juliantai > writes:

> > The generally recognised English term for this taste ascribed to L-
> > theanine in Japanese green tea is "brothy", though before we
> > discovered what the Japanese called it we used "maritime" to describe
> > its distinct savoriness. Raw tuna or sushi quality is close to it.
> > This taste in general is known as "umami" and recently has been added
> > to the four classic gustatory (taste) sensations (sweet, salt, acid &
> > bitter), along with metallic. Astringent is not considered a taste
> > (except by tea tasters) as it is considered strictly to be a tactile
> > stimulus - of loss in slickness of the buccal mucosa. Nor yet is
> > "fresh" a taste, although (and particularly to a tea enthusiast) it is
> > an essential component and in teaman's parlance could be termed
> > "alive" or (for black teas at least) "point".
>
> Thanks, Nigel et all. That is REALLY useful I quite like fresh,
> alive, savory, reminiscent of MSG (that is what the Chinese call it,
> because they take so much MSG).
>
> Another question is this mystery of tea. For green tea, caffeine
> tastes bitter, while catechins taste astringent. But together, they
> create something else -neither bitter nor astringent (good green tea
> shouldn't taste like that). It seems to be all lost in my taste buds?
> Have you come across anything that describes it? It might really be
> well a complex experience that defies words ...

I think L-theanine actually counteracts astringency in tea.

--

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html