Dear Greg -

There are very little truths in any statement that do not take into
consideration the variety of tastes and sheer enormity of tea experience.
There is no such thing as "something should be done this way". There is
always fine points, exceptions, new interesting variations. Tea does not
tolerate authoritarian approach.
Good luck with your "Tea University".

Sasha.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Tea should be drank fresh. This is true for green, black, oolong and
white teas. The only exception is the Chinese black tea pu erh.
Classical "pu erh" or its subset "tuo cha" is kept for decades (like
fine red wine) in China until its taste is extremely mellow.
Exceptionally fine aged-pu erh is very rare. One of such pu erh tea
brick can cost $300+. You can find out more about tea at "Tea
University" at http://www.brandconcepts.biz/4teauniv_main.php.

Greg

"Alex Chaihorsky" wrote in message
...
Dear Greg -

There are very little truths in any statement that do not take into
consideration the variety of tastes and sheer enormity of tea experience.
There is no such thing as "something should be done this way". There is
always fine points, exceptions, new interesting variations. Tea does not
tolerate authoritarian approach.

Well, okay, but I'm still gonna think that brewing tea loose is good and
using a teaball is bad.

Heh .

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.

"Bluesea" wrote in message
...

"Alex Chaihorsky" wrote in message
...
Dear Greg -

There are very little truths in any statement that do not take into
consideration the variety of tastes and sheer enormity of tea experience.
There is no such thing as "something should be done this way". There is
always fine points, exceptions, new interesting variations. Tea does not
tolerate authoritarian approach.

Well, okay, but I'm still gonna think that brewing tea loose is good and
using a teaball is bad.

Heh .

--
~~Bluesea~~

Good tea in teaball is better than bad tea brewed loose.

Sasha.

Alex Chaihorsky wrote:
Cowboy -

Try to roast older TGY and you will absolutely love it (my
experience). I am yet to decide which method (actual roasting
or microwave) is better, but they both work. It looks like
actual roasting works better with green teas. I am strating to
think (you heard it from me first!) that may be it makes sense
to introduce a new procedure into normal brewing of tea -

1. Take out of container 2. Roast in microwave or other heater
3. Do whatever you do normally (wash chahu, wash tea, brew...)

I too have been experimenting with this procedure on some very
coarse, very cheap, green tea procured from a local Middle East
grocery. It may be of Ceylon origin, but I threw the box away and
so can't confirm at the moment. At any rate, roasting briefly
before brewing transforms this very mundane tea into
something...almost remarkable. They details are still being
ironed out, but when I nail down the technique, I'll report back.

Microwaving I've yet to try. I have no aversion to this
contemporary contraption, but some year ago my trials on
roasting sesame seeds in the microwave failed, and so I'm a bit
doubtful.

--crymad

With all due respect, there is no such thing as raw pu erh. My family
is in the tea plantation business for four generations. I have worked
in our plantation for over 20 years. May be you are refering to green
pu erh. It's colour looks like green tea. But that is the biggest
misconception of tea outside China. Many, many decades ago some
influential tea merchants who did not fully understand tea were telling
people of the world the main difference between green tea, oolong tea,
black tea, and white tea. Now every book, and every website uses the
same definition--the major difference is in the fermentation of the tea
leaves. However, this definition is extremely over simplified,
misleading and mostly incorrect. The major difference between the
different teas are that they all comes from different tea plants. Teas
like apples, peaches and pears have many, many different varities. Some
varities are perfect for green teas, while others are great for white
teas, and still others are ideal for red teas (mostly refer to as black
teas in the West). This white tea varities will never be used to make
green teas and vice versa. Even in the green tea family there are
countless sub-varities. This is only true in China, and Taiwan. India
is now growing green tea, and white tea, but their altered varities
work differently, and can never be as superior as the thousands of
green teas in China.

For people who are truely interested in the finest teas in the world,
they should visit China many famous tea garden (plantations) the next
time they are in the country. Most plantations welcome foreigners for
visits.

I do agree that zheng shan xiao zhong (lapsang souchong) is a good tea
if people could find it at a fine tea merchant--it is not an easy tea
to locate in North America. And the Koo Loo tea is very nice. It has a
floral aroma. But again this tea is not catagorized as green. In its
purest classification, this is a fully-fermented red tea; however, in
the West, red tea is consider black tea. In North America, for the
sake of simplication, yellow teas, and red teas do not exist at the
current time.

