Tea Slang: Domineering, Layers, Empty Mouth, Dissolving, and Base

The language of the tea table is half evaluation terminology and half slang that tea lovers have developed themselves. This slang isn't in the national standards, and its definitions aren't entirely consistent, but it's vivid and handy, and once you understand it, you can join in tea lovers' conversations. These are probably the ones you'll hear most often at the tea table.

Domineering (Baqi, 霸氣)

What it is: Describes a tea with an intense taste and plenty of power: a strong impact on entry, a pronounced bitter base that dissolves quickly, powerful huigan, and vivid sensations after drinking.

Commonly used for: The tea world often links "domineering" with teas from around Bulang Mountain in Menghai; Lao Banzhang, for example, is often called the king of teas, and "domineering" is almost synonymous with it. This is a style impression passed around the tea world; teas from the same mountain also vary widely.

Opposites: Gentle, delicate (柔、秀氣). Yiwu teas are often described as gentle and graceful, in contrast to domineering.

Example: "This tea hits hard on entry, the bitterness dissolves in a flash, and the huigan just keeps rising. Very domineering."

Layers, Layering (層次)

What it is: A tea presenting different aromas and tastes at different stages, with rich variation. Layers can refer to:

• Within a single sip: Entry, middle, swallowing, and huigan each feel different;
• Across infusions: Floral notes in the early infusions, honey in the middle, sweet smoothness in the later ones;
• Across time: Different aromas when smelled hot, warm, and cold.

Rating: Rich layering is usually a positive assessment; a tea that's the same from start to finish is called "monotonous" or "one straight line."

Example: "Orchid notes in the first infusion, shifting to honey by the third, and still sweet at the eighth. Very rich layers."

Dissolving (Hua, 化)

What it is: When tea lovers say "dissolve," they mean that bitterness, astringency, and other stimulation fade quickly in the mouth and turn into sweetness or shengjin. "Dissolves well" or "dissolves quickly" is positive; "doesn't dissolve" or "gets stuck" is negative.

Common phrases:

• Bitterness dissolving into sweetness: the bitter taste dissolves and turns into huigan.
• Astringency dissolving into saliva: the astringency dissolves and turns into shengjin.
• Dissolves well: bitterness and astringency appear and fade within seconds.

Example: "It's bitter, sure, but it dissolves fast, and your mouth turns sweet right away."

Empty Mouth (Kongkou, 空口)

What it is: This term has two common uses in the tea world:

1. A hollow middle after entry: There's flavor on entry and huigan after swallowing, but nothing in the middle stage of the tea in the mouth, as if it breaks off. This is a negative description, the opposite of "full."
2. Drinking without snacks, on an empty palate: For example, "this tea is sweet even drunk on its own (空口)," meaning it doesn't need a sweet snack because the tea itself is sweet.

Both uses are common; judge by context.

Example: "The aroma is high, but it's a bit empty in the mouth; the middle can't hold up." (first use) / "It's sweet even on its own; no need for snacks." (second use)

Having a Base, a Good Foundation (有底、底子好)

What it is: A tea with a solid foundation, rich in substance, that holds up to many infusions and has potential to transform with long-term storage.

Common phrases:

• Having a base: Still flavorful in the later infusions rather than fading quickly.
• A good foundation: Good raw material and processing, solid overall.
• A bitter base (苦底): A layer of bitterness underneath the liquor; when it dissolves, it's seen as a source of power.
• Cup-bottom aroma (杯底香): The aroma of the empty cup after drinking; here "bottom" literally means the bottom of the cup.

Example: "The aroma isn't especially high, but it has a great foundation; still sweet at the tenth infusion."

Other Slang You'll Often Hear

How to Use This Slang

The advantage of slang is that it's vivid; the drawback is that it varies by person. When someone says "domineering," one person means bitterness, another means impact, another means how they feel afterward. So:

1. When talking with tea lovers, ask, "What sensation do you mean?"
2. When describing tea yourself, pair slang with concrete terms, for example "domineering, with a heavy bitter base that dissolves quickly."
3. Don't let slang lead you around; your own sense of whether it tastes good is still the most accurate.

For more formal evaluation vocabulary, read A Small Dictionary of Pu'er Tasting Terms; for cha qi, read Cha Qi: Is It Mystical?

FAQ

What does domineering mean? An intense, powerful taste with a pronounced bitter base that dissolves quickly and powerful huigan; the tea world often uses it for teas from around Lao Banzhang.

What does layering mean? A tea presenting different aromas and tastes within a sip, across infusions, or at different temperatures; the richer the variation, the better the layering.

What does dissolving well mean? Bitterness and astringency fade quickly after appearing and turn into sweetness or shengjin; a positive assessment.

What does empty mouth mean? One meaning is that the tea is hollow in the middle and not full; the other is drinking it on its own without snacks.

What do having a base and a good foundation mean? The tea has a solid foundation, rich substance, holds up to many infusions, and has potential to transform in storage.