The Lexicon of Tea

I don't drink coffee, I take tea, my dear 
(Englishman in New York, Sting)

Unlike Sting, I do drink coffee, but I am fine going without it for a day or two or longer. Tea is a different thing altogether, I don't think I could function without it. As someone who loves talking about tea, I read an article about the lexicon of tea with great interest. I thought you might love to read it as well.

Tetley introduced tea bags to the UK back in the 1950s and was the first to use perforated tissue for its bags in the 1960s, and in the 1980s launched the first round tea bag. Today, a staggering 36 million cups of Tetley are drunk each day.
What does it take to become a tea taster for Tetley? Have you ever wanted to know about it?

"It takes hard work to become a Tetley Tea Taster, fluent in the art of tea blending and the lexicon that comes with it. The value of knowing the language lies in the need to understand and be completely immersed in the four-step process from crop to cup. It also lies in the ability to distinguish a quality cup in a line-up!

The Tasters use an extensive glossary of terms to define the many variations in terms of their appearance, scent and taste. There are over 200 terms used to describe tea - here are some of our key phrases within our lexicon:

Assam: a black tea grown in the Northeast of India. Assam is a strong, full-bodied tea with a rich and robust flavour, considered by many tea lovers to be a perfect invigorating tea for the morning. Often used in blends because of its strong taste.

Aroma: an important consideration in brewing teas is the smell that is given off. A favourable aroma is most often associated with a flavourful taste.

Black tea: the most commonly consumed tea in the world. Black is one of the three major types of tea, the others being Green and Oolong.

Biscuity: a desirable trait usually referring to a well fired Assam.

Bite: a very brisk and "alive" tea liquor.

Bloom: a sign of good tea picking and sorting (where reduction of leaf has taken place before firing), a 'sheen' that has not been lost through over-handling or over-sorting.

Blend: a mixture of teas from several different origins blended together to achieve a certain flavour profile.

Body: describes tea liquid possessing fullness and strength.

Brisk: describes a lively taste as opposed to a flat or soft tea.

Chai: a blend of black tea with various spices and steamed milk, commonly drunk in India.

Character: an attractive taste, describing teas grown at high altitude.

Coloury: indicates depth of colour and strength.

Dull: tea liquid not clear or bright in colour

Dust: a term that is used to describe the smallest particles of tea leaf.

Fine: teas of exceptional quality and flavor.

Flat: a tea that is not fresh. Tea tends to lose its characteristics and taste with age, unlike some wines that mature with age.

Green tea: tea that undergoes minimal processing and most resembles the original green leaf.

Hard: a desirable quality suggesting pungency, particularly applied to Assam teas.

Harsh: refers to a tea bitter in taste – a possible result from picking (plucking) tea before it is ready.

Jasmine: a green tea to which Jasmine flowers are added.

Leaf: a tea where the leaf tends to be on the large or longish size.

Malty: desirable character in some Assam teas. A full, bright tea with a malty taste.

Metallic: an undesirable trait , leaving a metallic taste in the mouth.

Nose: a term used to connote a good aroma of tea.

Plain: describes teas that are clean and innocuous but lacking character.

Powdery: ‘fine, light dust’ as the tea people say, meaning a very fine, light leaf particle.

Pungent: describes a tea liquid with a marked briskness and an astringent effect on the palate without a bitterness.

Sparkle: clarity and purity of colour, from grey to pure colour.

Toasty: a tea that has been slightly over fired during processing. It may be a desirable characteristic in some Darjeeling teas.

Woody: a characteristic reminiscent of freshly cut timber. This trait is usually associated with teas processed very late in the season.

Zing: overall quality impression of the tea on the palate; the balance of character and taste in the tea.

Disclosure: I received a selection of Tetley tea as a thank you for sharing this article.

Flavoured green teas collection from Tetley

Find yourself a cup of tea.
the teapot is behind you.
Now tell me about
hundreds of things.
Saki, The Complete Saki

I never need an excuse to pop a kettle on, for me it's always tea o'clock. And though my kitchen looks like a tea shop already, I am always happy to try new teas.
Did you know that sales of green tea are on the rise in the UK, thanks to its super health benefits and refreshing taste. I have read a lot about the wonderful health properties of green tea, yet I confess I am not very enthusiastic about its taste. But make it flavoured with fruit and berries, and I am much happier. For people like me who are not that keen on the pure green tea, Tetley have come with a whole collection of flavoured green teas. Tetley flavoured green teas range has expanded to include four new inspired varieties: peach & apricot, raspberry & pomegranate, tropical mango & passion fruit and mint.
I recently received three varieties of flavoured green tea for testing and reviewing. My Mum loves green tea, it is her preferred choice of tea, and she was curious to try new teas with me.
All the boxes are bright, colourful and show well known smiley Tetley Folk.

The first tea I wanted to try was Peach & Apricot Green Tea. As I was pouring the freshly boiled water over the teabag, the aroma of peaches and apricots was unmistakable. It was like a concentrated summer in a cup. This turned out to be a gentle-tasting infusion. The peach and apricot flavours were present but as a mild note. I would have preferred if a fruity flavour was more pronounced. My Mum enjoyed it.

Mango & Passion Fruit Green Tea was my favourite. Its ingredients list green tea, natural flavourings, passion fruit granules, mango granules and acai flakes. The exotic blend of mango and passion fruit gives you that tropical feeling. Enjoy it with a teaspoon of honey and a slice of lemon for an extra oomph.

Mint Green Tea has a clean flavour, it is a refreshing brew, reminiscent of the Moroccan souks. Minty and smooth, this is a lovely combination of peppermint and green tea leaves.
At 1kcal per 100ml infusion, all these green teas make a great drink for anyone who counts the calories, and would be perfect for anyone on a 5:2 diet as well.

All flavoured green varieties are great for making an iced tea. Steep a few teabags of your favourite flavour, add some herbs or edible flowers (like rose petals or lavender) if you like, sweeten with honey or sugar, let it cool and serve in a glass with ice cubes. Tasty, and it will be at a fraction of a cost of you buy ready-made iced tea.
Tetley also suggests making your own green tea ice lollies, but we haven't tried this recipe yet.

For more information about Tetley teas, visit TheTetleyTeaFolk
You can also follow @tetley_teafolk on Twitter (you might know that they run a fab giveaway every Friday for a year's supply of Tetley, now that would be a super prize. I keep RT-ing enthusiastically, hoping to win it for our parenting club at my older son's school).