Glossary of Tea Terms for Darjeeling Loose Leaf Teas

 

Here, Darjeeling tea aficionados will find, a list of tea terms to describe the Darjeeling loose leaf teas in its raw, dry, or infused state. The list is not exhaustive and any suggestion by tea experts for an inclusion of terms and their meaning not mentioned herein are welcome.

 

  • Bloom: A term used to referrer to the silken sheen, silvery hairy lustre on the tea leaves, resulting from the neatly distribution of fine pubescence on the leaf surface.

 

  • Bright: Referring to the infused tea leaves. The hue ranges from lively bright colour, as opposed to dull and varies from a delicate lime green ( with hints of fading coppery ) in the first flush or spring flush tea leaves to a bright copper-purple in second flush tea leaves and to a pale brown in autumn flush tea leaves.

 

  • Colour: It’s a term relating to the hue on dry tea leaves. Each flush has its own particular characteristics .
  •      First Flush Tea Leaves or Spring Tea as it is also commonly called has grayish-greenish.
  •      Second flush tea leaves or the summer tea leaves has a purplish-brown shade.
  •      Autumn Teas, have blackish brown hues.

 

  • Even: A term used for infused leaves for the uniformity of colour and size of the tea leaves.

 

  • Nose/Point: It’s a term referred to the infused leafs for their fragrance which has subtle hints of flowers or fruits or Muscatel character or sometimes showing characteristics of all three combined.

 

  • Stylish: A term used for referring to dry tea leafs which are wiry, neatly twisted and evenly sized.

 

  • Tippy: A term commonly referred to the unopened buds on the tea bush which are transformed into silvery particles called Tips, and which provide an attractive appearance in the ‘finished’ tea.

 

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