The retrograde sweetness and direct sweetness of Puer Tea are unique quality characteristics. Retrograde sweetness refers to a sweet sensation that gradually arises in the mouth after drinking the tea; this sweetness does not come directly from sugars but is instead the result of complex chemical reactions involving various substances in the tea leaves within the mouth. It is typically long-lasting and subtle. Direct sweetness, on the other hand, is a sweet taste that can be felt directly during the consumption of the tea and is more apparent and immediate than retrograde sweetness. The retrograde and direct sweetness of Puer tea are often closely related to factors such as the raw materials of the tea leaves, production techniques, and storage time. High-quality aged Puer teas have a richer and longer-lasting retrograde and direct sweetness, leaving a lingering aftertaste.
The Retrograde and Direct Sweetness of Puer Tea
The term “sweetness” generally approaches the meaning of “deliciousness!” This deliciousness refers to the sensation produced by food stimulating the taste buds. Therefore, besides sweetness, “sweetness” also means “deliciousness” in classical Chinese literature!
The retrograde sweetness of Puer tea occurs when the astringency and stimulation of the tea soup gradually disappear as it passes down the throat. Saliva begins to secrete slowly, and at this point, there is a sensation of moistness in the throat. This is what we call retrograde sweetness. When evaluating the quality of a tea, the longer the retrograde sweetness lasts, the better the tea is considered to be!
A typical characteristic of high-quality Puer tea when it goes down the throat is its retrograde sweetness, and for good teas, this sensation remains for a long time. Additionally, bitterness followed by retrograde sweetness is also a basic characteristic of tea. Bitterness followed by retrograde sweetness indicates a good tea, but if the retrograde sweetness is too short-lived, then it is not considered to be very good!
Sweetness refers to a taste, like that of Sugar or Honey. It can also mean “mild,” such as in the case of an ancient place name in Xi'an, “Sweet Water Well,” which does not mean that the well water is sweet but rather refers to fresh water. In some regional dialects, saying that a meal is “too sweet” actually means that it is not salty enough.
Sweetness is described through words like “refreshingly sweet” and “aromatic sweetness” when referring to the tea soup. Sweetness seems to be a sensation brought about by the tea soup.