"Doug Hazen, Jr." writes:

Hi Lew,

I didn't mean to imply *I* thought the darker roasted Dahongpao was
inferior - quite the contrary: I like it much better, and I've already
passed off two packages of the light version, which to me is practically
tasteless.

I wasn't implying anything about what *you* thought.

That in fact is the point of my question: the - to me - inferior
tea costs 2 to 3 times what the - to me - better version costs. I'm trying
to understand why a practically tasteless version of a tea costs so much
more than a rich, full-flavored version. A paradox.

De gustibus...

"Lewis Perin" wrote in message
news
"Doug Hazen, Jr." writes:

I've tried two varieties or types or styles (I'm not sure what the
correct
word is) of Dahongpao, and they are so different I'm a little confused.

One type (e.g.: http://www.gray-seddon-tea.com/oolong.shtml, the
Wuyishan)
has a pretty strong roasted/oxidized taste. The other style (e.g., same
site, the Reserve; also:

http://www.generationtea.com/store/p...9efd06e296a579)
seems much less roasted with a *much* milder taste. However the "light"
style is clearly considered the primo version, as it is MUCH more
expensive.

Can someone explain the difference in these teas, with maybe some
background
on its production, etc.? Also, why is the "light" one the primo
expensive
one? (As may be obvious, the "dark" style is much more to my liking.)

First of all, it's risky to draw a trend from two cases. Please don't
assume that a more heavily roasted (or baked) tea will be cheaper or
worse. There could be many reasons for a difference in price.

That said, the heating of tea subsequent to the heating that stops
oxidation is believed to extend the shelf life of tea. It can also
tend to mask some of the underlying deficiencies in the flavor and
aroma of a tea by introducing new flavor/aroma elements. Which is to
say, if the underlying tea isn't too good or fresh, some vendors may
be inclined to roast it a lot as a kind of salvage operation.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html



--

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html