Abstract: Shearing properties can be used to evaluate the tenderness of tea. The mechanical properties on tea shear inderes (hardness, failure energy, failure force and failure stress and so on) were tested through the sheer test. At the same time the tea shoot dimension and other parameters were obtained by using the image analysis method on tea shoot with smaller diameter, Besides, a mathematical model between the different tea cultivars of shoot tenderness and the shear mechanics was established, so to provide the new means and methods for the objective evaluation of the tea grade.

Key words: tea, tenderness, shearing properties, quality evaluation