On January 31, 2017 our dear classmate Kotomi guided our class through our first tea-tasting! As a part of Kotomis field study, she will be sharing with us the flavors and knowledge she finds while researching the history and chemistry of the popular beverage. During this tea tasting, we got to experience three different forms Camellia Sinensis during this first round.
The three teas we dated:
Matcha
Th
e color of matcha tea was very striking to me. When it came to appearance, the periodt-mossy green had me the most intrigued out of all three. It was even more noticeable sitting next the dark colors of he pu-erh and oolong. How did it the green color come to be? When it was dry it had a sweet, fresh grass smell. When it was steeped it smelled more earthy, mossy, and astringent.
Pu-erh
I have tried pu-erh in tea bags before, but I had never seen it outside of a bag. Which made me reflect on how far away Americans have strayed from the traditional practices and mediums of tea. Pu-erh had an earthy, full, and almost dull flavor the first round. It kind of smelled like animal when it was stepped, and a smell was not very noticeable at all to my senses when the leaves were still dry.
Oolong
When I smelled the steeped oolong tea I exclaimed outloud, “I want to bathe in this!” The smell…is sweet and and floral. It is not overwhelming and yet it stands its ground.
It is also a protector of the human body. High mountain oolong, as well as green tea, has an amino acid called theanine which helps you feel elevated, calm, and clear. Which I imagine can help with cortizol levels in the body and the metabolism.
Images:
http://publications.nscds.org/science/2016/01/29/the-lady-drinking-tea/