Good time to buy tea?

I'd suggest you might as well wait. However, the problem with a lot of online vendors is that you really have no way to tell whether what they're offering is really 07 or not. Some will tell you, others won't, and the really unscrupulous ones will tell you its 07 but sell you 06 tea. Unless you know what you're getting, chances are you can't tell.

Then again, it also depends on the quality of the tea you're buying, and the type of tea. Like you said, black doesn't really matter that much. Neither will the heavier oolongs matter much (at least not in terms of age). If your green are of the cheaper variety, chances are it won't matter much either.

MarshalN

I think you'll be fine ordering some black and oolong in small quantity. They should be fine to drink and still be fresh enough. My advice, which is advice from others, would be to order just a small amount to tide you over until the fresh 2007 batches come in.

-Steven

I thought I'd take a little different approach here: because it is the week before Asian New Year's Day, the shelves seemed stocked with teas in all the Chinatowns I've been to this past week: Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Monterey Park. There are lots of gift tinsof teas and what seems to be very fresh loose teas as well. Oakland Chinatown even had a couple of bingchas and touchas on the shelves.I even (FINALLY!) found a big tin of Butterfly Brand Tie Guan Yin for $10.00 (which is probably high). It's may favorite time of year to stock up on Chinese cooking ingredients and the produce stands are just loaded with pomeloes and durians and chestnuts in anticipation of the celebratory meals. Shen I think it goes : Gong Hay Fat Choy!

Dear Shen

I had the same thought as you, but did some research.

Generally, avoid drinking the "new" tea. The optimum time to drink longjing tea, for example, is one month to one year (if stored properly). Yes, even green tea has to matured after being made.

There is also the practical issue of where you buy your tea. If you live in the Western world, for most vendors, it takes at least nine months before the tea gets there. So it is no point waiting.

Hope this helps.

Julian

What was the BB TGY FL# and does it compare to the imperial gold oolong you mentioned?

Jim

PS Wait a month and get mooncakes for half price.

But Longjing doesn't go half price, no matter time of the year.

MarshalN

Sorry, Jim. No tin here. I'm in LA for a week and when I get back, I'll get you the code. The tin is about 9 inches tall and mostly beige/brown (if that helps). I'll get you some, if you'd like. It's okay. I am a little spoiled with Tie Guan Yin since our local, fancy tea store (Far Leaves - Berkeley ) has some really good, albeit expensive, stuff! It seems to me that the "Butterfly Brand" is about the same as what I bought in bulk at the Chinese grocery in Oakland. BTW, I did also but an oolong in that shop that was called "Six Treasures". I can't find that name anywhere; but, it was weird and lovely. I really don't care too much for scented teas anymore; but this tea went from orange blossomy (very light), probably an osmanthus? to a jasmine-y (also very light), and then to a toasty, roasted flavour. It was cheap - $22.00 a pound. I didn't buy too much and, actually I'd get it again since the flavours are so intriguing. I am heading to Wing Hop Fung tomorrow and will sniff around there for some interesting stuff! Shen

Six treasures? 六寶, which might be a fancy way of saying 六堡?

What do the tea leaves look like?

MarshalN

Wet: long, narrow, brown and dark green. Dry: dark, a few stem, skinny leaves. Very dark and fragrant (but not flowery) in the bin. Next time I'm in Oakland Chinatown, I'll ask for the Chinese characters. I really liked this tea, though. Shen

"Eight Treasure Tea is a famous blend herbs, flowers, green tea and dried fruit. It consists of Xinjiang Green Raisins, Red Jujube, longan,lycium, crystal sugar, white chrysanthemum, dried date, and green tea."

Also from my notes 六堡 is considered a fermented black tea.

Jim

Shen,

Thanks for the offer but I have enough tea to start my own country. I'm curious which FL was $10. I doubt you paid more because Chinatown prices are the same across the country. I don't know if Wing Hop Fung is one store or several but I saw on TV last night the owner has a $15000 ginseng root which is exactly suppose to look like a man. I will say the Chinese see nature differently than the West.

Jim

...I delete me and you...

Hummmm...........doesn't look or taste like that.........when I get back, I'll check it out more thoroughly. It really runs the gamut from orange blossomy to jasminey. I ahve a Cantonese speaking friend whom I'll drag to Chinatown with me to enquire. Shen

Just a possibility. Maybe the word 'treasures' has more meaning than the word 'cups' when it comes to tea.

Jim

..for the curious use Google...

That's probably the truth...when I think of a tea called six (or however many) treasures, I think of those packs of tisanes that include multiple ingredients like rock sugar, wolfberries, chrysanthimum, etc...not what Shen was talking about obviously.

Melinda

When I hear description of a kaleidoscope tea I automatically think of a hidden teasure. However if it turns out to be all tea then I want a boat load.

Jim

I only drink four cups of six treasures tea from the Eight Obscure Tea Mountains.

--scott

But you don't get it at Ten Ren, I presume?

N.