In most case, you seem very knowledgeable about tea. It took me many
decades to truely understand the nuances, and I was literally borned in
a tea plantation in Fujian.

Greg

Are you crazy. Why would anyone wants to pay so much. My family has
operated a leading tea plantation in China for many generations, and
yes Keemun is an excellent tea by itself or mix with Ceylon and other
Indian teas to make the famous "English Breakfast Tea". Keemun is
rarely found in cake forms. Tea is such an individual think, if you
like it aged, go for it., but I would not pay anything over $100.
Actually I do have a number of authentic keemun tea dating back to the
1940s, 50s, and 60s. It is something that we put on display. I never
had any plans of consuming it because I don't think it would taste any
good.

Are you crazy. Why would anyone wants to pay so much. My family has
operated a leading tea plantation in China for many generations, and
yes Keemun is an excellent tea by itself or mix with Ceylon and other
Indian teas to make the famous "English Breakfast Tea". Keemun is
rarely found in cake forms. Tea is such an individual think, if you
like it aged, go for it., but I would not pay anything over $100.
Actually I do have a number of authentic keemun tea dating back to the
1940s, 50s, and 60s. It is something that we put on display. I never
had any plans of consuming it because I don't think it would taste any
good.

Greg

Well taken. Tea is a very individual experience. "Tea University" is
not my thing. I just came across it while I'm studying commerce at
UCLA. Just thought it was an informative site.

Greg

Greg,

I'm not sure what you mean by "there is no such thing as 'raw' pu erh," but
I suggest you visit Mike Petro's web site to clear up whatever
misconceptions you have about our use of the term.

Michael




legroups.
com5/4/05
With all due respect, there is no such thing as raw pu erh. My family
is in the tea plantation business for four generations. I have worked
in our plantation for over 20 years. May be you are refering to green
pu erh. It's colour looks like green tea. But that is the biggest
misconception of tea outside China. Many, many decades ago some
influential tea merchants who did not fully understand tea were telling
people of the world the main difference between green tea, oolong tea,
black tea, and white tea. Now every book, and every website uses the
same definition--the major difference is in the fermentation of the tea
leaves. However, this definition is extremely over simplified,
misleading and mostly incorrect. The major difference between the
different teas are that they all comes from different tea plants. Teas
like apples, peaches and pears have many, many different varities. Some
varities are perfect for green teas, while others are great for white
teas, and still others are ideal for red teas (mostly refer to as black
teas in the West). This white tea varities will never be used to make
green teas and vice versa. Even in the green tea family there are
countless sub-varities. This is only true in China, and Taiwan. India
is now growing green tea, and white tea, but their altered varities
work differently, and can never be as superior as the thousands of
green teas in China.

For people who are truely interested in the finest teas in the world,
they should visit China many famous tea garden (plantations) the next
time they are in the country. Most plantations welcome foreigners for
visits.

I do agree that zheng shan xiao zhong (lapsang souchong) is a good tea
if people could find it at a fine tea merchant--it is not an easy tea
to locate in North America. And the Koo Loo tea is very nice. It has a
floral aroma. But again this tea is not catagorized as green. In its
purest classification, this is a fully-fermented red tea; however, in
the West, red tea is consider black tea. In North America, for the
sake of simplication, yellow teas, and red teas do not exist at the
current time.

In most case, you seem very knowledgeable about tea. It took me many
decades to truely understand the nuances, and I was literally borned in
a tea plantation in Fujian.

Greg

legroups.
com5/4/05

Are you crazy.

Perhaps. But, it has little or nothing to do with tea.

Why would anyone wants to pay so much. My family has
operated a leading tea plantation in China for many generations, and
yes Keemun is an excellent tea by itself or mix with Ceylon and other
Indian teas to make the famous "English Breakfast Tea". Keemun is
rarely found in cake forms. Tea is such an individual think, if you
like it aged, go for it., but I would not pay anything over $100.
Actually I do have a number of authentic keemun tea dating back to the
1940s, 50s, and 60s. It is something that we put on display. I never
had any plans of consuming it because I don't think it would taste any
good.

When I spoke of aged Keemun, I was thinking of a year or so, not decades.
Sorry I confused you. I'd imagine a 1940's Keemun would be dead. How about
some nice 1940's or 1950's green Pu'erh cakes? Also, as you say, I never had
to pay great prices for great Keemun.

By the way, when you post a response, please leave some of the original post
for context. That will make it easier for us to know what your refer to.

