> [Jing]
> According to some tea growers saying, there are around 30 different
> kind of TGY, and the first TGY that was found and planted is called
> "Zheng Cong GY". And now the one that is planted in "Nei
> (inner)" Anxi area is called "Hong Xin GY" or "Hong Yang GY".
> These are considered as have the best quality races and best quantity
> are called "pure" race GY by tea farmers. The others are also TGY
> races as well, but I couldn't find any acurate information on when
> they come from. However, they are mainly the variations from the
> "Hong Xin GY" that was mentioned above since the breed of TGY is
> agamous. After coming through a long history and the different soil and
> climate, it evolved in different races.

[Michael]
This is particularly interesting and makes me understand just complicated
this whole issue is. What's a poor drinker to do?

snip

> [Jing]
> I was told by some local tea makers from the Anxi area that the
> "fisted" version started to appear around 1992-1993 and got really
> popular around 1995. Few days ago, I was also told by a tea dealer that
> is dealing with some aged GY that was produced in 1992, and the shape
> is still holding a "longer" stripe, very similar to Wuyi teas.

[Michael]
Well, I had been drinking Tie Guan Yin starting around 1982 and the tea was
definitely fisted. So, I think either we mean two different things by the
word "fisted" or your information is not quite correct. (I use "fisted" to
mean tightly balled in a circular form rather than elongated and twisted.)

Michael