Tea (rec.drink.tea) Discussion relating to tea, the world's second most consumed beverage (after water), made by infusing or boiling the leaves of the tea plant (C. sinensis or close relatives) in water.

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  #1 (permalink)   Report Post  
Cameron Lewis
 
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Default A Tale of two Bricks (Review)

I'm finally getting around to doing reviews on my pu-erh collection.

Tea: Banzhang Wild Brick '04
Source: Yunnan Sourcing LLC
Leaf Description: Mostly big gnarled leaves. No tips noticeable.
Quite stemmy.

Method: 3g in 5oz gaiwan. Two rinses @ 160F x 30sec ea

1: 170F x 45sec. Light and fresh. Hint of sweet. Not much aroma.
2: 170F x 1min. Still fresh and clean. More sweetness. A hint of
popcorn tells me I'm pushing oversteeping it.
3: 170F x 1min. Much sweeter now. A bit of bamboo shoot taste.
Faintly citric.

Comments: the tea could have gone for more steeps, and was in fact just
getting better. The leaves look alot like yard rakings in fall, but
the taste is remarkably clean and delicate, at least at these
parameters. It left a very nice feeling in my mouth. No smokiness.

Tea: Haiwan Factory Lao Tong Zhi '04
Source: Yunnan Sourcing LLC
Leaf Description: beautiful higher grade well-compressed leaf. Very
aromatic.

Method: 4.5g in 5oz gaiwan. One rinse at 180F x 10sec.

1: 170F x 45sec. Warm wood, extremely round empty cup fragrance.
Light but hints at complexity. A bit of sweetness and some eucalyptus
on the finish.
2: 170F x 45sec. As above but stronger and with some sandy soil and
green twig notes. Quite astringent.
3: As above, but a bit muted.

Comments: This is a very nice tea, very aromatic, and without smoke.
It is, however, much to astringent to drink young. I'm not sure
whether the mutedness of the 3rd steep was the fault of the tea or the
tanning of my tongue.

More to come,

Cameron

  #2 (permalink)   Report Post  
Lewis Perin
 
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"Cameron Lewis" > writes:

> I'm finally getting around to doing reviews on my pu-erh collection.
>
> [...]
>
> Tea: Haiwan Factory Lao Tong Zhi '04
> Source: Yunnan Sourcing LLC
> Leaf Description: beautiful higher grade well-compressed leaf. Very
> aromatic.
>
> Method: 4.5g in 5oz gaiwan. One rinse at 180F x 10sec.
>
> 1: 170F x 45sec. Warm wood, extremely round empty cup fragrance.
> Light but hints at complexity. A bit of sweetness and some eucalyptus
> on the finish.
> 2: 170F x 45sec. As above but stronger and with some sandy soil and
> green twig notes. Quite astringent.
> 3: As above, but a bit muted.
>
> Comments: This is a very nice tea, very aromatic, and without smoke.
> It is, however, much to astringent to drink young. I'm not sure
> whether the mutedness of the 3rd steep was the fault of the tea or the
> tanning of my tongue.


I enjoyed a sample of this given me by a friend. I think you won't
find the astringency a problem if you use shorter steep times.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html
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Alex Chaihorsky
 
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> Tea: Haiwan Factory Lao Tong Zhi '04
> Source: Yunnan Sourcing LLC
> Leaf Description: beautiful higher grade well-compressed leaf. Very
> aromatic.
>..................


If one's Chinese friends ever discover that one lived in a socialist country
they always forewarn one never to use the Chinese equivalent of the very
common word "comrade" - Tong Zhi, in its original meaning, because nowadays
it is used almost exclusively to describe gays. I saw that cake - these are
the right characters... So I wonder - since this is a new cake - what does
it name mean - an Old Comrade or an Old Fairy?

Alex.


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Michael Plant
 
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[Alex]
> If one's Chinese friends ever discover that one lived in a socialist country
> they always forewarn one never to use the Chinese equivalent of the very
> common word "comrade" - Tong Zhi, in its original meaning, because nowadays
> it is used almost exclusively to describe gays. I saw that cake - these are
> the right characters... So I wonder - since this is a new cake - what does
> it name mean - an Old Comrade or an Old Fairy?


[Michael]
A non-Chinese friend of mine who reads Chinese told me that fairy is a
designation for the Immortals, or at least one of them. (We were on the
street looking at a captioned picture of one of the Immortals when he called
this to my attention.) Same word, perhaps?

Michael

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Space Cowboy
 
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I thought I remember puer links describing Russian investment in
Chinese puer factories in the sixties or about. I know we had a recent
discussion where compress black tea for Russian market wasn't puerh.
"Old comrade" pops up often enough on TaoBao through the translation
software. I don't have any current notes on what factories or product
that could be.

