I just tried a small Xiao tuocha bowl from my local tea shoppe. As it
came apart it released little bubbles of trapped air almost like a
tiny fountain of champagne. I'd guess 50% volume was trapped air.
There was a beautiful red plume of color like a volcanic eruption as
the tuocha broke apart. I had to swirl the pot to complete the
infusion. The pot was so red it was almost black. It so dropped the
water level I thought I had a leak but comparatively little leaf in
the pot. Mine tasted like the shoeleather fishy version. I'm about
ready to do some holiday shopping in Chinatown. Hopefully the cakes
will be as plentiful as our fruity kind.

Jim

Hello,ello,llo,lo,o. Another possibility is gassing of putrification
from dead mold. I'm thinking this might be a good indicator for
cooked, uncooked puerh. I'm really interested in the Tibetan shaped
mushroom from older puerh. For those with any cakes is a crop date
apparent on the wrapping? Anybody else notice gassing from puerh
infusions?

Jim

(Space Cowboy) wrote in message . com>...
> I just tried a small Xiao tuocha bowl from my local tea shoppe. As it
> came apart it released little bubbles of trapped air almost like a
> tiny fountain of champagne. I'd guess 50% volume was trapped air.
> There was a beautiful red plume of color like a volcanic eruption as
> the tuocha broke apart. I had to swirl the pot to complete the
> infusion. The pot was so red it was almost black. It so dropped the
> water level I thought I had a leak but comparatively little leaf in
> the pot. Mine tasted like the shoeleather fishy version. I'm about
> ready to do some holiday shopping in Chinatown. Hopefully the cakes
> will be as plentiful as our fruity kind.
>
> Jim

(Space Cowboy) writes:

> Hello,ello,llo,lo,o. Another possibility is gassing of putrification
> from dead mold. I'm thinking this might be a good indicator for
> cooked, uncooked puerh. I'm really interested in the Tibetan shaped
> mushroom from older puerh. For those with any cakes is a crop date
> apparent on the wrapping?

I've never seen one.

> Anybody else notice gassing from puerh infusions?

Yes. I've noticed it in first steeps of very tightly packed Puerhs.
My speculation has always been that there are tiny air pockets trapped
in the cake or tuo that get released as the hot water loosens up the
structure surrounding them. But that's just a speculation.

> Jim
>
> (Space Cowboy) wrote in message . com>...
> > I just tried a small Xiao tuocha bowl from my local tea shoppe. As it
> > came apart it released little bubbles of trapped air almost like a
> > tiny fountain of champagne. I'd guess 50% volume was trapped air.
> > There was a beautiful red plume of color like a volcanic eruption as
> > the tuocha broke apart. I had to swirl the pot to complete the
> > infusion. The pot was so red it was almost black. It so dropped the
> > water level I thought I had a leak but comparatively little leaf in
> > the pot. Mine tasted like the shoeleather fishy version. I'm about
> > ready to do some holiday shopping in Chinatown. Hopefully the cakes
> > will be as plentiful as our fruity kind.
> >
> > Jim

--

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

Just as I thought Puerh all over the place from the first and only two
grocery stores I visited. 12oz/340g Beencha cakes $4, 250g bricks $2,
100g tuocha Grade A Xia Guan $1. Those prices are not typos. You
don't want to know what some website is charging for the very same
identical Beencha cake. I like the round tuocha boxes for repackaging
after breakup. I punch a hole in the top with a screwdriver and use
wire snips to start the disintergration. Yep the chunks bubbled when
infused. I know I can find the Silver or Golden Bud in the tourist
traps if I had more time. I got a 5 pound bag of Fujian oolong for $5
because I thought it smelled good. It's been a year since my last
visit to Chinatown because I turn left to visit my local tea shoppe
instead of right to Chinatown.

Jim

Lewis Perin > wrote in message >...
> (Space Cowboy) writes:
> > Anybody else notice gassing from puerh infusions?
>
> Yes.

> > (Space Cowboy) wrote in message . com>...
> > > I'm about ready to do some holiday shopping in Chinatown.
> > > Hopefully the cakes will be as plentiful as our fruity kind.

(Space Cowboy) writes:

> Just as I thought Puerh all over the place from the first and only two
> grocery stores I visited. 12oz/340g Beencha cakes $4, 250g bricks $2,
> 100g tuocha Grade A Xia Guan $1. Those prices are not typos. You
> don't want to know what some website is charging for the very same
> identical Beencha cake. I like the round tuocha boxes for repackaging
> after breakup. I punch a hole in the top with a screwdriver and use
> wire snips to start the disintergration. Yep the chunks bubbled when
> infused. I know I can find the Silver or Golden Bud in the tourist
> traps if I had more time. I got a 5 pound bag of Fujian oolong for $5
> because I thought it smelled good. It's been a year since my last
> visit to Chinatown because I turn left to visit my local tea shoppe
> instead of right to Chinatown.

