Did you know that the colour of tea that you see in the cup does not come exclusively from leaves and water? It depends equally on yourself.

 

    The colour is not an objective feature. It is also a psychological impression which depends on how your eye and brain interpret light. It is affected not only by the radiation elements and intensity, but also the surroundings, other colours within your field of vision, your health, well-being or even mood at a given time. The perception of colours is develops throughout your entire life: through experiences, culture, memory and sensitivity.

 

    The same applies to tea.

 

    The colour of dried leaves and infusion results primarily from the degree of fermentation. The Chinese tea tradition distinguishes the so-called six types of tea: green, white, yellow, turquoise, red and black, from unfermented to post-fermented ones. It is a system based on the process, and not on what you see in the cup.

 

    Here is where the cultural differences start.

 

    What is called red tea in China is known as black tea in Europe. In turn, the Chinese black teas are often known in western terminology as red teas. Another distinguished colour is blue, which is often used to describe oolong teas. In Poland they are classified as red teas, and in China as turquoise teas.

 

    Is any one of these versions “true”? All and none of them in a sense.

 

    The actual colour of the infusion depends not only on the type of tea, but also on the manner of brewing: water temperature, time and the quantity of leaves. And then there’s us our eyes, experiences and cultural codes. That is why the same tea may look amber to one person, copper to another and simply “dark” to someone else.

 

    This might be where its charm lies.