teatest

Teatest is a term used in sensory science and the tea industry to denote a standardized process for evaluating tea quality through sensory analysis and consumer testing. The precise definition varies by source, but it generally refers to a structured protocol that combines trained panel assessments with consumer feedback to rate attributes such as aroma, flavor, aftertaste, body, and appearance.

The term is not tied to a single international standard and is used only in certain industry and academic contexts. It often appears in product development materials, culinary school curricula, and research projects focusing on teas of various types, including green, black, and oolong.

Methodologies associated with teatest typically involve assembling a balanced panel, training tasters on a common rubric, and conducting blinded tastings under controlled preparation conditions. Common parameters include water temperature, steep time, leaf-to-water ratio, and standardized serving vessels. Scoring usually uses a numeric scale (for example 0 to 10) for each attribute, with an overall acceptability score calculated from the results.

Applications include quality control during production, benchmarking between batches, and consumer preference studies to guide formulation and packaging decisions. Limitations include the subjective nature of taste perception and the need for rigorous calibration and cross-cultural adaptation to ensure comparability.