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- A Glossary of Tea Terminology -
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Name
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Is a ...
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Explanation
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Afternoon tea
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-
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light meal served around 4pm with tea
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Assam
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Location
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Bengal NE India; a strong tea
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Assamica
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Variety
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of Camellia
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Astringency
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Taste
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sharp dry taste caused by unoxidized polyphenols
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Autumnal
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Leaf type
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harvested in autumn
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Baggy
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Taste
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poor taste due to inferior hessian sacks
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Bancha
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Variety
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Japanese green tea
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Basket-Fired
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Process
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for Japanese green teas
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Bergamot
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-
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small tree with pear-shaped fruit, whose rind produces essence used in some teas; also a type of mint with similar essence
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Billy
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Accessory
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Australian term; tin container suspended over fire to boil water for tea
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Billycan
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Accessory
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Australian term; tin container suspended over fire to boil water for tea
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Biscuity
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Taste
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a particular aroma of infused leaf; good
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Black
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Process
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fully fermented
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Black
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Leaf colour
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desirable leaf appearance
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Black Dragon
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Process
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another name for Oolong
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Blend
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Process
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mixture of teas, usually to produce a consistent taste over the seasons
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Bloom
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Quality
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leaf appearance; bloom or sheen; a good sign
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Bloomfield
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Location
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Darjeeling tea garden
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Body
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Taste
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good taste; full and strong
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Bohea
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Leaf type
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stalks
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Bold
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Quality
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some leaves too big for the grade
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BOP
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-
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see Broken, Orange & Pekoe
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Brassy
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Taste
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poor taste; metallic
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Brew (verb)
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Process
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of making tea into a drink by adding boiling water
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Brew (noun)
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-
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British slang for tea drink
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Brick
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Process
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old leaves, stems & twigs made into blocks
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Bright
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Quality
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a particular appearance of liquor; usually good
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Bright
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Taste
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fresh and lively taste; slightly astringent; good
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Brisk
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Taste
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fresh and lively taste; slightly astringent; good
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Broken
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Leaf type
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smaller or broken leaves
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Brown
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Leaf colour
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a bad sign
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Burned
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Taste
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poor taste from over-firing
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Cachar
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Location
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N India; medium strength; most common variety
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Caffeine
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Constituent
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chemical responsible for stimulant effect of tea
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Cardamon
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Blend
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contains cardamon
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Castleton
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Location
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Darjeeling tea garden
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Camellia
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Species
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botanical name of tea bush
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Caravan
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Blend
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Keemun & Oolong
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Celebration
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Blend
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Ceremony
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Process
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location, process & preparation of Japanese ceremonial tea
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Ceylon
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Location
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old name of Sri Lanka
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Chai
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-
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(or any spelling with similar sound) word for tea in India; always with milk and very sweet
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Char
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-
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British slang for tea drink
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Character
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Taste
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good taste; characteristic of its origin
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Chest
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Accessory
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Clasic container used to ship bulk tea; made of thin plywood with tin edges
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Chesty
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Taste
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taint from poor packaging
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China
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Location
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May be green or any other kind of tea
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Ching Wo
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Location
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China; strong black teas
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Choice
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Quality
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Oolong only: the best. Japanese green only: very good
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Choicest
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Quality
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Japanese green only: almost the best
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Chunky
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Leaf type
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very large broken leaves
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Chunmee
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Location
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China; sweet green tea, rolled leaves
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Classic
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Blend
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Clean
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Quality
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leaf free from all dust, stalks and other bits
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Congou
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Location
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any of several China teas; N China Congou very high quality
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Coarse
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Taste
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strong but unpleasant taste
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Common
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Taste
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light and non-distinctive taste
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Coppery
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Quality
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brght appearance of infused leaf; good
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Cream
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-
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precipitate of cooled tea
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Cream tea
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-
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afternoon tea with the emphasis on dairy cream, often clotted cream on scones with jam
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Crepy
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Leaf type
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leaf with crimped appearance
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Crown
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Blend
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CTC
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Process
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machine used after drying; Cut, Tear & Curl; affects taste
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Curling
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Process
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another name for rolling
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Curly
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Leaf type
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whole, or almost whole, curled leaves
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Darjeeling
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Location
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Himalayan NE India; a delicate tea, considered the best
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Dark
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Quality
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infused leaf is not bright; poor
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Decaffeinate
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Process
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removal of caffeine via solvents
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Dickoya
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Location
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Sri Lanka; medium strength tea
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Dimbula
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Location
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in Sri Lanka; a high grown tea
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Dong Yang Dong Bai
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Variety
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a high quality China tea
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Dooars
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Location
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N India; medium strength tea
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Dragonmoon
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Blend
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Darjeeling and Assam
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Dry
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Taste
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slightly over-fired; bad
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Drying
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Process
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drying of fermented leaves
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Dull
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Quality
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liquor is not bright; poor
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Dust
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Leaf size
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smallest leaf pieces used
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Earl Grey
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Blend
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contains bergamot essence with China & Darjeeling
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Earthy
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Taste
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taste resulting from damp storage; bad
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Earthy
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Taste
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characteristic taste of tea from certain regions
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Empty
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Taste
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weak and tasteless; bad
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English Breakfast
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Blend
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strong; usually Indian & Ceylon teas
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English Afternoon
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Blend
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delicate; mostly Ceylon teas
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Estate
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Location
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property containing a number of gardens; except in Ceylon where it means 'garden'
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Even
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Quality
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leaves are all correct size for the grade
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Extra Choicest
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Quality
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Japanese green only: the best
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Fannings
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Leaf size
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small leaf pieces; usually in teabags
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Fermentation
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Process
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oxidation of rolled leaves (not fermentation at all)
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Fine
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Quality
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Oolong only: very good.