In my experience, sometimes the penny-a-gram Puerh from Chinese
supermarkets in the USA is quite drinkable, and sometimes it's
loathsome. But I've never had anything of that sort that lives up to
the phrase "Grade A", no matter what the label says.

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

Space 10/9/04


> Just as I thought Puerh all over the place from the first and only two
> grocery stores I visited. 12oz/340g Beencha cakes $4, 250g bricks $2,
> 100g tuocha Grade A Xia Guan $1. Those prices are not typos. You
> don't want to know what some website is charging for the very same
> identical Beencha cake. I like the round tuocha boxes for repackaging
> after breakup. I punch a hole in the top with a screwdriver and use
> wire snips to start the disintergration. Yep the chunks bubbled when
> infused. I know I can find the Silver or Golden Bud in the tourist
> traps if I had more time. I got a 5 pound bag of Fujian oolong for $5
> because I thought it smelled good. It's been a year since my last
> visit to Chinatown because I turn left to visit my local tea shoppe
> instead of right to Chinatown.
>
> Jim


Yes, but how does it *taste*? I drank some Pu-erh recently thanks to Lew
that is right in your price range as noted above. However, more commonly I'm
afraid, I've tasted some truly ugly stuff in that price range that went
right down the drain. Nonetheless, I continue to search the shelves.

Michael

Space 10/9/04


> Just as I thought Puerh all over the place from the first and only two
> grocery stores I visited. 12oz/340g Beencha cakes $4, 250g bricks $2,
> 100g tuocha Grade A Xia Guan $1. Those prices are not typos. You
> don't want to know what some website is charging for the very same
> identical Beencha cake. I like the round tuocha boxes for repackaging
> after breakup. I punch a hole in the top with a screwdriver and use
> wire snips to start the disintergration. Yep the chunks bubbled when
> infused. I know I can find the Silver or Golden Bud in the tourist
> traps if I had more time. I got a 5 pound bag of Fujian oolong for $5
> because I thought it smelled good. It's been a year since my last
> visit to Chinatown because I turn left to visit my local tea shoppe
> instead of right to Chinatown.
>
> Jim


Yes, but how does it *taste*? I drank some Pu-erh recently thanks to Lew
that is right in your price range as noted above. However, more commonly I'm
afraid, I've tasted some truly ugly stuff in that price range that went
right down the drain. Nonetheless, I continue to search the shelves.

Michael

I liked the green XiaGuan Tuocha. I compare it to my Superior Iron
Goddess. It's counterpart cooked XiaGuan Tuocha smelled like a sweaty
suana fumigated with tinactin but better than the fishy mini tuocha
from my local tea shoppe for $1/10g. I hate breaking cakes and bricks
because I'm from the old school where they are decorations. I'd still
like to find an expensive melon. I think the price issue is loose
puerh. For penny/gram teas there are better bargains such as an
Arabic commercial ceylon.

Jim

Michael Plant > wrote in message >...
> Space 10/9/04
>
>
> > Just as I thought Puerh all over the place from the first and only two
> > grocery stores I visited. 12oz/340g Beencha cakes $4, 250g bricks $2,
> > 100g tuocha Grade A Xia Guan $1. Those prices are not typos.
>
> Yes, but how does it *taste*? I drank some Pu-erh recently thanks to Lew
> that is right in your price range as noted above. However, more commonly I'm
> afraid, I've tasted some truly ugly stuff in that price range that went
> right down the drain. Nonetheless, I continue to search the shelves.
>
> Michael

I liked the green XiaGuan Tuocha. I compare it to my Superior Iron
Goddess. It's counterpart cooked XiaGuan Tuocha smelled like a sweaty
suana fumigated with tinactin but better than the fishy mini tuocha
from my local tea shoppe for $1/10g. I hate breaking cakes and bricks
because I'm from the old school where they are decorations. I'd still
like to find an expensive melon. I think the price issue is loose
puerh. For penny/gram teas there are better bargains such as an
Arabic commercial ceylon.

Jim

Michael Plant > wrote in message >...
> Space 10/9/04
>
>
> > Just as I thought Puerh all over the place from the first and only two
> > grocery stores I visited. 12oz/340g Beencha cakes $4, 250g bricks $2,
> > 100g tuocha Grade A Xia Guan $1. Those prices are not typos.
>
> Yes, but how does it *taste*? I drank some Pu-erh recently thanks to Lew
> that is right in your price range as noted above. However, more commonly I'm
> afraid, I've tasted some truly ugly stuff in that price range that went
> right down the drain. Nonetheless, I continue to search the shelves.
>
> Michael