Education – and by that, I mean product knowledge – is an excellent marketing tool when it comes to tea and specialty teas. Tasting, of course, is the best path to a solid foundation.
When considering China's teas, we see a tremendous variety – but what is the best way to approach so many types? There are various starting points, including history, learning about origins and places, learning about processing methods, and becoming acquainted with major cultivars. However, the most effective way to approach China’s teas, I believe, is through comparative tasting, in progressions, guided by fundamentals.
At the upcoming World Tea Conference + Expo – March 21-23 in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Convention Center – a special workshop will include a tasting over more than 30 teas from China, and it will present other teas for inspection. This ambitious list is not simply for the sake of breadth. Many attendees will have already taken classes about how to taste, and they will have learned about astringency, aroma, mouthfeel, balance and so on. How then may these skills be applied to a large selection, and how can one arrive at an understanding of the reasons that account for the results? All of this will be explored during the World Tea Conference + Expo Workshop, “China Teas, an In-Depth Tasting Journey,” on March 22 at 8:30 a.m. (You can register for the conference and workshop at WorldTeaExpo.com). The session will be presented by Danielle Hochstetter and sponsored by my company, Verileaf.
(Important Note: Some conference sessions at the World Tea Conference + Expo, including this workshop, are limited in seating and will be filled on site on a first-come, first-serve basis; plan to arrive early).
The tea selections for this workshop are not random choices from the major tea categories. Rather, each flight that will be tasted is meant to illustrate some aspect of place or method and to highlight how each relates to others in the same group. For example, most of China’s green teas are pan-fired with similar processing steps that follow. Do we then expect an overall sameness in taste, allowing merely for some variation based on different cultivars? How then do we make sense of all the different leaf shapes and styles, and what is the range of flavors in this one category, so minimally processed?
At the other end of the spectrum are fully oxidized black teas, and it wasn't too long ago that China Black teas meant OPs (or orange pekoe), Yunnan and Keemuns. Recent interest in black teas emerging in the domestic market has allowed this part of the tea spectrum to bloom, as more re-discovered types become available in the export sector. Through tasting and visual inspection, we gain a fresh perspective on what was once “just an export commodity.” For instance, old trees have always been prized, but now we see more affordable yields. The very slow and natural accumulation of the components that contribute to a high-quality tea makes these trees special beyond their simple age. During the upcoming workshop, we’ll learn something about intent, as well. For example, why are the beautifully crafted leaves of a first grade Keemun called “brokens” by those who make this tea?
Moving to Oolongs – teas that may appear simple because there are two basic styles from one major region – we find, through intensive tasting, why processing is “fussy” and what complexity in flavor means. Moving through reasoned flights, we can experience two teas from the same place, from the same cultivar, of the same grade, and yet dramatically different flavors.
Many World Tea attendees may have learned in “Tea 101” classes that one cultivar may be processed into different types – say, white and green teas. How this understanding translates into actual examples will be part of a comparative tasting. Familiarity with the basics of processing is a fine start, and through an immersive cupping session, the “why” behind the “how” emerges more clearly.
With tasting as the core focus, one is better equipped to approach each tea category knowing what to expect at what price points and what constitutes good value, leading to smarter buying decisions. When our tasting memory forms the foundation in our tea knowledge, we are better informed when cupping new samples, or evaluating comparable grades of one tea, and gain confidence in our assessments.
Don’t miss “China Teas, an In-Depth Tasting Journey” at the World Tea Conference + Expo, March 21-23. Register at WorldTeaExpo.com. The session will be presented by Danielle Hochstetter, the first American to get a master’s degree in tea science from a Chinese university. Hochstetter – who loves to talk about all things tea – has spent a significant amount of time in cupping rooms around the world, and she previously worked for Peet's Coffee in California, International Tea Importers and Teforia. In 2014, after six years in China, she graduated from the master’s program at Zhejiang University. Now based in North Carolina, she offers teas and tasting through her website, grandcrutea.com, and she volunteers at Camellia Forest Nursery in Chapel Hill, N.C.
As a direct importer of specialty teas from tea producing countries, Lydia Kung is a strong believer in promoting tea education. Her company, Verileaf, prepares tasting and product notes for its customers, touching upon critical issues such as how to assess quality through an appreciation of processing, how to establish benchmark and good value teas, elevating lexicon while conveying aromas and flavors, and understanding traceability. Kung evaluates many tea samples on a daily basis, and she’s served as a judge in numerous tea competitions. Visit Verileaf.com.
Don't Miss the World Tea Conference + Expo,
March 21-23, 2022
To learn about other key developments, trends, issues, hot topics and products within the global tea community, plan to attend the World Tea Conference + Expo, March 21-23, 2022. The event will be celebrating its 20th anniversary, in addition to being co-located with Bar & Restaurant Expo. Visit WorldTeaExpo.com.
To book your sponsorship or exhibit space at the next World Tea Conference + Expo, contact:
Veronica Gonnello
(for companies A to G)
e: [email protected]
p: 212-895-8244
Tim Schultz
(for companies H to Q)
e: [email protected]
p: (917) 258-8589
Fadi Alsayegh
(for companies R to Z)
e: [email protected]
p: 917-258-5174
Also, be sure to stay connected with the World Tea Conference + Expo on social media, for details and insights about the event. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.