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Fine
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Quality
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Japanese green only: almost as good as Finest
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Finest
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Quality
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Oolong only: almost the best. Japanese green only: very good
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Fine Young Hyson
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Leaf type
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young long green leaves rolled or twisted
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Firing
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Process
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heating in manufacture of tea
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Five O'clock
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Blend
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of Ceylon teas
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Flaky
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Leaf type
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flat uncurled leaf pieces
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Flat
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Taste
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taste of tea made from stale leaves
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Flowery
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Leaf colour
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yellow tip or bud (ie young) leaves (China/Sumatra)
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Flush
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Leaf type
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(1st, 2nd or 3rd) harvest from a bush during the growing season. 1st is late February to mid-April; 2nd is May & June
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Formosa
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Location
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Taiwan
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French
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Blend
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Chinese and Indian or Ceylon teas
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Fruity
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Taste
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taste resulting from overfermentation; bad
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Full
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Taste
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good strength and colour
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Garden
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Location
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specific tea plantation
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Georgian
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Location
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Russia (now Georgia)
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Gielle
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Location
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Darjeeling tea garden
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Golden
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Leaf type
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leaf-tips
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Good
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Quality
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Oolong only: average
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Grade
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Leaf size
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word means 'leaf size', not quality or taste
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Grainy
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Leaf type
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applied to LTP or CTC -processed teas: good leaf appearance
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Green
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Process
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unfermented
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Green
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Quality
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of a fermented (black) tea - underfermented; poor
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Grey
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Leaf colour
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poor leaves abraded during processing
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Gunpowder
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Leaf type
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young green leaves each rolled into a tiny ball
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Gunpowder
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Leaf type
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best grade of China green tea
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Gyokuru
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Variety
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'Precious Dew'; Japanese green tea made by unusual process
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Heavy
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Taste
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strong but not very good
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Her Majesty's
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Blend
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created for Q. Victoria; India, Ceylon, Taiwan & China teas
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High-fired
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Quality
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over-fired but not as bad as 'bakey'
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High Grown
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Location
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above about 4000 ft above sea level
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HMB
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Blend
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see Her Majesty's Blend
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Hyson
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Leaf type
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older hyson (see Young Hyson)
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Hyson Skin
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Leaf type
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very old unrolled green leaves; inferior
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Iced Tea
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-
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stewed tea gone cold and served with ice
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I-Chang
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Location
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China
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Imperial
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Leaf type
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old leftover gunpowder
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Imperial
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Leaf type
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large round rolled leaf, green, good quality
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Imperial
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Blend
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Imperial Plucking
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Process
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Method used for the Emperor of China's tea. Cutting the bud & youngest leaf only, using gold scissors and by gloved young virgins.
