When it's spring in the Himalayas...
When the sun-spun rain falls gently on the mountains...
When magical mists like divine dragons rise from forests...
That is when the mystique of Darjeeling Tea is created. |
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| Darjeeling tea tasting is done by professional tea tasters only, since it is defined as a refined art. This is done in order to ensure authentic and valid comparison between the procured tea samples and to provide conformity to a standard procedure. The subtle and delicate flavour nuances in each invoice of tea narrate a story about its creation to the experienced tea taster. A good taster's palate memory is prodigious, his senses alert, constantly categorising, comparing and drawing on past experience, to evaluate a particular tea within a second or two before moving to the next. No surprise then, that the craft is viewed with a tinge of awe and wonder! |
DARJEELING TEA TASTING PROCEDURE
Batches and liquor is prepared for each one. The accessories that are required for tea tasting are porcelain tea pots of 100 ml, stainless steel kettle and a sand-watch of 5 minutes. The tasting procedure comprises of 2% tea brew which is prepared with 2 grams made tea infused for 5 minutes. This is boiled in 10 ml of distilled water.
After the liquor is poured into the porcelain bowl, the infused leaf is shaken on to the lid by inverting the cup. The infused leaf and the inverted lid are kept back on top of the cup. The tea is tasted without milk and sugar and sometimes a blender may prefer to taste it with milk in larger cups. In organoleptic evaluation of tea quality the dry tea is examined first for colour, aroma, uniformity and tips. After this procedure, it passes over to the infused tea which should ideally be without green tinge bearing a full size unfolded leaf with a copper colour. Good quality liquor is judged by clear bright and less coloured texture with a pinkish-greenish tinges meniscus where the liquor touches the bowl. While tasting tea, the liquor is sipped into the mouth with a spontaneous breath which brings the liquor in contact with the tongue and other parts of the mouth which are very sensitive to the flavour and astringency, thus the liquor is not gulped or swallowed but
expectorated into the spittoon.
After the tea tasting procedure, the report of the tea taster relates to leaf style, colour, brightness, flavour, astringency and the order of the preference of tea samples. This does not end here, the tea taster can then appreciate all the right qualities of tea while being processed and point out areas which needs rectification.
The sharply honed senses of sight, touch, smell and taste, all plays a pivotal roll when evaluating 'quality tea'.
