I am greatly enjoying my Teaspring China teas, but I also favor
Assams, so I am looking for recommendations for a source of fresh
Assams that is kind of like "the Teaspring of India teas" using
Teaspring as a benchmark for the kind of quality I am looking for. I
am currently enjoying some pretty inexpensive Ahmad Assam that I get
from Middle Eastern markets for my everyday work tea, but I know much
better Assam must be available for an affordable price. I have tried
Upton's and am ok with the tea I get for the price. Now I am ready to
move up a notch or two .
Gregory

Im not going to mention my local tea shoppe online website that sells
several estates of Assam. What you would notice it looks like just
about any other website selling Indian teas ie a good selection and
recent vintage. I think other Arabic brands better than Ahmad. Look
at previous posts on Arabic terms like Barooti and Kalami. Ive
developed more of an appreciation for Assam because it might be older
than Chinese teas. I say that because the Himalayas rose from a sea
floor and the Indian monsoons more tropical than China for the tree.
You see remnants of the tree being harvested in China today. The
history of tea is Chinese but I think prehistory Indian. In an Indian
store the keyword is Mamri. That is the Assam used to make chai. I
consider that taste just as swarthy as anything from Yunnan.

Jim

On Feb 7, 9:59 pm, swede > wrote:
> I am greatly enjoying my Teaspring China teas, but I also favor
> Assams, so I am looking for recommendations for a source of fresh
> Assams that is kind of like "the Teaspring of India teas" using
> Teaspring as a benchmark for the kind of quality I am looking for. I
> am currently enjoying some pretty inexpensive Ahmad Assam that I get
> from Middle Eastern markets for my everyday work tea, but I know much
> better Assam must be available for an affordable price. I have tried
> Upton's and am ok with the tea I get for the price. Now I am ready to
> move up a notch or two .
> Gregory

swede > wrote:
>I am greatly enjoying my Teaspring China teas, but I also favor
>Assams, so I am looking for recommendations for a source of fresh
>Assams that is kind of like "the Teaspring of India teas" using
>Teaspring as a benchmark for the kind of quality I am looking for. I
>am currently enjoying some pretty inexpensive Ahmad Assam that I get
>from Middle Eastern markets for my everyday work tea, but I know much
>better Assam must be available for an affordable price. I have tried
>Upton's and am ok with the tea I get for the price. Now I am ready to
>move up a notch or two .

Some of the real top-grade Assams are available at Uptons, actually, and
pretty reasonably. I have been pleased with them.

If you're looking for a cheap assam from middle-eastern markets, try the
Sharzad or Gulabi brands... I think both are a cut above the Ahmad for
the same price.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

On Feb 7, 11:59*pm, swede > wrote:
> I am greatly enjoying my Teaspring China teas, but I also favor
> Assams, so I am looking for recommendations for a source of fresh
> Assams that is kind of like "the Teaspring of India teas" using
> Teaspring as a benchmark for the kind of quality I am looking for. I
> am currently enjoying some pretty inexpensive Ahmad Assam that I get
> from Middle Eastern markets for my everyday work tea, but I know much
> better Assam must be available for an affordable price. I have tried
> Upton's and am ok with the tea I get for the price. Now I am ready to
> move up a notch or two .
> Gregory

There is a place called Sunjaya Tea in Atlanta Georgia that seems to
be very reasonably priced and sells many of the finer estates. My fave
is Mangalam but I got my current batch of Mangalam from a place called
Spirit of the Lotus Tea House in Hagerstown, Maryland who are
reasonably priced and they have a diverse offering of Assams. Anyhow,
the place in ATL was highly recommended by several colleagues who get
all their tea from there as they work in our corporate offices there.
Hope that helps a little!

Mike

Snip
>
> There is a place called Sunjaya Tea in Atlanta Georgia
>
> Mike

I can't seem to find a link about this tea shop; do you have a link?
Thanks, Gregory

> If you're looking for a cheap assam from middle-eastern markets, try the
> Sharzad or Gulabi brands... I think both are a cut above the Ahmad for
> the same price.
> --scott
> --
> "C'est un Nagra. *C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Found some "shahrzad" kalami today, and am drinking some now.
The box doesn't say Assam, just pure Indian kalami. I'm not sure this
is the same tea you were talking about, as it seems a little more
musty
tasting. I'm not sure if age contributes to this taste. That is the
one thing
going for the Ahmad Assam : it has a date of packaging on the n
bottom.
Gregory

Arabic stores sell short leaf assam called barooti and long leaf
called kalami. Ive never been able to verify it but I thinks these
terms also means some sort of Islam religious standard like kosher.
Ive had oily kalami in wax paper with all Arabic scroll that reminds
me of the muskiest wet stored large leaf sheng Puer Ive ever tasted.

Expiration dates is money in your pocket. Look at the date of this
Sencha from a Spanish company:
http://i49.tinypic.com/10f2x5u.jpg
Consume the same month as packaged. That is fresh. Mister Business
Man I notice it is February and the tea is already a month old. Can I
have it for 50% off.

Jim

On Feb 23, 5:08 pm, swede > wrote:
> > If you're looking for a cheap assam from middle-eastern markets, try the
> > Sharzad or Gulabi brands... I think both are a cut above the Ahmad for
> > the same price.
> > --scott
> > --
> > "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
>
> Found some "shahrzad" kalami today, and am drinking some now.
> The box doesn't say Assam, just pure Indian kalami. I'm not sure this
> is the same tea you were talking about, as it seems a little more
> musty
> tasting. I'm not sure if age contributes to this taste. That is the
> one thing
> going for the Ahmad Assam : it has a date of packaging on the n
> bottom.
> Gregory

I thought you would notice the Spanish company ;-). This is the only
sencha I have from a non Asian company. Being a commercial sencha its
a little larger leaf than most. It has a good dry and wet aroma. The
aftertaste a little harsh. Could taste better if more care in brewing
because of the Japanese kill green steaming. It does produce a cloudy
looking brew which I find nutritious. The tin is airtight with an
pull tab inner tin seal. I think there must have been a big mixup on
the expiration date. I got mine early spring 2009 for $2 tin. OMG
its expired before it even made it to the shelves.

Jim

On Feb 25, 5:30 am, bbh2o > wrote:
> the original company is called Rovi
....
> kind regards,
> bonifacio barrio hijosahttp://worldoftea.iespana.es/
>
> On Feb 24, 3:12 pm, Space Cowboy > wrote:
> > Look at the date of this Sencha from a Spanish company:
> > http://i49.tinypic.com/10f2x5u.jpg

In article >,
swede > wrote:
>
>
>> If you're looking for a cheap assam from middle-eastern markets, try the
>> Sharzad or Gulabi brands... I think both are a cut above the Ahmad for
>> the same price.
>
>Found some "shahrzad" kalami today, and am drinking some now.
>The box doesn't say Assam, just pure Indian kalami. I'm not sure this
>is the same tea you were talking about, as it seems a little more
>musty
>tasting. I'm not sure if age contributes to this taste. That is the
>one thing
>going for the Ahmad Assam : it has a date of packaging on the n
>bottom.

That's it. And indeed it may not be fresh, which is the problem with
buying like this.
--scott


--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."