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Imperial Russian
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Blend
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of India & China teas; contains Bergamot & other citrus essences; not Russian
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In-Between
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Leaf type
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Darjeeling between 1st and 2nd flush
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Indonesia
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Location
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teas are similar to Sri Lanka
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Infusion
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Process
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release of flavours after boiling water is poured on leaves
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Instant
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Process
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tea extract reconstituted with hot water
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Irish Breakfast
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Blend
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strong; usually Indian & Ceylon teas
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Jasmine
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Blend
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green or black & green China teas with jasmine flowers
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Java Taloon
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Variety
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Indonesian
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Kandy
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Location
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in Sri Lanka; a strong tea
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Keemun
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Location
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NE China (also Keemun Congou)
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Kenya
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Location
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similar to Assam teas
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Lacking
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Taste
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neutral; no strength or character
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Lady Londonderry
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Blend
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Lapsang Souchong
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Location
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strong-flavoured black tea from China or any of several locations
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Leaf
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Leaf type
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whole leaves
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Leafy
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Leaf type
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large leaf pieces
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Light
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Leaf type
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lightweight due to low density; a bad sign
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Light
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Taste
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no strength or colour
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Low Grown
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Location
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below about 2000 ft above sea level
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LTP
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Process
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machine used after drying; Lawrie Tea Processor; affects taste
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Luaka
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Location
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in Sri Lanka; a delicate tea
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Lung Ching
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Variety
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'Dragon Well'; strong green China tea
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Mainland Oolong
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Location
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China
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Make
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Quality
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well-made tea true to its grade (poorly-made not true to grade)
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Malty
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Taste
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tastes of malt; good characteristic in Assam teas
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Margaret's Hope
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Location
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Darjeeling tea garden
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Malaysia
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Location
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Matcha
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Variety
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Japanese green tea; always powdered
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Medium Grown
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Location
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between low and high grown teas
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Metallic
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Taste
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poor taste; metallic
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Monkey Picked
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Location
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Tea generally in inacessible locations allegedly picked by trained monkeys
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Muddy
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Quality
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opaque liquor; bad
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Muscatel
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Taste
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tastes of grapes; good characteristic in Darjeeling teas
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Mushy
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Quality
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not dried sufficiently during manufacture
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Musty
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Quality
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mildewed
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Namring
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Location
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Darjeeling tea garden
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Napuk
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Location
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Assam tea garden
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Neat
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Quality
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well-made
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New York
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Blend
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Nibs
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Quality
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below average
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Nilgiri
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Location
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Nilgiri Hills, SW India; delicate taste
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Ning Chow
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Location
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N China
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Numalighur
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Location
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Assam tea garden
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Nuwara Eliya
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Location
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in Sri Lanka; a delicate tea
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Oolong
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Process
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semi-fermented; originally and usually from China
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Orange
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Leaf colour
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yellow tip or bud leaves
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Orange Pekoe
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Leaf size
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small leaves. Alternatively means thin rolled leaf pieces
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Orange Pekoe
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Location
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China; similar to Souchong
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Orthodox
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Process
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machine used after drying; affects taste
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Ouvah
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Location
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see Uva
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Pai Mu Tan
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Variety
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white China tea
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Paklum
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Location
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China
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Pan-Fired
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Process
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for Japanese green teas
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Panyong
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Location
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China
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Pearl
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Process
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Small ball of large-leaf tea
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Peking
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Location
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Beijing
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Pekoe
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Leaf size
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medium-sized leaves; pronounced "pek-oh". Alternatively means 'leaf' and not a leaf size
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Pi Lo Chun
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Variety
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'Spiral of Spring Jade'; mild green China tea
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Plain
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Taste
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neutral
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Polyphenols
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Constituent
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chemicals responsible for basic taste of tea
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Poonakandy
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Blend
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-
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Pouchong
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Process
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semi-fermented
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Pouchong
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Blend
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Oolong with gardenia or jasmine
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Pungent
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Taste
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strong and bright
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Pushkin
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Blend
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includes bergamot
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Puttabong
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Location
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Darjeeling area; high quality
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Queen Anne
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Blend
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-
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Queen Mary
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Blend
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Darjeelings
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Queen's Tea
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Blend
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created for Q. Victoria; Darjeeling with China, Ceylon & Assam
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Ragged
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Quality
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badly made and unevenly graded tea
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Rolling
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Process
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crushing of withered leaves
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Rooibos
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Variety
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Not a tea; leaves of ???? bush processed as tea; popular in South Africa
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Rose
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Blend
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any of several teas with rose petals
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Rose Congou
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Blend
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Congou with rose petals
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Rotorvane
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Process
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machine used after drying; affects taste
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Russian
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Location
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Azerbaidjan or Georgia
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Russian
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Blend
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China tea; lightly smoked; popular in and popularised by Russians
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Russian Blend
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Blend
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various China teas
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Russian Caravan
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Blend
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black tea, constituents vary. In the 18th and 19th Centuries all tea was imported into Russia overland by camel caravans from China; this may be the origin of the name
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Russian Imperial
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Blend
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of India, Ceylon and China teas
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Samovar
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Accessory
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Russian term; a heated container providing permanent supply of hot water for making tea.
