Many Tea enthusiasts may have a question: should we make a sound when Drinking Tea?
We've all heard the argument that:
Making a “tsk-tsk” sound while sipping tea is a sign of approval for the host's tea, with louder sounds indicating greater appreciation.
However, many tea lovers find the “whoosh” sound made while drinking tea to be odd and impolite.
In fact, this behavior, though seemingly unrefined, is actually the most professional and authentic way to taste tea.
In fact, making a sound when drinking tea has historical records.
The more official record is based on tea evaluation, a method known as the “suction method”:
Curl the sides of your tongue
Rapidly suck in the tea
This will create a “tsk-tsk” sound
If necessary, “tsk-tsk” several times
To quickly expose the entire mouth to the tea
Taste the flavor
Then let the tea's aroma directly reach the palate
Transmitting it to the olfactory senses
Hold the tea in the mouth
Stir the tea using various techniques
To fully engage with the taste buds on the tongue
Once a judgment can be made about the tea
It is spat out
In tea evaluation, you do not swallow the tea.
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Is Sipping Tea Silently Unprofessional?
To answer this question, first understand the true process of tasting tea: once the tea is brewed and poured into a tasting Cup, we can start by carefully smelling the aroma, admiring the color of the tea, then slowly sip it, holding it in the mouth and tasting it with the tip of the tongue, allowing the tea's fragrance to permeate every cell in the mouth, and then slowly swallowing it, letting our body fully enjoy its Beauty.
Does professional tea tasting require making a sound while sipping? This is entirely up to personal preference, it doesn't matter.
The tea evaluation method follows a “fast and accurate” strategy, which may lead to evaluators becoming somewhat rigid over time; the tea tasting method follows a “slow and refined” strategy, even if there is a slight lack of sparks.
Being professional has little to do with whether one makes a sound while drinking tea. Each trained evaluator should have a standard measure within themselves, and this measure should always remain as unyielding as diamond, fearless in any situation or with anyone, able to accurately judge the taste of the tea and honestly convey the results.
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How Should One Taste Tea?
Suck: As the edge of the tea touches the lips, draw an appropriate amount of tea into the mouth, capturing the aroma of the entire cup of tea.
Curl: After the tea enters the mouth, curl the tip of the tongue, placing it in the middle of the tea. The tongue can be moved up and down a few times, providing a more direct sense of the thickness and delicacy of the tea.
Sip: Slightly open the lips, inhale air, and swirl the tea around the mouth. This allows both the aroma and flavor of the tea to be fully experienced, enabling a comprehensive assessment and differentiation of the tea's taste.