At Chinese tea tastings or tea ceremonies, you may sometimes see enthusiasts make a sharp slurping sound, like "zuzu" or "chu," as they draw in air while taking a sip. You might wonder, "Isn't making noise at a tea ceremony a breach of etiquette?" However, much like wine tasting, this is a professional tasting technique (slurping) used to bring out the tea's aromatic compounds to their fullest extent.
1. The Scientific Mechanism of Aeration (Aerosolization)
The key to perceiving the taste and aroma of tea most accurately lies in "retronasal olfaction" (the aroma that travels from the mouth to the nasal cavity).
- Aerosolization: By pursing your lips and drawing in the tea along with a strong intake of air, the liquid is atomized into a fine mist, which spreads instantly across the entire oral cavity.
- Reaching all taste receptors: The tea reaches not only the tip of the tongue but also the taste buds at the back and sides instantaneously, allowing you to comprehensively grasp the sweetness, acidity, and mineral qualities.
- Preventing burns through cooling: By drawing in outside air, the hot tea is cooled sufficiently, allowing you to enjoy the hot aroma without burning yourself.
2. How to Properly Practice Slurping
- Take only a small amount of tea (about a teaspoonful) from the teacup to your lips.
- Pucker your lips small like a straw and inhale a short, sharp breath of air along with the tea.
- Close your mouth and exhale slowly through your nose. In this moment, you will perceive the overwhelming retronasal aroma (returning sweetness and throat resonance).
3. When to Use This in Formal Tea Settings
While this technique is essential for professional evaluations and selecting tea leaves, in formal tea ceremonies that prioritize tranquility, the standard etiquette is to drink quietly without making sound. Feel free to try this during solo tea sessions where you can savor the tea at your own pace, or when tasting with close tea-loving friends.
For the etiquette on appreciating the aroma remaining in the vessel, please see our Guide to Using Aroma Cups and Appreciating Fragrance.
