Are my taste buds broken?

I had a clear learning curve experience not so long ago, a year or two back, that might be informative. I was trying a Ceylong Bai Mu Dan, a white tea from Sri Lanka, and it seemed very subtle, like it didn’t taste like much. Of course in a sense it just didn’t. The second time I went to the cafe that sold it, quite some time later, I tried it again and liked it better, and bought some loose to keep drinking. My experience of the tea changed as I became accustomed to that flavor profile. It’s not as intense, sweet, and floral as Chinese versions tend to be, a bit milder and earthier, but still nice for having a richness in that range. Some of that could have related to adjusting brewing technique but I think it was more about shifting expectations, appreciating a different experience.

In general at the outset you really probably want to try teas that you can easily relate to, that match where you are in preferences development, rather than trying things that are really interesting but not as appealing that you may catch onto later. Or it’s up to you, it’s your own experience, so doing the opposite of what I’d just suggested is no less valid. Mild but flavorful black teas and a broad range of oolongs tend to be approachable, a good way to work through what aspects you like, although mixing in anything else is fine too.

It’s harder to tell by matching foods you like to teas you might like since that mapping isn’t so direct but I guess it could work. For example, I love vegetables, and was a vegetarian for 17 years, but I’m not as into green tea as others, and don’t prefer teas to taste like spinach, bell peppers, or seaweed, or of course grass, although I do eat all those things, except the grass. I like wheatgrass in juices though; that’s more or less a version.