pocketdemon > wrote in message >...
> Hello,
>
> After reading the FAQ for this newsgroup, I was inspired to check out
> some teas mentioned, namely Assam and Lapsang Souchong.
>
> I went to World Market and after some searching around found what I was
> looking for: loose leaf Assam and Lapsang Souchong. I am drinking both
> regularly and they taste quite nicely. Then again I have not much to
> compare them to.
>
> This is why I wanted to ask the question he Is the Cost Plus: World
> Market brand of tea, good tea? I bought both teas for about $4 per 4 oz
> or 113 grams. Is this a reasonable price for such teas? Also, does
> anyone know if Trader Joe's carrys good tea?
>
> Thanks.


First of all I would like to thank you for this practical question. I
think the price you paid is reasonable. But this leads me to another
issue. Most of the us are impressed when we see teas that have exotic
explanations such as- specific estates, organic, exotic grading words
(SFTGFOP 1) etc. And many of us are also willing to pay a huge
mark-up. Some of us even feel ethically we are helping the tea
laborers. But the truth is- the huge margin of profit in the tea
business never reaches the poor laborers.

Most of the tea drinkers are in Asia (at least a billion). And still
tea is a quiet reasonably priced in Asia. Tea is not as expensive as
you see in many on-line vendors web sites. The World Market brands-
Lipton, Tetley, Finley, Duncan Brothers etc. teas are obviously good
because they have their own tea gardens around south Asia. Even
British Twinings sells its tea with quiet reasonable price. But in
the USA, the picture is different. Tea has been so commercialized
there, though few people really drink there (except iced and herbal
teas, I am talking about good loose tea as a hot drink).

About taste I agree with you. Taste doesn't vary so much, yet there is
a huge mark-up for fine variations. I buy my famous Makaibari 1st
flush tea (100 gm) for less then $2 directly from India. I also know
it is very fresh. I feel sad when I see people are spending so much
without even knowing what they are paying for. Some exceptional cases
are there with certain teas but I think they are very rare. Tea
shouldn't be so expensive. I remember one of my tea broker friends was
telling me- how nice it is to have customers like Americans who just
pay extra price without even questioning why it is so high. I am not
blaming any buyers who pay extra money because it is their own choice
but my question is- do they know, why they are paying this extra cost?

Ripon
(From Bangladesh)