On Food and Cooking

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