Once more: Darjeeling black teas

Ves, it's the same with all groceries here, it has to be very cheap, quality isn't so important (you get used to mediocre quality).

Yes, I asked for those single estate teas at a local shop. It offers a Castelton SFTGFOP1 sf for 22 Euros per 100 gr as their top of the to tea. The guy there was not able to give me a garantee, if this is a real Darjeeling, not to talk about a real Castelton, it has not even this tea board of india seal.

Ok, compared to Twinings, it is not so much better than German supermarket loose tea. There you better buy the Teekampagne ;-) (or a nice tea of a medeium quality at a local tea shop (e.g. Keemun than Prince of wales, Ceylon Uva BOP than the Orange Pekoe or a nice Assam sf (broken) etc. Even their Earl Grey I don't like (btw I noticed that there is the use of falvourings declared on the package, so they don't use real bergamotte oil).

Most tea shops (unless some exceptions) store their tea in very large quantities in closed big tin cans. So, the freshness shouldn't be a problem then.

Nice idea, worth a try!

Dieter

Lew:

I am not surprised with the price if they really can have a direct deal with the tea producers in India. The price sounds ok to me. I even don't have any doubt- Chamong estate tea is good. I never try tea from teekampagne. I don't know this company. If everything is true- I will say, this company at last start doing some business with ethics. I alway complain about the over priced tea from the on-line vendors. I need to order tea from them, taste and compare. Right now, I am not in a position to make any comment about teekampagne.

Ripon (Dhaka, Bangladesh)

Hi Ripon,

In a brochure I read, they claim to buy their standard ff and sf for an average price about 11 Euros per kilogramme at the tea auctions. So, due to the end-price and their calculation, the price for the single estate teas should be about 12 to 13 Euros per kilogramme at an auction.

But they buy harvests (harvest days?) from all the "normal" tea Darjeeling gardens (Castelton, Linigia, Kelej Valley etc.), all those harvests (Harvest days?), which could be bought for about 11 Euros ... ?

But that would be very interesting, if you could find sth out, I'll be very interested.

Dieter

Well, just to notice: for 250 gr. of Gunpowder Temple of Heaven I have to pay about 8 to 9 Euros in local tea shops (and online vendors), many of them offer the tea still packed in the typical green package. The same packaged tea I can buy for less than 2 Euros in a local asia shop -- but they don't offer Keemun :-( ! So much about high-priced tea!

Dieter

Yes, I've noticed the rather steep price many online vendors charge for this green tea. I have been wondering if it really could be the same tea I can buy for the equivalent of 2-3 Euros in my local asian supermarket. Seems like it is. I have to check out the asian/middle eastern shops more thoroughly for other 'bargains' :-) !

Lars