As herbalists, many of us create infusions (teas) with health and wellness in mind, choosing herbs based on what constituents they can provide us. As tea enthusiasts, we also care about the tea-drinking experience and the synergistic way that the flavors and aromas of different herbs can join together when put in hot water. It is this synergy that comes into play with tasting notes. Tasting notes are the descriptive language that connoisseurs use to help us understand the nuances at play in each cup: a set of terms to describe visual cues, aromas, taste, sensations, and more. I can’t tell you why ‘tangy, lively, and refreshing’ are the flavor notes in my everyday go-to drink-it-all-day herbal tea, but knowing those terms helps steer me toward other herbs and spices that work well together when making my own herbal tea blends.
Fun factoid: Caffeine-free herbal infusions are technically called tisanes. True tea is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Herbal tea is a modern colloquialism that more or less means botanical material steeped in water.
Although there is specific tasting note terminology for Camellia sinensis teas, herbal teas are wildly diverse in appearance, flavor, aroma, and more. And, because we use many of the same herbs and spices for culinary recipes and herbal formulating, the tasting notes we use often are the same ones used for food. The human tongue, on its own, can distinguish five tastes: bitter, salty, sour, sweet, and umami. However, because of the working relationship between the tongue, nose, throat, and brain, we can actually identify thousands of aromas and flavors that our tongue alone cannot.
Tasting a tea ingredient before purchasing is ideal, but if you’re buying a pre-blended herbal tea or tea herbs online, knowing what you like and being able to decipher the tasting notes will help you more successfully try new blends that you’re going to love. For instance, if you had an herbal tea once that was described as floral, and you either loved it or disliked it, you don’t need to exactly understand what the tea taster meant by the term floral; the word alone helps you know that you want to replicate that note in a tea blend or you want to avoid it at all costs. By exploring other floral herbs and spices, you may find a wealth of new herbs to add to your repertoire.
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Topics: Herbalism, Tea & Herbal Drinks
Heidi is an award winning freelance writer with a passion for urban homesteading. She has been honored to receive a number of literary prizes including the esteemed Pushcart Prize and an Individual Artists Award in Creative Writing from the Oregon Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. She is proud to have earned a certificate of completion for the Herbal Medicine Making Course at the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine. When she isn’t working in the garden, cleaning the henhouse, preserving food, crafting herbal formulations, or writing and editing content for really fantastic small businesses, you’ll likely find her with her nose in a book.
As herbalists, many of us create infusions (teas) with health and wellness in mind, choosing herbs based on what constituents they can provide us. As tea enthusiasts, we also care about the tea-drinking experience and the synergistic way that the flavors and aromas of different herbs can join together when put in hot water. It is this synergy that comes into play with tasting notes. Tasting notes are the descriptive language that connoisseurs use to help us understand the nuances at play in each cup: a set of terms to describe visual cues, aromas, taste, sensations, and more. I can’t tell you why ‘tangy, lively, and refreshing’ are the flavor notes in my everyday go-to drink-it-all-day herbal tea, but knowing those terms helps steer me toward other herbs and spices that work well together when making my own herbal tea blends.
Fun factoid: Caffeine-free herbal infusions are technically called tisanes. True tea is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Herbal tea is a modern colloquialism that more or less means botanical material steeped in water.
Although there is specific tasting note terminology for Camellia sinensis teas, herbal teas are wildly diverse in appearance, flavor, aroma, and more. And, because we use many of the same herbs and spices for culinary recipes and herbal formulating, the tasting notes we use often are the same ones used for food. The human tongue, on its own, can distinguish five tastes: bitter, salty, sour, sweet, and umami. However, because of the working relationship between the tongue, nose, throat, and brain, we can actually identify thousands of aromas and flavors that our tongue alone cannot.
Tasting a tea ingredient before purchasing is ideal, but if you’re buying a pre-blended herbal tea or tea herbs online, knowing what you like and being able to decipher the tasting notes will help you more successfully try new blends that you’re going to love. For instance, if you had an herbal tea once that was described as floral, and you either loved it or disliked it, you don’t need to exactly understand what the tea taster meant by the term floral; the word alone helps you know that you want to replicate that note in a tea blend or you want to avoid it at all costs. By exploring other floral herbs and spices, you may find a wealth of new herbs to add to your repertoire.
You May Also Enjoy:
Topics: Herbalism, Tea & Herbal Drinks
Heidi is an award winning freelance writer with a passion for urban homesteading. She has been honored to receive a number of literary prizes including the esteemed Pushcart Prize and an Individual Artists Award in Creative Writing from the Oregon Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. She is proud to have earned a certificate of completion for the Herbal Medicine Making Course at the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine. When she isn’t working in the garden, cleaning the henhouse, preserving food, crafting herbal formulations, or writing and editing content for really fantastic small businesses, you’ll likely find her with her nose in a book.