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Sencha
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Variety
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Japanese green tea, whole unrolled leaves
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Seychelles
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Location
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-
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Siaou Chu
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Leaf type
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same as Gunpowder
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Silver Dragon
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Variety
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sweet green China tea
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Sinensis
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Variety
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of Camellia
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Soft
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Taste
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insipid; not bright; bad
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Smoked
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Process
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fermented and smoke-dried
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Souchong
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Leaf size
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large inferior leaves making poor tea
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Sowmee
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Leaf type
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worse than Twankay
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Sri Lanka
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Location
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new name of Ceylon; a wide range of teas
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Standard
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Quality
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Oolong only: below average
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Steaming
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Process
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in manufacture of green tea
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Stewed
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Taste
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unpleasant taste caused by incorrect firing
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Stewed
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Taste
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unpleasant taste caused by overlong infusion of leaves after brewing
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Superior
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Quality
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Oolong only: good
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Sweaty
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Taste
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unpleasant taste
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Sylhet
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Location
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Bangladesh
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Tannin
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Constituent
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erroneous name for Poyphenols
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Tarry
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Process
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fermented and smoke-dried
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Tarry
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Quality
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smoky aroma of infused leaf
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Tea
|
-
|
the subject of this glossary
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Tea
|
-
|
evening meal served around 5pm to 6pm; often in the North of England and/or eaten by the working and middle classes
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Teacake
|
-
|
flattish bread bun with raisins; usually toasted, heavily buttered, and served with a cup of tea
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Tea cozy
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Accessory
|
insulated cover for teapot, usually made of wool or wool-like material; currently unfashionable
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Teacup
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Accessory
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drinking vessel for tea
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Teapot
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Accessory
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container for brewed tea
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Teatowel
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Accessory
|
non-fluffy cotton towel used for drying crockery and utensils; not restricted to teacups
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Tea trolley
|
Accessory
|
trolley with tea urn, biscuits and so on; once common in large factories
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Tea urn
|
Accessory
|
large (perhaps 5 gallon) container for brewing and dispensing tea in bulk. As it can take some time to dispense the contents the tea is often stewed
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Teetotal
|
-
|
abstaining from alchohol; but the "tee" is unconnected with tea the drink, it is probably an emphasis of the initial t in total
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Temi
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Variety
|
Sikkim; similar to Darjeeling
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Terai
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Location
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N India
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Theaceae
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Family
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to which Camellia sinensis belongs
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Theobromine
|
Constituent
|
chemical; similar effect to caffeine
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Theophylline
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Constituent
|
chemical; similar effect to caffeine
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Thin
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Taste
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insipid
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Thowra
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Location
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Assam tea garden
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Ti Kuan Yin
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Variety
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'Iron Goddess of Mercy'; China/Formosa Oolong
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Tips
|
Leaf type
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bud & top two leaves on stalk; highest concentration of flavours
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Tippy
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Leaf type
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leaf-tips
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Tisane
|
-
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a 'tea' made from something other than Camellia Sinensis
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Travancore
|
Location
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S India; strong
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Tscheinik
|
Blend
|
very strong tea popular in Russia
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Tung Ting
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Variety
|
China/Formosa Oolong
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Twankay
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Leaf type
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old unrolled green leaves; inferior
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Upper Namring
|
Location
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Darjeeling area; high quality
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Uva
|
Location
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Central Mountains, Sri Lanka; a strong tea
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Weedy
|
Taste
|
grassy taste due to under-drying
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|
Well-made
|
Quality
|
conforms to its required grade (see Make)
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White
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Process
|
unfermented; no processing except for drying leaves. Rare
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White tip
|
Leaf type
|
Tightly curled leaf buds picked in spring; allegedly contains no caffeine
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Wilting
|
Process
|
same as Withering
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|
Wiry
|
Quality
|
appearance of thinly-twisted leaves
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Withering
|
Process
|
drying (or moistening) of freshly-picked leaves
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Woody
|
Taste
|
grassy taste due to under-drying
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|
Yamashiro
|
Location
|
Japan; high quality
|
|
Yin Zhen
|
Variety
|
'Silver Needles'; white China tea. Rare
|
|
Young Hyson
|
Leaf type
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medium age long green leaves rolled or twisted
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Yunan
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Location
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SW China
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Terminology The terms in this glossary have been divided into six main categories plus a number of minor ones. The categories overlap somewhat; note especially that variety, location and leaf type are sometimes interchangeable. The information has been collected from numeorus sources and you will see that some of the explanations are contradictory. You will also note that many terms describe physical features of tea and not how good it tastes--in contrast to the common English use of these words which would infer taste characteristics.
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Tea Grades These are shown below from small whole leaves (the generally better quality) down to large broken leaves and finally dust; they are often abbreviated, e.g. the first item in the list is TGFOP. Tippy, golden, flowery & orange usually refer to the type of leaf; broken, pekoe, fannings & dust refer to the size of the whole or broken leaf:
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Tippy golden flowery orange pekoe
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Golden flowery orange pekoe
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Flowery orange pekoe
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Orange pekoe
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Tippy golden broken orange pekoe
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Golden broken orange pekoe
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Flowery broken orange pekoe
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Broken orange pekoe
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Broken pekoe
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Broken orange pekoe fannings
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Golden orange fannings
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Orange fannings
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Pekoe fannings
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Pekoe dust
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Dust
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