It's often said that the more you drink tea, the more discerning your palate becomes.
The term “discerning” here refers to being overly selective, and this trait can be observed in both Drinking Tea and eating meals.
But is becoming more discerning with tea a good thing or a bad thing? Today, Cup Xiaocha would like to hear what tea enthusiasts think.
There are two main ways in which one's palate becomes more discerning with tea.
Firstly, the variety of teas consumed increases.
For example, one might start by drinking Green Tea but then gradually explore new flavors, such as Black Tea, Pu'er, and Oolong.
Eating the same dishes every day can indeed become tiresome; regularly changing the menu keeps things interesting.
After drinking Oolong Tea, there might come a time when one wants to return to green tea, thus continually rotating between different types.
Secondly, the quality of tea consumed improves.
Quality, simply put, is closely tied to price.
When starting with Oolong tea, one might not be able to distinguish between good and bad teas, but over time, their ability to appreciate tea grows. They develop preferences for specific varieties and origins and form their own opinions on tea quality.
The teas they once enjoyed now seem inferior, and after tasting better teas, they always want something even better. If financial means allow, some might even spend extravagantly on teas beyond their budget purely for the sake of indulgence.
Being more discerning has its pros and cons.
The positive aspect is the improvement in one's ability to appreciate tea.
A discerning palate indicates exposure to various types and qualities of tea, honing one's taste.
If you find yourself becoming more critical of the teas you drink and can easily identify flaws in lower-quality teas while recognizing the excellence in high-quality ones, congratulations, your appreciation of tea has certainly improved.
The downside is potentially losing the joy of drinking tea.
The more teas one tries, the more flavors one experiences, and the less novelty there is in the exploration stage.
Sure, drinking tea is a sensory experience, but if one only seeks sensory pleasure, it becomes difficult to revert to simpler pleasures, and the initial joy of discovering tea may be forgotten.
Knowing the difference between good and bad teas without being overly picky, and maintaining a balanced perspective, is rare and commendable.
For those in the tea industry, it's important to not only drink high-quality teas but also to sample a range of grades and not limit oneself to expensive teas just because one's palate has become more discerning.
For casual enthusiasts, becoming more discerning could be a good thing, indicating an improving quality of life and a better understanding of what makes a good tea. As long as one drinks with happiness, avoids comparison, and maintains a balanced mindset, all is well.