A Woman of the Cup

The news of the tea world comes from all over. This morning, out of South Africa, comes an interesting article about the first black female tea taster. Thrilled to see a story about tea and women in the business, it's a must share.

Becoming a tea taster is not a simple process because, although the job posting may denote ‘a love for tea, an exceptional sense of taste and a resilient bladder would be an advantage’, learning to discern tastes and separate flavours into fragments requires tutorship under wise, grey-bearded tea masters who have been practicing the art for many years.

So athletic are the papillae on Gcabashe’s tongue that she is able to tell which country a tea comes from, just by having a sip. To maintain this acuity, she has to avoid eating food that is too strong or spicy.

“Not everyone can do this job,” says Gcabashe with some pride. “You need to be passionate about the mysticism, romance and lore that go hand in hand with the tea industry.

‘‘You have to be open to learning new things every day, meeting people from all over the world and travelling.”

What is most interesting is that she talks about "feeling" the tea:

Not only does Gcabashe experiment, she also ‘feels’ the tea. With her accomplished taste buds she is able to assign flavours to human emotions and create mood teas. “Some teas are full of love and romance; others, like Earl Grey, are mysterious — you know there’s something there, something underneath all the layers wanting to be discovered and you want to believe you’re the one discovering it for the first time.”

Flavor and scent create are such important parts of the experience of life, and it's wonderful to see and feel how emotion is tied in. Tea can truly be a taste of happiness.