fully oxidized tea, characterized by its dark color and strong flavor.
7. Body: The texture and weight of tea on the palate, ranging from light to full-bodied.
8. Blend: A mixture of different teas or teas mixed with herbs, spices, or flavorings.
9. Bloom: A term used to describe the sheen or shine on tea leaves, indicating their freshness.
10. Brewing: The process of making tea by steeping tea leaves in hot water.
C
11. Camellia Sinensis: The scientific name for the tea plant, the leaves of which are used to produce all true teas.
12. Caffeine: A natural stimulant found in tea, responsible for its energizing effect.
13. Chai: The Hindi word for "tea," often referring to spiced tea, popular in India.
14. Ceylon: A type of tea from Sri Lanka, known for its bright, bold flavors.
15. Chamomile: A herbal tea made from chamomile flowers, known for its calming effects.
D
16. Darjeeling: A high-quality tea from the Darjeeling region in India, prized for its light, floral flavor.
17. Decaffeinated Tea: Tea that has had most of its caffeine removed.
18. Dust: The smallest grade of tea leaf, often used in tea bags.
19. Drying: The final stage in tea processing, where the leaves are dried to prevent spoilage.
20. Dragonwell: A famous Chinese green tea, known for its flat, sword-like leaves and sweet, nutty flavor.
E
21. Earl Grey: A black tea flavored with oil of bergamot, a citrus fruit, giving it a distinct floral and fruity aroma.
22. English Breakfast Tea: A strong, robust black tea blend, often enjoyed with milk and sugar.
23. Essential Oils: Natural oils used to flavor certain teas, like Earl Grey.
24. Estate Tea: Tea that comes from a single estate or garden.
25. Eucalyptus Tea: A herbal tea made from eucalyptus leaves, known for its refreshing and medicinal properties.
F
26. Fermentation: The oxidation process in tea making, where tea leaves turn dark and develop their flavor.
27. Firing: The process of heating tea leaves to stop oxidation and dry the leaves.
28. First Flush: The first harvest of tea leaves in the growing season, often producing the freshest and most delicate teas.
29. Flavored Tea: Tea that has been flavored with fruits, flowers, or spices.
30. Flowery Orange Pekoe (FOP): A grade of tea leaf, indicating high-quality young tea buds.
G
31. Green Tea: Unoxidized tea, known for its fresh, vegetal flavor and high antioxidant content.
32. Gunpowder: A type of green tea rolled into small, pellet-like shapes, known for its smoky flavor.
33. Gyokuro: A premium Japanese green tea, shaded before harvest to enhance its sweetness and umami flavor.
34. Golden Tips: The young, golden-colored tips of tea leaves, prized for their quality and flavor.
35. Gongfu Tea: A traditional Chinese tea ceremony, focusing on the art of brewing tea with precision and care.
H
36. Herbal Tea: Beverages made from herbs, spices, or flowers, not from the Camellia sinensis plant (e.g., chamomile, peppermint).
37. Hibiscus Tea: A tart, red herbal tea made from hibiscus flowers, often enjoyed iced.
38. High Tea: A British tradition of a more substantial tea meal, often including heavier dishes like meats and pies.
39. Hojicha: A roasted Japanese green tea with a nutty, earthy flavor.
40. Hyson: A type of green tea from China, known for its strong, grassy flavor.
I
41. Iced Tea: Tea that is brewed and then chilled, often served over ice with lemon or sweeteners.
42. Infusion: The process of steeping tea leaves or herbs in hot water to extract flavor.
43. Irish Breakfast Tea: A strong black tea blend similar to English Breakfast, but often bolder in flavor.
44. Imperial Tea: High-quality tea reserved historically for Chinese emperors, often referring to specific styles like Dragonwell.
45. In-Cup Brewing: Brewing tea directly in the cup, without a teapot.
J
46. Jasmine Tea: A scented tea made by layering jasmine flowers with tea leaves, typically green tea.
47. Japanese Tea Ceremony: A formal, ritualized way of preparing and serving matcha (green tea) in Japan.
48. Junshan Yinzhen: A rare Chinese yellow tea, known for its delicate flavor and pale yellow infusion.
49. Japanese Sencha: The most common type of green tea in Japan, known for its grassy, vegetal flavor.
50. Jin Jun Mei: A high-end Chinese black tea, prized for its sweet and malty taste.
K
51. Kombucha: A fermented tea beverage made with sweetened tea and a culture of bacteria and yeast, known for its probiotic benefits.
