The Art and Science of Tasting Tea by Tomislav Podreka

Chado, within the strict context of Japanese ritual, is the "Way of Tea." When interpreted, however, it can mean many things to many people. The "Way of Tea" implies that tea dictates the direction—the way we taste and what we taste when we drink it.

This is true, both when cupping and when socially imbibing tea, because tea is an agricultural product, so it has no standard of absolute comparison. Every year tea presents another incarnation of itself. Thus, the Science of cupping tea demystifies the natural process by explaining what the tea has become as a result of nature’s directives.

Most tea doesn’t differ dramatically from year to year; one may say it has a smudgy comparitive standard. But because it’s usually recognizable from previous years—sometimes surprising, sometimes disappointing—the Art of tea drinking becomes important. Through the Art of drinking tea we understand how to convey these changes to our customers, friends and family. It is the combination of the two—Science and Art—that truly constitutes "Chado."

The Science of cupping begins, as does great Art, with nothing. It doesn’t take the slightest sliver of inspiration, just the requirement to fulfill a task strictly and with discipline. The canvas should be blank. In this case the canvas is all things around you—the environment, the time of day, the food from which you have abstained so as not to taint your palate, and the light required to see the tea. The environment should be without odor, because your nose will influence your taste—and, more importantly, the memory of your experience—more than your palate. Advertising proves that what we see can influence how we think. Therefore good light is important so you can assess an attractive leaf, or, for that matter, an unattractive leaf.

Your cupping room is your laboratory, a neutral environment in which there are specific controls. The chemistry with which you taste changes throughout the day, so be fair to your test subject and conduct the tastings at the same time each day, optimally between 10 a.m. and noon. Each person, however, has differing chemistry, so be in tune! If your work schedule dictates you must cup at different times of the day throughout the week and year, make a mental note to observe personal differences in tasting sensation from morning to afternoon, and adjust your tasting to accommodate these differences. You will be surprised how natural this becomes.

Other laboratory controls are water volume (5–6 liquid ounces) and water temperature (boiling for black and some oolongs, lower for green, white and other oolongs). If you aren’t satisfied with your ability to reach a consistent temperature by thermometer or by touch, a simple boiling point will do. Just remember to consider the temperature when tasting and notice how it impacts the flavor of the tea. Also measure the tea consistently (by weight: 2–2.2 grams) and use set steeping times (some cuppers vary the duration from green to oolong to black, some set a single time for all). Choose your control standards and stick to them; this is the easiest part.

Tools for scientific cupping:

1. A scale that measures to the gram.
2. A timer, which can be as simple as your watch.
3. A tasting spoon. A good round soup spoon is perfect.
4. A kettle.
5. Cupping sets. Five sets are reasonable for beginners.

The procedure is simple:

1. Set out all the equipment.
2. Set out the tea to be tasted.
3. Measure the tea by weight.
4. Place the measured tea into the "pot" (the cup with the lid and serrated edge).
5. While the water is boiling, inspect the leaf. Note your impressions, either mentally or on paper.
6. Pour the boiling water over the leaves and place the lid on the pot.
7. Set the timer to the desired time.
8. When time is up, place the pot into the "cup" (bowl) so the tea strains through the serrated edge.
9. Smell the wet leaf in the pot. Shake the leaf onto the (upside down) lid and place it back onto the pot for each viewing. Inspect the wet leaf.
10. Take your spoon, and, with a great slurping noise, suck the tea into your mouth. Aerate the tea and roll it around the mouth, then spit it into a gaboon (a receptacle for your expectorated tea).
11. Write down your impressions.

Learn to take notes and retain information on the appearance and fragrance of wet and dry leaves, the color of the liquor, and the impression of the initial taste. Build and constantly refer to your memory library by comparing this cup with the last cup and like tea to like tea. Don’t pit an oolong against a Darjeeling unless you’re using one to help define the other.

Cupping should be straightforward without any ambiguity; this is what Science is about. If it tastes bakey, it tastes bakey! That’s it. Novice cuppers should begin their experiences by using descriptive terms that are familiar and easy to grasp. It is not necessary to understand all the standard terminology of cupping; you will absorb such terms over time. If a tea reminds you of freshly cut grass, jot it down in your notes. If it reminds you of cabbage or peanut butter or burning rubber tires, write it down. You are the only one who needs to understand and remember. That is your priority. You must be familiar with tea and be able to recall the defining profiles of what you’ve tasted.

Great artists spend untold hours practicing line, still and life rendering and painting. Without these disciplines, the artist is undefined and has no craft; he is just another opinion. The Art of drinking tea is no different. It comes from experience and knowledge only garnered through disciplined repetition in the pursuit of unquestioning decision—understanding the beverage in front of you.

In the Japanese "Chado," the tea master presents tea as a ritual to his guests. The tea itself is not as important as the surrounding aesthetic. The importance of the tea exists in the master’s knowledge of what fine tea is.

This is what we aspire to become, whe-ther we are vendors or café proprietors. The chances are no one in the room would know if the tea was anything but the best, but if it’s not, the dishonor lies in misleading your guests.

The content herein is not about the social graces of taking tea or sipping with friends. The topic of this discussion is the ability to sit and drink and appreciate tea as a professional without the process of Science, but rather as a result of your personal Science. The advantage and goal of this exercise is the ability to convey to the layman what it is you are experiencing in a passionate, exciting conversation that inspires curiosity.

When partaking in this Art, the first thing that changes is that the act is no longer deliberate. You do not control your environment; you become a part of the environment and are at the mercy of the environment. Martial arts teach that the best use of force is none at all. In other words, do not fight the environment you are in, but become part of it and use it to enhance your drinking pleasure. Your senses work on external influences, such as the pattern on the cup, the smell of the pastries and the texture of the napkin. When you finally taste the tea, you do not analyze its properties and profiles, but you reflect on its merit. The only element that is consistent from the Science to the Art is you.

Why then is this transition important? First, it is probably something in which we all partake without always being aware. The importance lies in the need to feel comfortable in your environment and the need to express yourself through your chosen medium. The ability to sit in a room and recognize what makes it work or what makes it fail will consciously place you with your customers.

Drinking tea is not a matter of simply having the best product available. The Japanese understand the impact of combining sensory experiences. They have defined the aesthetic ritualization of tea drinking.

The Art of drinking tea allows you to draw from all around you to expand that which existed previously only in your cup. The Art of drinking tea helps you share your insights into this remarkable beverage with your customers, patrons and friends. It allows you to insinuate your preferences and experiences without selling anything but your passion. The Art of drinking tea gives you the opportunity to teach every time you make a comment while sipping with a friend. It lets you discuss the merits of various leaves with a customer, thus expanding the appreciation of another person without an effort on either part.

The ability to convey passion about the flavor, aroma and style of leaf will do more to excite and convince your listener than all the dry recommendations or fancy marketing ever will. Passion and honesty are the basis for Art. False sentiment has never been as effective a tool as passionate sincerity.