Another trip to Chinatown

Tian Hu Shan Tea Co from Fujian is selling a wide varity of Chinese teas in 8oz glass apothecary jars from $8-10 depending on which store you buy from. Large and small stainless steel kettles with metal infusers. The first I've seen. $10 Korean 'pumpkin' teacups with saucer,cup,infuser,lid. The lid is a cup for holding the infuser. Chinese cup,infuser,lid $6. Small gaiwans $4. The real deal the lid fits inside the rim of the cup. Nobody understands it as such but boxes say 'chawan' which is more understood. Only in America a megastore from HongKong abuts a megastore from Mexico. I usually get the tea aisles to myself but had to wait my turn as Hispanics deciphered the Chinese. My first tres lecche cake was yummy. If you learn one Chinese word for tea (besides that) it is Bai meaning White. I picked up "Bai Maohuo" from Xiamen Tea Co which according to my dictionary is White Hair Monkey. The box describes downy monkey looking leaves making the best Wulong. Maybe. Vacuum packed foil which goes hiss when opened. A real strong earthy oolong from Anxi. Worth every penny at $2.50/100g. I didn't see any expensive Silver or Golden Bud beeng cha.

Jim

Reply to
Space Cowboy
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Anxi?

I thought Baimaohou hails from Zhenhe city of Fujian, and is a lightly fermented oolong...

Samar

Reply to
samarkand

The box says "Baimaohuo is grown in Anxi HuJiang". It also says "It is well enjoyed by the customers for its special feature or everlasting fragrant and sweet taste". You see fragrant and sweet used often in Chinese tea descriptions and I think something is lost in translation. Nothing gentle about this tea. The leaf is more green monkey than white down but definitely not Pouchong. It'll take some time to figure this one out. A pleasant surprise without the expensive local tea shoppe you can only buy it here surtax.

Jim

nibble.nibble.nibble

Reply to
Space Cowboy

Jim is spelling it Baimaohuo, and Samar as Baimaohou. Could they be different teas?

Reply to
Lewis Perin

The box shows the monkey character ho2u but spelling huo. I think we're talking about 'white hair monkey' baimaohou. I didn't spot the transposition which could have made all the difference. I'm now thinking from the strong taste that the description could also has something to do with age of leaf but there is still some down color and infusion is whole leaf green. Maybe an old stand of tea trees versus cultivar plants. There was a time when your local tea shoppe was the only place for Chinese variety but the retail shelves have caught up especially within last two years. I still haven't given up on finding Silver or Golden bud beeng cha. It may never happen since it has been suggested that puer is an 'Occidental' delicacy and I'm probably the only one in the city who even drinks the stuff because my local tea shoppe hasn't moved one package of mini tuocha after the last one I bought two months ago that I can see the faint dust outline of the one I bought.

Jim

Reply to
Space Cowboy

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