and contains traces of salt It’s also rich in a unique amino acid, theanine, which is itself sweet and savory, and partly breaks down during manufacturing to savory glutamic acid Chinese green teas also contain synergizers of savoriness (GMP and IMP, p 342) Finally, bitter caffeine and astringent phenolics bond to and take the edge off each other and produce the impression of a stimulating but not harsh body This effect is especially important to the taste of black teas, in which it’s called “briskness.” The aromas of different teas are strikingly different In green teas, early application of heat prevents much enzyme activity in the leaves Steam heat gives grassy and seaweed, shellfish notes to Japanese green teas (the sea notes from dimethyl sulfide), while pan-firing and drying produce moresavory, toasted notes in Chinese green teas In oolong and black teas, enzyme activity liberates floral and fruity aroma molecules from their odorless storage forms, and produces a much richer, stronger aroma (more than 600 volatiles have been identified in black tea) Some Prized and Unusual Teas Here are a number of teas made in unusual ways, with unusual qualities: White tea: a Chinese green tea made almost exclusively from buds whose hairs make them look white, withered for two to three days, sometimes steamed, then dried without rolling Pu-erh: a Chinese green tea that is made in the usual way, then moistened and fermented in heaps for some time by a variety of microbes All of its phenolic contents are converted into nonastringent thearubigens and brown complexes, and it develops a complex, spicy, clove aroma Lapsang souchong: a Chinese black tea, ... fermented in heaps for some time by a variety of microbes All of its phenolic contents are converted into nonastringent thearubigens and brown complexes, and it develops a complex, spicy, clove aroma Lapsang souchong: a Chinese black tea,... hairs make them look white, withered for two to three days, sometimes steamed, then dried without rolling Pu-erh: a Chinese green tea that is made in the usual way, then moistened and fermented in heaps for some time by a...storage forms, and produces a much richer, stronger aroma (more than 600 volatiles have been identified in black tea) Some Prized and Unusual Teas Here are a number of teas made in unusual