Tea with a beer aroma

Each tea has its own characteristic aroma. Did you know that experts can recognise notes of… vegetables and malt in the scent of tea? It turns out that unfermented teas often smell of vegetables, while fermented teas have a malt aroma.

The aroma of tea originates from essential oils and their interactions with organic acids present in the infusion. The most intense aroma is released in the first two to three minutes of brewing. After six minutes, the aroma almost completely disappears. It is worth noting that, by varying the tea brewing time, we determine its aroma – short brewing prevents theine from binding with tannins, which results in a refreshing and stimulating infusion. On the other hand, longer brewing leads to an infusion with a relaxing effect.

Tea drinkers familiar with tea olfactology (the science of scents) can identify the type of tea by its aroma. Unfermented teas have vegetable notes, medium-fermented teas smell of fruit or flowers, and fully fermented teas attract with the scent of malt. In the process of evaluating the aroma, researchers sniff the tea at different stages: first dry, then while heating the leaves, and then after they are added into a pre-scalded teapot and covered with water. Finally, they analyse the smell of tea dregs, using instruments such as a tea “lotus” and “scent listening bowls.”