Quality evaluation

The quality of teas is evaluated by quality evaluation. Regular teas are evaluated by five senses of human, called a sensory test. In a sensory test, the procedures and the standards vary with regard to the kinds of teas and purposes of the tests. Usually there are five items to be tested; shape and size of tea, color and gloss, color of the liquid, aroma of the liquid, and taste of the liquid. In the testing of Tencha, a material of Matcha, black tea, and oolong tea, tea leaves are also evaluated. Quality evaluations are annually held in each area in Japan. Some are held by local are as such as cities, towns and villages, and others by prefectures and the nation. In the evaluation, points are deducted from the perfect score of the best quality for each testing item and the total points are compared. Teas are also sensory tested in tea production and distribution, and the results are reflected in improving the skills of production for better tea brands. A sensory test can only be done by very skilled people with a lot of experience and keen sense to see the slight differences using five senses. The standard of the test has been studied and set by specialists, which does not always agree with consumers' tastes. It can be a subjective evaluation by human sense but the final evaluation of the quality is judged by skilled judges' sense.