toad-back spotting

toad back

Definition#

Toad-back (蛤蟆背色): small, raised, sand-grain whitish spots like frog skin on the back of oolong leaves, especially Wuyi rock tea; recorded as a dry-leaf colour descriptor for oolong.

Translation and usage#

Common confusions#

• Often mentioned with 砂绿 (frog-skin green colour) and 鳝皮色 (eel-skin colour: 砂绿 with honey yellow); 蛤蟆背 refers to the spotted texture.
• This term describes the appearance of the infused leaf; it does not name a roasting method.

Terms#

Sources#