The Taste of Tea

 When drinking tea, our sensitive tongues quickly convey the flavors of the tea broth to our brains, which can create feelings of satisfaction or enjoyment. But what exactly are the substances that our tongues taste? The taste-contributing substances in tea broth can be summarized as follows: sugars, amino acids, phenolic compounds and their oxidation products (primarily catechins), purine alkaloids (mainly caffeine), organic acids, and tea saponins. Among these, catechins, amino acids, and caffeine have the greatest impact on the quality of tea. The taste of tea is a comprehensive response by our taste organs to the taste components present. Therefore, changes in the content and proportions of various taste components will affect the flavor of the tea broth. Astringency — Phenolic Compounds and Their Oxidation Products Catechins are the highest-content phenolic compounds in tea broth. Esters of catechins impart a bitter and astringent taste with strong astringency. The astringency experienced when drinking tea is primarily due to ester-type catechins reacting with oral mucosal proteins to form insoluble substances, causing a drying sensation. From a sensory perspective, astringency is also produced by stimulation of tactile nerve endings. Bitterness — Purine Compounds (Primarily Caffeine) Caffeine is the main taste-contributing purine compound in…