Second Crossing

“I can't go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.”

 

A suggestion, not a lesson

Welcome back. Your tools are set. Your hands know the motion. 

Like the newcomers, though in a different way: your greatest challenge lies in the mirror. 

As you progress through this new world, resist the urge to pattern-match against previous editions or familiar profiles. Hold that instinct loosely. Slow down.

Let the set introduce itself before you start naming what you recognise. At each rung, stay longer than feels necessary. Familiarity is where the overlooked details live: the finish you stop noticing after the second sip, the way the body shifts as the bowl cools in your hands. Observe arrival, development, disappearance.

 

The tea is a sensation to be experienced.

Attack → Spread → Peak → Decline → Echo

 

Attack comes first. It might arrive at your lips sharp or soft, bright or blunt. Then it spreads, filling in and showcasing its character.

The peak won’t announce itself. You’ll know a split second later when the flavour begins to recede, like the crest of ocean waves.

Then the echo. Some teas vanish without a trace, but the most memorable reverberate long after you’ve swallowed. A mineral finish. A returning sweetness. A faint memory of heat or terroir.

Come back to the same tea tomorrow and the map will be slightly different.

 

Questions to guide your journey:

• How does the tea land compared to your initial expectations?
• Is it bitter or dry where you expected smoothness, or lush where you’d predicted harshness?
• How does the tea spread in your mouth, from the front to the very back?  
• Where do you experience the umami?
• Notice whether the body or aroma carries an echo or drops off cleanly.
• What sensations are prominent when the tea is hot, warm, or cooled?
• Where does the viscosity register — is it oily, silky, creamy, or velvety?
• How does the orthonasal aroma when sniffing compare to the retronasal aroma after you’ve swallowed?
• Do the color and smell of the dry powder deliver the experience you expect?
• Does the aftertaste transport you to a specific place or season?

 

Reference: https://www.sushechaguan.com/blogs/thoughts/retronasal-breathing-in-tea-tasting