International Experts to Speak on 'Sensory Aspects of Tea'

Tea tasters talk about using all fives senses in experiencing a cup of tea. The UC Davis Global Tea Initiative for the Study of Tea Culture and Science will take that concept to new levels on Jan. 19, 2017—bringing experts from an array of disciplines to campus to talk about "The Sensory Aspects of Tea."

Speakers will be:

• Selena Ahmed, an assistant professor of sustainable food and bioenergy systems at Montana State University, "Environmental and Management Effects on Tea Quality."
• Kai-Hsien Chen, an associate professor of horticulture and landscape architecture at National Taiwan University, "A Scientific and Cultural Quest of Taiwan Tea, Aroma and Taste."
• Mythri Jegathesan, an assistant professor of anthropology at Santa Clara University, "Coolie Poesis: Plantation Sounds and Labor Heritage on Sri Lanka’s Tea Estates."
• Victor Mair, professor of Chinese language and literature at the University of Pennsylvania, "Tea Perceived: From a Ninth-century Shipwreck to a 19th-century Snuff Bottle."

This event is free, but registration is recommended by Jan. 12 to ensure a seat. Sign up at tea2017.eventbrite.com.

The conference is the second for the Global Tea Initiative, launched in 2016 to bring the university’s premier research in agriculture, health, science, humanities and social science to bear on the study of tea. 

— Kathleen Holder, content strategist in the UC Davis College of Letters and Science