[Danny]
I'm not smart either, so here's my 2-cent worth. Remember though, that it
is the tea that counts, not the label or wrapper.

The name "Hung Chong Tai" is the cantonese romanization of the chinese
characters. I'll use the pinyin name "Hong Chang Tai" instead.

Hong Chang Tai started as in Yunnan as a tea company called "Hong Chang Tea
Co.," During the turbulent years in the 1950-60s, the company moved its
operation to Thailand border and renamed as Hong Chang Tai.

According to my info at hand, Hong Chang Tai ceased operation between
1983-1984. In the 1990s a new factory was opened in Vietnam border which
also named itself Hong Chang Tai - it is not known if the new factory is
related to the previous Hong Chang Tai. But it is possible that most of the
Hong Chang Tai teas we find in the market nowadays are from this facotry.
The wrapper however, is different from the one you posted.

And that's where the controversy comes in.

When the founder of Hong Chang Tai passed on in 2003, his son took over the
business; it is around that period that the Sail Brand Logo Hong Chang Tai
appeared in the market. However, most friends that I know who tried this
cake believed that it is not from the Thailand or the Vietnam borders, but
pu'er compressed in Gunagzhou and sold under the new Hong Chang Tai label.
Looking at the pictures you posted, I suspect this to be so.

One question Marlene - when you tried this tea, do you detect a faint salty
taste at the base of the tongue? If you do, it's possibly a Guangzhou
pressed pu'er. The ones from Thailand has a aromatic "bitters" taste at the
back of the throat which I favour, and they are generally 20-30 years old.

I've not tried this tea under this new label, so I can't comment further. I
would suggest you leave the cake out in the open for a couple of weeks in an
airy place, and then try it again.

The scratchy, prickly feeling at the back of the throat is as what Mydnight
has mentioned, new tea that has undergone heavy wet storage. Hopefully over
the years and allowing to breathe will improve it.




"Marlene Wood" > wrote in message
...
>I finaly made it to my nearest chinese grocery store. It's fairly close, if
>you have a car (I don't).
> I found the tea aisle, and found lots and lots of boxes of bags. Lots of
> FooJoy, lots of Dieters Tea, lots of Taiwanese Ginsing Oolong. No tu chas
> to be had. I did, however, find a compressed disk.
> It's about 7 inches across, more than likely cooked, loosely
> compressed,about 50/50 whole/broken leaves, no year, it was wrapped in
> celophane, and the lable says it's Bo Nay Tea from Hung Chong Tai Tea Co.
> It was 8 bucks, and I bought it.
> Now, will the smart people tell me what I've bought?
> Thanks
> Marlene
>