Being able to articulate what your five senses are telling you is a skill only a few can master. For example, being able to taste tea and tell what’s being added or describe the experience is a skill very few have. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t master the art of tasting tea even if you’re not a pro.
Knowing how to use your sensory organs, particularly your nose, tongue, and eyes, is the first step to tasting herbal wellness tea like a pro. So, if you’re a novice, or even if you’ve never given tasting tea much thought, there are a few pointers that will help you get better and taste like a pro in no time. Below are five steps to take when you want to taste tea.
· Step 1: Observe The Tea
The first step to tasting tea like a pro is to be observant. A lot goes into getting the correct perception of a cup of tea when you taste it. So, firstly, ensure you rinse your mouth, so the taste of the tea is not altered by any aftertaste of previous things you’ve eaten. Next, you want to inspect the color of the cup of herbal wellness tea. The tone of the color also goes into creating the right taste perception. Also, feel the temperature when you pick up the cup of tea. Sometimes when the tea temperature is too hot, you’d need an accurate perception of the taste. And when it’s too cold, the taste is quite different. So the temperature of any particular type of tea needs to be ideal.
· Step 2: Smell The Aroma
The next thing you want to observe is the aroma. The aroma of a tea is essential, the biggest part of any herbal wellness tea you brew. The aroma is present in the flavonoids of the tea. Different tea produces different aroma, which is their unique signature. So having a good smell of the tea goes a long way in helping you get a reasonable interpretation when you taste it. Don’t just stick your nose near the cup to smell the tea. So, first, take a deep breath in and out, away from the cup. Then at a reasonable distance from the cup of herbal wellness tea, smell the aroma, then breathe out. You can try this two or three times until you have a good idea of the aroma.
· Step 3: Sip And Breathe Over The Tea
And now, the most important part of tasting herbal wellness tea is sipping the tea. Many people make the mistake of taking a big sip, or more like a drink. The correct way is to slurp the tea. When you slurp the tea, take note not to do it in a provocative way that makes such a loud noise. Also, slurping your tea helps it cools down before getting to your tongue. The slurping action aerates your mouth, and this helps to encourage different layers of flavors and aromas in your mouth. With the tea in your mouth, take your time to swallow. To get a good idea of what’s in your mouth, breath over the tea. This breathing action with the tea in your mouth helps you get more aroma deep into your nasal passage for better articulation.
· Step 4: Swallow Slowly.
When you do finally swallow the tea, do it slowly. Swallow so slowly that it almost feels like you can feel the tea slowly going down your throat. When you swallow, slowly gives your tongue enough time to process the taste of the tea. Also, the slow swallowing action allows the tea to be spread over more areas of your tongue, thus getting in touch with more taste buds.
· Step 5: Repeat
Lastly, repeat the process a couple of times. You need more than one slurp to get all the information about the taste of a herbal wellness tea. So, you should slurp the tea at least twice or thrice to get a good taste. When you repeat the tasting process, give space. Take your time getting another taste when you have the first taste, process what you just experienced, and interpret it in words. Also, breathe after each taste. Try to experience what the tea tastes like at mid-temperature as well.
Overall, anyone can taste a herbal wellness tea like a pro if they know what to look for. As you can see in this guide, even if it’s your first time tasting tea, you can still do it like a pro. Follow the steps in this guide, and you’re good to go.