Jim

Alex Chaihorsky wrote:
> > Tea: Haiwan Factory Lao Tong Zhi '04
> > Source: Yunnan Sourcing LLC
> > Leaf Description: beautiful higher grade well-compressed leaf. Very
> > aromatic.
> >..................

>
> If one's Chinese friends ever discover that one lived in a socialist country
> they always forewarn one never to use the Chinese equivalent of the very
> common word "comrade" - Tong Zhi, in its original meaning, because nowadays
> it is used almost exclusively to describe gays. I saw that cake - these are
> the right characters... So I wonder - since this is a new cake - what does
> it name mean - an Old Comrade or an Old Fairy?
>
> Alex.




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Alex Chaihorsky
 
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Lot of compressed tea is not puerh - actually most of the strongly
compressed (iron-pressed) tea is produced for northern markets - Mongolia,
Central Asia. Central Asia was a part of USSR so they called it (and still
do) "Russian market" - in reality until very recently Russia proper saw
almost no Chinese tea because India during post-Stalin years had much better
relations with Kremlin than Chinese who basically became almost an enemy.
Quite a bit of it was always produced for Tibet and some of it is puerh, but
most of it is nothing but just very hard-compressed black (and green) tea.
Which is understandable, because puerh never (even in China, let alone Tibet
or Mongolia) was an everyday tea. And everyday tea was pressed non-fermented
varieties of lower quality leaf.

In the dictionaries Tong Zhi is still a "comrade". It cannot be different
also because CPC is still unchallenged ruling party and Tong Zhi is an
official word for addressing a party member. But on the streets (and may
that has a political tongue-in-cheek too) Tong Zhi is "***", I know that
because I started to learn Chinese back home in 1970-ies and every page of
my textbook had at least 10 instances of the bloody term. So, even knowing
that, I were using it all the times during my7 recent China business trips
(you know how these things that you learned many years ago get stuck in your
head!) and every time it was a burst of laughter or just people
smiling/hissing/hushing...- but never outside of an official meeting with
party boys it was understood the "old way".

Sasha.





"Space Cowboy" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>I thought I remember puer links describing Russian investment in
> Chinese puer factories in the sixties or about. I know we had a recent
> discussion where compress black tea for Russian market wasn't puerh.
> "Old comrade" pops up often enough on TaoBao through the translation
> software. I don't have any current notes on what factories or product
> that could be.
>
> Jim
>
> Alex Chaihorsky wrote:
>> > Tea: Haiwan Factory Lao Tong Zhi '04
>> > Source: Yunnan Sourcing LLC
>> > Leaf Description: beautiful higher grade well-compressed leaf. Very
>> > aromatic.
>> >..................

>>
>> If one's Chinese friends ever discover that one lived in a socialist
>> country
>> they always forewarn one never to use the Chinese equivalent of the very
>> common word "comrade" - Tong Zhi, in its original meaning, because
>> nowadays
>> it is used almost exclusively to describe gays. I saw that cake - these
>> are
>> the right characters... So I wonder - since this is a new cake - what
>> does
>> it name mean - an Old Comrade or an Old Fairy?
>>
>> Alex.

>



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Rick Chappell
 
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Alex Chaihorsky > wrote:
> because puerh never (even in China, let alone Tibet
> or Mongolia) was an everyday tea.


Wait a minute, Alex. In ordinary cafes in Hong Kong the standard drink,
served like water without ordering it, seems to be lukewarm very weak
pu erh (bo lay). My guess is that it's a tradition from the times when
all drinking water should be boiled. Also, dim sum restaurants there serve
a lot of pu erh.

On the other hand, a Chinese colleague gave me a can of what he said was
"purple noble lady" and it turned out to be oolong, though he said it was
pu erh. So I thin there is a lot of confusion (but I know what I drank in
HK).

Best,

Rick.
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Alex Chaihorsky
 
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Rick -

Ordinary cafe (let alone Dim Sum restaurants) in HK expects you to spend at
least $10 with average probably closer to $15.
Cheap black puerh costs about $5/cake (say, $7/lb) Average "dose" would be
5-10 grams, ie. a quarter.

An average person in China makes about 800 ($100) Yuan/month (4 times that
in large cities). That averages to $3/ day for food, apartment,
transportation, etc. a quarter is 1/12 of that or approx. 10%. Now ask
yourself if you can afford 10% of your income to be spent on tea and you
have an answer why puer never was such in China even in large cities, let
alone countryside and Tibet.

Sasha.


"Rick Chappell" > wrote in message
...
> Alex Chaihorsky > wrote:
>> because puerh never (even in China, let alone Tibet
>> or Mongolia) was an everyday tea.