52. Kenyan Tea: Black tea from Kenya, known for its brisk, bright flavor.
53. Keemun: A black tea from China, known for its fruity, wine-like flavor.
54. Kettle: A pot used for boiling water, often for tea brewing.
55. Kukicha: A Japanese green tea made from the stems and twigs of the tea plant, with a mild, slightly sweet flavor.
L
56. Lapsang Souchong: A Chinese black tea, famous for its smoky flavor, created by drying the leaves over pinewood fires.
57. Loose Leaf Tea: Tea leaves that are sold loose, not in bags, offering a higher quality and more robust flavor.
58. L-theanine: An amino acid found in tea that promotes relaxation without drowsiness.
59. Lung Ching: Another name for Dragonwell tea, a famous Chinese green tea.
60. Lychee Tea: Black or green tea scented or flavored with lychee fruit, offering a sweet, floral flavor.
M
61. Matcha: A powdered green tea from Japan, known for its rich umami flavor and vibrant green color, traditionally whisked with water.
62. Masala Chai: A spiced Indian tea blend made with black tea, milk, sugar, and spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger.
63. Mate: A caffeinated herbal tea from South America made from the leaves of the yerba mate plant.
64. Monkey Picked Tea: A term often used to refer to high-quality tea harvested from wild tea plants in remote areas.
65. Moroccan Mint Tea: A blend of green tea and fresh mint leaves, sweetened with sugar and served in Moroccan tradition.
N
66. Nilgiri Tea: A black tea from the Nilgiri hills in southern India, known for its fragrant and brisk flavor.
67. Nose: The aroma of a tea, particularly important in assessing quality and flavor notes.
68. Nettle Tea: A herbal tea made from nettle leaves, known for its earthy flavor and medicinal benefits.
69. Nepalese Tea: Tea grown in Nepal, often similar in character to Darjeeling tea.
70. Night Tea: A blend of herbal ingredients designed to promote relaxation and restful sleep.
O
71. Oolong: A partially oxidized tea, falling between green and black tea in flavor and strength.
72. Orthodox Tea: Tea processed by traditional methods, including hand-rolling and drying.
73. Orange Pekoe: A term that refers to the size and quality of black tea leaves, not a flavor or color.
74. Osmanthus Tea: A tea scented with fragrant osmanthus flowers, often made with green or oolong tea.
75. Oxidation: The process by which tea leaves are exposed to air, turning them darker and altering their flavor.
P
76. Puerh: A fermented and aged tea from China, known for its earthy, complex flavors.
77. Peppermint Tea: A herbal tea made from peppermint leaves, known for its cooling, refreshing flavor and digestive benefits.
78. Plucking: The process of harvesting tea leaves, usually by hand.
79. Pouchong: A lightly oxidized oolong tea from Taiwan, known for its floral and delicate flavor.
80. Premium Tea: High-quality tea that is often more expensive and carefully processed.
81. Pot: A vessel used to steep tea, typically ceramic, glass, or metal.
82. Polyphenols: Natural compounds found in tea that act as antioxidants, contributing to health benefits.
Q
83. Qi: A Chinese concept referring to the energy or life force, sometimes associated with the calming effects of tea.
84. Quick Brew: A method for steeping tea in a shorter time by using more leaves or hotter water.
85. Quince Tea: A tea or tisane made with quince fruit, offering a sweet and tart flavor.
R
86. Rooibos: A caffeine-free herbal tea from South Africa, made from the leaves of the Aspalathus linearis plant, known for its rich, nutty flavor.
87. Rolling: A step in tea processing where leaves are rolled to break down their cells and release essential oils.
88. Russian Caravan: A blend of Chinese teas, often including Lapsang Souchong, known for its smoky and robust flavors.
89. Ripe Tea: Another term for fermented tea, particularly used in Puerh tea production.
S
90. Second Flush: The second harvest of tea leaves, typically producing stronger flavors compared to the first flush.
91. Silver Needle: A high-quality white tea made from the young buds of the tea plant, known for its delicate and sweet flavor.
