Tea Glossary
-
Cultivar
A cultivar is a cultivated plant variety selected and maintained for particular characteristics. In tea, cultivar can influence leaf shape, growth pattern, yield, chemical composition, aroma and flavour. Cultivar is one of the reasons two teas grown in different places, or even processed in similar ways, can still taste different. It is part of the…
-
Curly Leaf
Curly leaf describes tea leaves that have been twisted, curled or rolled into a visibly irregular shape. Curled leaves are common in several tea traditions, particularly orthodox teas where leaf shape remains an important part of the finished appearance. The term describes form rather than a single tea category. Curly leaf can appear in black,…
-
Crepe Tea Leaf
Crepe tea leaf is a descriptive term used for tea leaf with a crinkled, folded or crepe-like appearance. The texture can result from the way leaves are handled during processing, including rolling and other forms of manipulation. The term is primarily visual. It does not identify one universal tea category or automatically indicate quality. To…
-
Common Tea
Common tea is an informal phrase that can mean ordinary, widely available or everyday tea. Unlike terms such as CTC, orthodox or black tea, it is not a precise technical category. The phrase is useful in consumer language but can be misleading when used as a quality judgement. A tea that is common in one…
-
Coarse Tea
Coarse tea is a descriptive term that can refer to tea material with relatively large, rough or less finely processed leaf particles. The term is not a universal quality grade, so its meaning depends on the context in which it is used. Coarse leaf can influence appearance and extraction, but it should not automatically be…
-
Cupping
Cupping is a structured method for evaluating tea by preparing samples under controlled conditions and comparing their appearance, aroma, flavour, and other sensory characteristics. It is widely used by tea producers, buyers and tasters. The purpose is not simply to enjoy a cup. Cupping makes comparison easier by reducing differences in brewing and allowing several…
-
Creaming in Tea
Creaming in tea is a change in the appearance of brewed tea in which the liquor can become cloudy or develop a cream-coloured haze, particularly as a strong tea cools. It is commonly associated with black tea and is linked to compounds formed during tea processing and extraction. Creaming is mainly a visual and physical…
-
CTC Tea
CTC tea is a style of tea made using the crush, tear, curl method. Instead of preserving the leaf in a relatively large, recognisable form, CTC processing breaks the leaf into small, granular pieces that curl into compact pellets. It is particularly important in India, especially Assam, where it is widely used for strong black…
-
Coppery Liquor
Coppery liquor is a tea-tasting description for brewed tea that appears reddish-orange, copper or warm copper-brown. The term is especially useful when describing black teas, including many Assam teas. Colour can provide clues about processing and extraction, but coppery liquor is not a guarantee of quality. The same tea can look different depending on concentration,…
-
Colour in Tea
The colour of tea usually refers to the appearance of the brewed liquor. Depending on the tea, it can range from pale yellow and green to golden, amber, copper, reddish-brown and deep brown. Colour is useful when tasting tea, but it should never be treated as a complete measure of quality or strength. Tea type,…