>
> Wait a minute, Alex. In ordinary cafes in Hong Kong the standard drink,
> served like water without ordering it, seems to be lukewarm very weak
> pu erh (bo lay). My guess is that it's a tradition from the times when
> all drinking water should be boiled. Also, dim sum restaurants there
> serve
> a lot of pu erh.
>
> On the other hand, a Chinese colleague gave me a can of what he said was
> "purple noble lady" and it turned out to be oolong, though he said it was
> pu erh. So I thin there is a lot of confusion (but I know what I drank in
> HK).
>
> Best,
>
> Rick.



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Michael Plant
 
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Rick /22/05


> Alex Chaihorsky > wrote:
>> because puerh never (even in China, let alone Tibet
>> or Mongolia) was an everyday tea.

>
> Wait a minute, Alex. In ordinary cafes in Hong Kong the standard drink,
> served like water without ordering it, seems to be lukewarm very weak
> pu erh (bo lay). My guess is that it's a tradition from the times when
> all drinking water should be boiled. Also, dim sum restaurants there serve
> a lot of pu erh.


[Michael]
You will find the same in New York City, although us Gringos often get
Jasmine tea in Chinese restaurants, and have to ask for the Bo Lay.
(Otherwise, it's Bo Lay more often than not, at least in Chinatown.)
>
> On the other hand, a Chinese colleague gave me a can of what he said was
> "purple noble lady" and it turned out to be oolong, though he said it was
> pu erh. So I thin there is a lot of confusion (but I know what I drank in
> HK).


Such sophistication. Perhaps your colleague was contemplating the Tea Fairy?

Michael


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Lewis Perin
 
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"Alex Chaihorsky" > writes:

> Ordinary cafe (let alone Dim Sum restaurants) in HK expects you to spend at
> least $10 with average probably closer to $15.
> Cheap black puerh costs about $5/cake (say, $7/lb)


That strikes me as a bit high, based on the fact that cheap shu is
cheaper in New York's Chinatown ($3-$4/cake.)

> Average "dose" would be 5-10 grams, ie. a quarter.


$7 divided by 454g = $.0154/g.

5g would cost 7.7 cents, and 10g would run you .15.

But, if my experience with shu pu'er in New York's Chinese restaurants
is any guide, and Rick indicates it is, even this would be much too
high, because they brew the tea amazingly weak.

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


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Space Cowboy
 
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You guys are paying way too much for your shu at a dim sum restaurant.
I can buy Foojoy Bonay 5lb/2.27kg bags for $5 or $6 for the bag with
the transliteration Pu'er. The oolong and jasmine bags are the same
weight and price. Now if I could only find cheap dim sum.

Jim

Lewis Perin wrote:
> "Alex Chaihorsky" > writes:
>
> > Ordinary cafe (let alone Dim Sum restaurants) in HK expects you to spend at
> > least $10 with average probably closer to $15.
> > Cheap black puerh costs about $5/cake (say, $7/lb)

>
> That strikes me as a bit high, based on the fact that cheap shu is
> cheaper in New York's Chinatown ($3-$4/cake.)
>
> > Average "dose" would be 5-10 grams, ie. a quarter.

>
> $7 divided by 454g = $.0154/g.
>
> 5g would cost 7.7 cents, and 10g would run you .15.
>
> But, if my experience with shu pu'er in New York's Chinese restaurants
> is any guide, and Rick indicates it is, even this would be much too
> high, because they brew the tea amazingly weak.
>
> /Lew
> ---
> Lew Perin /
>
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html


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Mydnight
 
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>If one's Chinese friends ever discover that one lived in a socialist country
>they always forewarn one never to use the Chinese equivalent of the very
>common word "comrade" - Tong Zhi, in its original meaning, because nowadays
>it is used almost exclusively to describe gays. I saw that cake - these are
>the right characters... So I wonder - since this is a new cake - what does
>it name mean - an Old Comrade or an Old Fairy?


A derived form of this that's used today is "tong shi" which means
workmate. The use of comrade in China sorta has faded out a bit, but
Alex is right; in the North they do use this terminology to refer to
gays. It's not widespread.

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Lewis Perin
 
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"Mydnight" > writes:

> >If one's Chinese friends ever discover that one lived in a socialist country
> >they always forewarn one never to use the Chinese equivalent of the very
> >common word "comrade" - Tong Zhi, in its original meaning, because nowadays
> >it is used almost exclusively to describe gays. I saw that cake - these are
> >the right characters... So I wonder - since this is a new cake - what does
> >it name mean - an Old Comrade or an Old Fairy?

>
> A derived form of this that's used today is "tong shi" which means
> workmate. The use of comrade in China sorta has faded out a bit, but
> Alex is right; in the North they do use this terminology to refer to
> gays. It's not widespread.
>


I just got this confirmed by a Taiwanese colleague of mine. She
thinks the code phrase originated in the title of a Hong Kong movie of
ten years or so ago (sorry, I don't have the title.) Immoral Mr Teas,
are you listening?

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