spiral-shaped green tea

It's most likely Bi Luo Chun. If it is a longer leaf, it could be Jin Si Luo or rolled into a ring, Nu Er Huan. You can usually infuse a good green several times. Shen

Thank You! I've seen this picture

- Claudio

If it's darker (nearly black), it could be Kudding ( a healing "tea")

- bitter. Shen

Don't know, I've put a picture here:

Thanks,

- Claudio

I understand why Shen suggested Kudingcha, but this picture doesn't resemble it. Besides, Kudingcha (which isn't a Camellia sinensis true tea but rather a member of the holly family) tastes extremely bitter. Does that characterize your tea?

/Lew

that looks like it is knotted like in a braid,

maybe its a sort of display tea...

Oh, yes. Lew, I suggested that before seeing a picture. Not Kuding. (I am surprised to hear it's of the holly family. I had always thought holly toxic.) Shen

Found this:

A few of these teas are described as "braided". Is this tea from China, by way of somewhere else??

" ShenCurious and curiouser."

Lew, I have drunk kundingcha not rolled leaf as you would expect, but in a very Bi Lo Chun like small snaily twist. It was properly bitter. Whether this is another form of processing the same plant or a different plant entirely I know not, but the taste was nearly identical. Having said that, I'll go look at the picture as science requires. Michael

Right, I've had it in this form too. I find it puzzling that kudingcha exists in two such radically different configurations. But real tea has lots of puzzlements too, and I suppose I prefer to spend my attention on good old C. sinensis.

/Lew

I've added some more picturese here:

As you can see, it's not a braid, the small piece is hollow. It is as if the rolled leaf had been bended around a stick to form a spiral, and then the stem is put in the hole that is left when the stick is removed. No, the tea was not bitter at all, it tastes like... well, like a good green tea, but I'm not an expert ;)

I purchased the tea in Shanghai in 2001. I asked to my guide for a place where I could see the "tea ceremony" (I knew about the japanese tea ceremony, but I was told there was something "similar" in China too), so we went to a tea shop, were I was shown how to taste tea... you know better than me. There, I purchased this strange tea and another one. I think I've found the original box, I've put a picture of it too (the number on the box is 010-64295788).

Thanks again,

- Claudio

Likwise. Agreed. I got it in a neighborhood teashop that didn't quite hit the mark, but deserved support nonetheless. Unfortunately, they quickly went out of business. Such is life in Brooklyn. Michael

Michael Plant snipped-for-privacy@pipeline.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news.east.earthlink.net:

...

Brooklyn? (Applause from the '40s and '50s audience.) I live in the borough of homes and churches too. I feel compelled to ask if there are any worthy teashops still in business there?

Ozzy

Grew up there (Williamsburg!) Love Brooklyn! My husband's from Park Slope. Shen

There's a semi-worthy one run by a Fujianese family around the corner from the 8th Avenue Sunset Park Chinatown strip on - what? - 48th Street? I'm not sure. They have, or had maybe a year ago, vacuum-packed greenish oolongs, but also fairly cheap tea in bins, including pretty good Dian Hong and Phoenix. They also have Chinese herbs, but that would be off-topic...

/Lew

In article <fo977o$avl$ snipped-for-privacy@nnrp.ngi.it>,

Although some have suggested that this is bilochun, it looks absolutely nothing like any blc I have every seen; they are very small delicate leaves with a natural curl. Others have mentioned kuding (not tea - a very bitter tisane), which it might be. Given the discoloration, it might also be an extra bold real tea. But it isn't bilochun.

Best,

Rick.

I am pretty sure this is Jin Si Luo, after seeing the photos and following the discussion. Bi Luo Chun is more delicate and that suggestion was made prior to seeing the pictures. Shen