A critically important chapter in the history of human civilization has been written by fragrances. Those invisible scents have established the closest and most mysterious connection between humans and nature. Humans, relying on this marvelous relationship, have experienced significant enhancement and progress in every aspect, from the material to the spiritual, from the sensory to the mental, from religion to politics, and from science to art.
However, contemporary people, living in an extremely realistic yet virtual society, are constantly exposed to all kinds of informational “stimuli,” making our inner space seem increasingly “powerful.”
Simultaneously, with our daily indulgence in flavorful foods and spicy Drinks, our tastes seem to have become increasingly bold. Over time, many people have realized that their senses have regressed significantly, and there is a certain barrier between their sense of smell and fragrances…
Nowadays, with the revival of Puer tea at the beginning of the new century, the era of Puer tea consumption is dawning, and identifying and appreciating its aroma has been elevated to unparalleled heights. Even in general tea evaluation, aroma alone accounts for 30% to 40% of the total score, demonstrating the crucial role and significance of smelling in the enjoyment of tea.
Therefore, many people, because of their love for Puer tea, have gained an opportunity to redeem their senses, reviving their sense of smell through the tea's fragrance. It could also be said that the resurgence of Puer tea in modern times has virtually sparked an aromatic renaissance in China.
In fact, tea tasting is indeed a comprehensive experience and enjoyment that involves vision, olfaction, touch, and taste. However, the role of olfaction in the tasting process surpasses other senses. It can almost directly and without engaging the outer cerebral cortex, enjoy the tea's aroma through a relatively direct “chemical reaction.” Moreover, physiologists have confirmed that while the human eye can discern at most two thousand colors, the nose can distinguish between three thousand to ten thousand odors.
From a spatial perspective, even an aroma as minute as one part in two millionth of a millimeter can be detected by the sense of smell, whereas touch would be powerless. Considering taste, the flavors we detect with our mouths are actually quite limited, mostly sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty. Other flavors are perceived through the sense of smell. In this regard, our sense of smell can be considered the first great contributor among our sensory systems.
Therefore, when the rich, diverse, pure, active, persistent, and ever-changing aromas of Puer tea fill our surroundings, many people can distinguish over thirty different types of fragrances, including fresh, camphor, woody, orchid, Ginseng, jujube, downy, honey, sugarcane, apple, watermelon, lemon, Rose, Jasmine, gardenia, plum, pine nut, and mushroom aromas. These odors have a profound material basis; chemical analysis has identified approximately seven hundred aromatic substances in tea so far. Each aroma changes and evolves due to differences in the tea variety's genetic makeup, regional characteristics, processing methods, storage environment and duration, and brewing techniques.
These incredible and intangible tea fragrances, the more they change and approach perfection, the more difficult it becomes to express them accurately and completely with words, much like a polyphonic piece of music. We can remember and enjoy them with our sensory memory, but we find it challenging to recount them.
In this process, fragrances perfectly nourish and elevate our sensory system, enabling us to transition from a focus on visual appeal and taste to an appreciation of fragrance, smelling, and a fondness for it. Smelling thus becomes a new way to cultivate our spirit and improve our quality of life.
By elevating and reviving the ancient Chinese literati's passion for smelling fragrances in our daily tea rituals, we make Puer tea leaves an indispensable element in the world of aromatic culture.
Bathing in this tea fragrance, we feel an abundance of poetry, the power of dreams, and a world of our own unfolds within the scent, where visions, memories, and reveries intertwine. We focus on tasting the tea and smelling the fragrance, thereby filling us with enthusiasm and confidence in this noisy and contentious planet.
Originally published in Puer Magazine
Author: Yang Yang
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