Tasting
/oo-MAH-mee/
The savoury 'fifth taste' — driven in tea by the amino acid theanine.
Umami is what makes shaded Japanese green tea taste of dashi and seaweed. Theanine also produces tea's famous calm-but-alert focus, working synergistically with caffeine. Shading multiplies the theanine — and the umami.
From the Journal
Three of Japan's most famous green teas come from the same plant. The differences are everything — and once you know them, you'll never confuse them again.
by Sameera
An hour south of Kyoto, a riverbank town has been growing the world's finest matcha for 800 years. A field report.
by Sameera
A practical 4-step framework for actually tasting what's in your cup — used by professional cuppers worldwide.
by Sameera
Sixteenth-century Japan refined matcha-making into one of the most demanding art forms in human history. A primer on chado — the Way of Tea.
by Sameera
The Tea List dispatch
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