92. Steeping: The process of soaking tea leaves in water to extract their flavor.
93. Smoky Tea: Tea, such as Lapsang Souchong, that has been dried over wood fires, giving it a smoky flavor.
94. Souchong: A larger, coarser tea leaf, often used in blends and lower-quality teas.
95. Sencha: A common Japanese green tea, known for its grassy and slightly sweet flavor.
96. Shou Puerh: A type of Puerh tea that undergoes an accelerated fermentation process, producing a rich, earthy tea.
97. Scented Tea: Tea that has been infused with flowers, herbs, or fruits to impart additional flavors.
T
98. Tannins: Natural compounds found in tea that contribute to its astringency and bitterness.
99. Tea Master: A person highly skilled in tea preparation, blending, or cultivation, often holding a revered position in tea culture.
100. Tisane: A herbal infusion made from plants other than the Camellia sinensis tea plant, such as chamomile or peppermint.
101. Tea Tasting: The practice of evaluating tea through its appearance, aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel.
102. Tea Sommelier: A certified professional skilled in selecting and serving different types of tea, similar to a wine sommelier.
U
103. Umami: A savory flavor often found in high-quality green teas, particularly matcha and gyokuro, characterized by a pleasant, rich mouthfeel.
104. Unoxidized: Refers to teas that haven't gone through oxidation, such as white or green teas, retaining their natural, fresh qualities.
105. Unique Tea: A term for teas with rare, distinct characteristics, often due to their region, processing method, or flavor profile.
106. Ultimate Blend: A term for a carefully crafted tea mixture that balances flavors and aromas to create a perfect tea experience.
V
107. Varietal: A specific sub-species or strain of the Camellia sinensis plant, resulting in unique flavors and characteristics of the tea.
108. Vintage Tea: Tea that has been aged, like certain Puerh teas, with flavors that develop and change over time.
109. Vanilla Tea: Tea flavored with vanilla, often a black or rooibos base, offering a creamy and sweet flavor.
110. Vietnamese Tea: Teas grown in Vietnam, typically green teas, which are known for their bold and grassy notes.
W
111. White Tea: The least processed of all true teas, made from young tea buds and leaves, known for its delicate and subtle flavor.
112. Whisk: A bamboo utensil used to whisk matcha powder into hot water during Japanese tea ceremonies.
113. Whole Leaf Tea: High-quality tea made from whole, unbroken leaves, often providing superior flavor and aroma.
114. Wuyi Oolong: A premium type of oolong tea from the Wuyi Mountains in China, known for its complex, mineral-rich flavor.
115. Wet Leaves: The term used to describe tea leaves after they’ve been steeped, often used in tea tasting to analyze the aroma and quality.
X
116. Xihu Longjing: Also known as West Lake Dragonwell, a premium variety of Dragonwell tea from the Xihu region in China.
117. Xiang Pian: A Chinese term for "fragrant tea," used for teas with notable aromas, such as jasmine tea.
118. Xylitol Tea: A modern invention where xylitol, a natural sweetener, is added to tea for sweetness without sugar.
Y
119. Yellow Tea: A rare type of tea from China that undergoes a slight fermentation process, resulting in a mellow, sweet flavor.
120. Yunnan Tea: A type of black tea from the Yunnan province in China, known for its rich, malty taste and golden tips.
121. Yerba Mate: A South American herbal tea made from the yerba mate plant, known for its high caffeine content and energizing effects.
122. Yixing Pot: A traditional Chinese teapot made from unglazed clay, often used for brewing oolong or Puerh teas, enhancing the flavor with repeated use.
123. Young Hyson: A type of Chinese green tea made from young leaves, offering a stronger flavor than other green teas.
124. Yamamotoyama: A well-known brand of Japanese tea, particularly green teas and sushi nori.
Z
125. Zhen Mei: A Chinese green tea, also known as "Precious Eyebrow Tea," recognized for its curled leaf shape and slightly sweet flavor.
126. Zesty Tea: A term used to describe teas with a sharp, citrusy flavor, often including lemon or other fruit.
127. Zen Tea: Refers to teas that are associated with calm, mindfulness, and relaxation, often connected to Japanese tea culture.
128. Zisha Clay: The special purple clay used to make Yixing teapots, which absorbs the tea’s flavors and enhances brewing.
129. Zhong: A traditional Chinese tea cup with a lid, used in gongfu tea ceremonies for steeping and drinking tea.
130. Zhou Gui: A type of Chinese oolong tea with strong floral notes, grown in the Wuyi Mountains.
This is an extremely all-inclusive tea glossary that covers a wide scope of terms contributing to the intricate world of tea. Whether you happen to be drinking classic black tea or your herbal blends, this guide will enhance your understanding and appreciation for the diverse world of tea. So sit back, steep a cup, and savor the flavors of this age-old beverage!