Reading the Tea Leaves

I am surprised I don’t hear more about events like these.  A tea tasting need not be expensive, since not much tea is used, and the accompaniments of small savories or sweets should draw those who may not be tea enthusiasts yet.  People bring different sensibilities and preferences, and shared tastings generate discussion, and descriptions of flavors and nuances that one may not otherwise think of.

Here are some guidelines:

First, decide if you want to have friends and family sample different categories of teas or if you want to show flights within one tea category.

Think of wine tastings: do you wish to introduce different types of wine – reds, whites, roses, dessert wines? or concentrate on wines within one group?

If your guests are eager learners but not too knowledgeable about teas, the first route is a better choice, and the teas should be presented according to the extent of oxidation, from no oxidation to full oxidation.  (See the post on Basics First)  Proceed from White, to Green, to lightly oxidized Oolong, an Oolong with more firing, and to Black tea.

If such an event generates enough interest and curiosity, you might be persuaded to offer a more focused tasting within one category, say, showcasing Green teas with varying leaf shapes, or the range of Oolongs from the gently fired to the more roasted ones; or compare Black teas from Sri Lanka (Ceylon), India and China, or even a selection of 1st and 2nd Flush Darjeelings from different estates.

As for equipment, the display of the dry leaves should be prominent.  The visual appeal of many teas is an important part of their enjoyment.  In a tasting, your geusts should be able to examine the wet leaves too, so have another dish ready.  Try to use white porcelain for the leaves so nothing detracts or distracts; small appetizer plates would do nicely.  Plates are better suited than bowls since you can separate the leaves out a bit for a better look.  (See Shopping Notes below.)

If you are using an infuser in the pot, up-end it to turn the wet leaves onto a dish.  Or simply wait until the leaves settle and use tongs to gather them up from the bottom of the pot.  You don’t want the tea to stew.

Teapots should be comparable in size so you are not using a tiny pot for one tea and a much bigger one for another tea.

If you are lucky enough to own a digital scale, measuring out the tea leaves is easy and exact.  Without a scale, try to judge the quantity used by taking into account the fact that some leaves are larger, and so a tablespoon of one tea may not equate with a tablespoon of a smaller leafed tea.  (Roughly speaking, use 3 grams or a small teaspoonful of leaves for 5 ounces of water.)

Do use a measuring cup when pouring the water into the pot, and do invite your guests to get a whiff of the tantalizing aroma from the pot as you lift the lid.

Try not to use paper cups; the taste of paper does interfere with the more delicate tasting teas.  Instead, look for inexpensive (preferably white) sake cupsor tea cups that you can buy in quantity.  Pour sparingly, just enough for a few sips, and time your water to boil so that the pots are brewed at comfortable intervals, allowing time to savor each tea.

Earlier I mentioned food to go with a tasting.  Even though professional tasters do not eat while they taste, you and your guests will probably be swallowing the teas rather than spitting out after each sip (but make it a healthy slurp to get the full impact).  Admittedly, snacks or small bites will affect how the teas taste, but better to be aware of this than to have too much tea on an empty stomach.

If you are fortunate to find or have three or four Oolongs at your disposal, consider splurging on a few miniature gong-fu teasets (see Post on this topic), and you’ll have all the equipment you need. (See also the Post “15 Infusions.”)  And what better excuse to build up your tea equipage?

The finish could be a dramatic artisan or flower tea, with one per guest, brewed in a generously sized glass goblet or snifter so its “bloom” can be enjoyed in all its glory.  (See Post on Artisan Teas.)

Finally, if the idea of sharing teas and hearing other people’s reactions appeals to you but not the notion of straightening up your place for guests, there is a simpler, albeit much abbreviated, alternative.  Next time you and your friends meet up at a Chinese restaurant, bring two teas you like and have two pots at the table.  Easy, no fuss, no clean-up for you, and so much more enjoyable than the standard restaurant offerings.  And I have always found the wait staff to be curious and interested – invite them to taste too!  (I suggest Jasmine and Oolong teas for such an occasion.  More delicately flavored Green teas and the beautiful but mild Silvery White Needles may be overwhelmed by the food.)

A flavored Green

If you want to include Flavored teas in your tasting, I strongly recommend you keep these separate from unflavored teas.  Flavored teas can be satisfying because they give immediate gratification, while conventional teas, without any artificial essences added, require a bit more patience.  It’s hard for a straight Green to compete with, say, a Mango Green, and what would be the point?  You’d be comparing one all natural beverage with another that derives its flavor from an artificial additive, even though it might ring true to the original.

For tea suggestions to consider for tea tastings, see Parts 2 and 3 of this post.

Shopping Notes:  I stopped by the Pearl River Mart in New York City recently to get an idea of prices for items needed for a home tasting.  The tea-tasting mug and bowl sets professionals used may be available from your tea retailer, but to me these look a bit too lab-like for home use.  Here are some things I found: white sake cups for $1.50; white teacups at $2.25; little white dishes designed for sushi or dipping sauces from $1.50 to $3.00; white teapots with infusers inside between $12-$25 (you needn’t buy overlarge ones for tastings); 6-piece teasets in traditional Chinese designs at $19.95 (4 cups, a pot and a tray); glass teapots — especially good for hand-tied flower teas; little gongfu teasets; many Japanese teaset options.

On the same block there is a CB2 store and a Muji store, and the lattercarries white bone-china cups.  Crate & Barrel has many small dishes to display tea leaves; I’ve even seen leaf-shaped dishes.

If you live in an area where there are Asian markets, you’ll have an easier time of finding inexpensive cups, teapots, and small plates.  In the Seattle area, Uwajimaya carries many teas and a large variety of tea equipment.