The Science, Soul, and Sensory Beauty of Tea

How can we determine the quality of tea? And how can we objectively and scientifically analyze its characteristics to create better flavors? These are questions that countless predecessors and scholars have devoted their lives to exploring through the long, winding path of tea appreciation.

This pursuit is not unique to tea — industries around wine and coffee, two other major indulgent beverages in human culture, face the same challenge. Yet, due to the many unresolved scientific mysteries behind taste perception, sensory research has long lingered on the margins of science for over two millennia. Plato, one of the three great philosophers of ancient Greece, once remarked: “The belly does not obey reason; it yields to idols and illusions.” This perspective deeply shaped humanity’s understanding of taste across centuries.

However, at the end of the 20th century, the U.S. National Institutes of Health finally identified human taste receptors — proteins on the tongue that translate molecules from food into sensory experiences. This marked a major breakthrough in the scientific study of taste. Over time, traditional views of taste have been overturned. For example, the well-known “tongue map” has been proven inaccurate — we now know that all areas of the tongue can perceive the five basic tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami.

Thanks to the rapid advancements in sensory science over the past 20+ years, new methods of evaluation have emerged. Traditional grading systems in tea competitions often rely on QDA (Quantitative Descriptive Analysis), but today, producers can fine-tune cultivation and processing techniques based on market preferences or desired flavor profiles. Evaluation models that reflect consumer preferences, such as CATA (Check-All-That-Apply) and JAR (Just-About-Right), are increasingly popular and closely linked to purchase behavior.

Yet, if tea is crafted solely through data models, aroma compounds, and pricing strategies — without the infusion of soul and intention — it cannot truly move the human heart.

Sen no Rikyū, the Japanese tea master, once said, “Beauty is simply what I decide it is.” This timeless quote defined generations of aesthetic expression in the Japanese tea tradition. It also reminds us that flavor isn’t just about cost — it’s about the terroir that nurtures the tea trees, the ideals of the tea maker, and the emotional state of the drinker. Can they, in that moment, connect with the essence of the tea? While this may sound abstract, if we live our brief lives only in pursuit of profit and safety, how are we different from animals?

Even though the art of tea-making and the science of taste have leapt forward in recent years, the interplay of over 700 aromatic compounds with our nasal passages, mouth, and throat creates flavor experiences still too complex to fully predict. That’s why we continue striving to express our understanding of flavor aesthetics through the balance of craftsmanship and science.

Perhaps years — even decades — from now, people will still be able to sense the beauty of the mountains and the intention behind the craft through the teas and blends we’ve shared with the world. This act of connection, beyond the limits of time and space, is what gives tea its artistic depth and sensory value. It is also, perhaps, the very goal we spend our whole lives seeking.