Michael

wrote:
With all due respect, there is no such thing as raw pu erh. My family
is in the tea plantation business for four generations. I have worked
in our plantation for over 20 years. May be you are refering to green
pu erh. It's colour looks like green tea. But that is the biggest
misconception of tea outside China.

Greg,

With all due respect I think you are getting tangled up in language
translation issues. Over the years as different people have done
business with the USA the translations have varied a bit. Be it right,
wrong, or indifferent there are a variety of descriptive terms
currently in widespread use in the USA market for the 2 catagories of
Pu'er. They a

Green - Black
Sheng - Shu
Raw - Ripe
Uncooked - Cooked

I have a friend who is a leading Tea broker in Kunming. He is employed
by the company that owns the (Yunnang) Tea Market in Kunming as well as
several of the booths inside of the Tea Market. He literally brokers
tons of Pu-er every month. I can show you many conversations where he
uses the terms raw/ripe to describe sheng/shu pu'er. It is all in how
it is translated into English.

Along the same lines you will see different translations for the word
Pu'er itself, including puer, puerh, pu-erh, etc.

What is the name of your Family Business? What types of tea do you
grow/process?

If you are so experienced I am surprised that you would recommend a
company (Fah Guo Mountain Tea) who sells expensive Pu'er without even
stating the vintage or the factory or even the type of pu'er that it
is. I know that this is NOT the way business is done in China. Are you
associated with that company somehow?

Regarding the newsgroups, proper newsgroup etiquette (netiquette)
dictates that you quote the original post you are responding to, or at
least closely follow the thread lines. It makes it much easier to
understand which conversation (thread) you are commenting on. See
http://www.newsreaders.com/guide/netiquette.html for more info on
netiquette.

Mike
http://www.pu-erh.net

Dear Greg -

It would be real nice if you read the posts of others with proper attention
and respect. Michael Plant, who I have an honor to know personally is a
very knowledgable and nice gentleman, most probably old enough to be your
father. In his post he was talking about paying in extent of $1,000 for puer
CAKE, not Keemun. But even if he meant Keemun, it does not warrant your rude
"You are crazy" remark. I think you owe him an apology.
We always hear that argument from our Chinese friends about them or their
parents being tea merchants or tea growers. Same way we were always hearing
from our Iranian friends that they are Shah's Pehlevi relatives. That may be
so, but we would prefer arguments that can be substantiated in some
verifiable way. You also should get yourself familiar with tea terminology
commonly accepted in the English-speaking world before you make statements
that there is no such thing as "raw pu-erh", because this is how Sheng
(ShengRi de Sheng) is translated into English, together with "live,
uncooked, green", as opposed to Shu (ChengShu de Shu) "ripe, cooked, done".
Many participants on this forum (present party excluded) have live-long
connections with tea businesses in China, many have friends who own and run
teahouses in HongKong, Taiwan and here in Chinatowns on both coasts. Some of
us studied China and its languages and cultures, including tea, for many,
many years. Please, do not call us "crazy".
The "Tea University" is very much an "introduction" site. In case of pu-erh
I very much recommend you to take a look at Mike Petro site
http://www.pu-erh.net - not everything is on the surface and you have to dig
around there, but its well worth it.

Sasha.



wrote in message
oups.com...
Are you crazy. Why would anyone wants to pay so much. My family has
operated a leading tea plantation in China for many generations, and
yes Keemun is an excellent tea by itself or mix with Ceylon and other
Indian teas to make the famous "English Breakfast Tea". Keemun is
rarely found in cake forms. Tea is such an individual think, if you
like it aged, go for it., but I would not pay anything over $100.
Actually I do have a number of authentic keemun tea dating back to the
1940s, 50s, and 60s. It is something that we put on display. I never
had any plans of consuming it because I don't think it would taste any
good.

Greg

Sheng1 in Chinese means raw or uncooked. The leaves are not cooked and
it's basically like a green tea. As it ages, it becomes more smooth
and not as sharp.

I am in China. I have visited the tea plantations. It is raw/uncooked.

Please provide me the factory name and the plantation name; I'll visit
on my next holiday.

On Tue, 03 May 2005 21:58:52 GMT, Alex Chaihorsky wrote:

Good tea in teaball is better than bad tea brewed loose.

Amen! And I seriously doubt that I'm the only one here who sings in that
choir.

--
Derek

It's amazing how much easier it is for a team to work together when no one
has any idea where they're going.