Guidelines for Sensory Evaluation of Tea: Traditional Chinese Method and Quantitative Descriptive Analysis

ABSTRACT Tea sensory evaluation serves as the cornerstone methodology for tea quality assessment across production, circulation, and scientific research. This comprehensive review delineates operational guidelines for two predominant methodologies: the Chinese Traditional Sensory Evaluation Method (CTSEM) and Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA). The CTSEM protocol encompasses standardized requirements for evaluation environments, specialized equipment, and stepwise procedures for assessing dry leaves, infusion color, aroma, taste, and infused leaves across six tea categories. QDA establishes rigorous frameworks for panelist selection and panel performance metrics. We detail the construction of sensory lexicons, intensity scaling, and quantitative infusion protocols. In conclusion, CTSEM remains optimal for routine quality control and market pricing, whereas QDA enables statistically robust analysis for flavor mechanism research and standardized production.