All the six flavor wheels of Taiwan tea have arrived! Effectively distinguish between Chinese and Vietnamese tea, delicate vocabulary to help consumers find tea

445 sharing

The tea market has launched the Taiwan characteristic tea flavor wheel, and today (21) the six major flavor wheels have finally arrived! In order to make it easier for consumers to "find tea," tea flavor wheels have been launched. After six months of tea transformation, following the introduction of fragrant strip-shaped seed tea, roasted spherical oolong tea and Taiwan black tea in January, the tea market has further developed Taiwan green tea, fragrant spherical oolong tea and oriental beauty tea, and completed the flavor map of Taiwan's characteristic tea.

Su Zongzhen, director of the tea transformation venue, said that the annual export volume of Taiwan tea is about 10,000 metric tons, and almost all of them are high-quality tea. this addition will effectively distinguish the differences between Taiwan characteristic tea and Chinese and Vietnamese tea, which is more beneficial to the export of Taiwan characteristic tea. Taiwan tea export targets Europe and Japan, and different language versions will be made in the second half of the year to facilitate export.

Photography / Lin Yijun already has the Riyue Lake black tea flavor wheel in 2017, and this year it has been extended to the six major specialty teas in Taiwan.

Su Zongzhen said that there are many characteristic teas in various parts of Taiwan, and there are many tea varieties in Taiwan, which have different local characteristics due to their growth altitude, climate and hydrological conditions, and then derive different types of teas. Common teas are classified according to the degree of fermentation and can be subdivided into six special teas according to the production process. They are Taiwan green tea, oriental beauty tea, fragrant strip oolong, alpine oolong tea (fragrant spherical), roasted spherical oolong (Tieguanyin, red oolong, Dongding Oolong Tea), and Taiwan black tea.

The flavor wheel has been used in the evaluation of coffee for many years. In order to more systematically market Taiwan black tea abroad, the Riyue Lake black tea flavor wheel was launched in 2017 in cooperation with the industry. At that time, the flavor wheel was classified by color, aroma and taste. Since last year, on the basis of this flavor wheel, the tea market has expanded the scope of evaluation to specialty teas from all over Taiwan.

Su Zongzhen explains that the launch of Flavor Wheel is to make it convenient for consumers to find tea, they no longer have to be trapped by special terms of professional evaluation, and reduce the information gap between consumers, tea farmers and tea merchants. Consumers can "understand at a glance" the flavor characteristics of tea in front of them.

Photo source / tea change briefing

On January 20 this year, three flavor wheels were launched in the tea market, and three flavor wheels were launched again half a year later. Su Zongzhen said that this is equivalent to the arrival of all the flavor wheels of Taiwan tea, and the flavor wheel is also combined with the Taiwan tea classification and grading system TAGs, and evaluation experts can use the words on the round to grade the tea. At present, it has been used in domestic excellent tea competitions, such as the organic tea grading evaluation held for the first time this year. It is estimated that the application of Flavor Wheel will increase the price of competition tea by 30%.

The flavor card made after the actual use of the flavor wheel in each tea area (Photography _ Lin Yijun) 495 tea samples from all over the country, the flavor wheel modified by tea farmers and evaluated by experts in the tea field.

The tea areas in Taiwan are different from each other, while the tea in the cup has its own advantages. Even if it is oolong tea, drinking from north to south, and then from west to east, the taste is different. Does the flavor wheel generalize the tea from all parts of Taiwan?. How is the tea from various districts made into a flavor wheel? Dr. Qiu Chuifeng, deputy director of the tea market, explained that the flavor wheel was made last year, and the tea samples from various tea areas were evaluated and summarized by the experts in the tea field one by one.

"Taiwan tea is very strong, and few countries can drink different kinds of tea from north to south." The six flavor wheels come from 495 tea samples. through the comments of more than 20 experts in the tea market, Chiu Chui-feng explains that the distance between experts and consumers lies in the fineness of the senses. He takes Wenshan tea as an example: "most people will smell the fragrance of flowers. Experts will tell what kind of flower it is."

Photo source / tea change briefing

Chiu Chui-feng says that the feelings of smell and taste are quite subjective, so if the characteristics that most experts can drink will be given priority. After the first round of evaluation, people who will not drink tea in the tea field will be asked to help correct it. After the flavor round is set, it will also be evaluated by tea farmers, which will be revised repeatedly before it will be introduced.

There are different colors and different sizes of circles on the flavor wheel. Su Zongzhen explained that the color of the flavor wheel is to compare the tea with the color card, and the closer the round is to the inner circle is the main feature. take the Oriental Beauty launched this time as an example, the Oriental Beauty has obvious fruit aroma, so the inner circle will be marked, and the more to the outer circle, the more detailed the aroma description of Oriental Beauty Tea will be, such as green fruit, ripe fruit, dried fruit and so on. "to help Taiwan tea establish standards and consistency in a scientific way."

Oriental Beauty Tea, with ripe fruit aromas such as longan and litchi and honey aroma (Photo _ Lin Yijun)