You may see Tie Guan Yin tea advertised as having a “Yin Yun” or “Yin Rhyme” aftertaste, and Wuyi rock teas as having a quality called “Yan Yun” or “Yan Rhyme” aftertaste.
What would rhyme have to do with a tea’s aftertaste?
With respect to rock teas, “Yán” means “rock.” but it also is close in pronunciation to “yáng,” a term that ref

Read this article for free!
Register now to read this article, get our email newsletter, and receive one premium article each month.
Or, subscribe for full access.
Already a subscriber? Login here

Dr. Virginia Utermohlen Lovelace is a physician and professor (now retired) on the faculty in the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.