http://www.sevencups.com/forum/ Seven Cups Tea Forum Topic: need help with finding a Chinese green tea en Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:35:44 +0000 http://www.sevencups.com/forum/topic/40#post-155 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:21:08 +0000 admin 155@http://www.sevencups.com/forum/ <p>HI Cornelia<br /> Sorry it has taken me a while to answer. I have had trouble with my internet connection here in China. One more week and I will be home after two long months. It seems when I am here I have to work everyday.</p> <p>I'm afraid that you have stumped me. There are some large leaf tea that are popular, but somethings don't match. Surely from the color it was a fried tea, which is very common. It is hard to match the tea with the area, and the nutty taste is uncommon. I would guess that it was just a local common tea. Don't think that it is uncommon for tea not to become bitter. Bitterness come from the leaves being broken. Unbroken leaves will almost never become bitter, and the astringency of green tea is less likely using a small amount of leaves. Covering the cup will cause the tea to brew longer so less leaves will be needed. Tea leaves that do not have air caught inside will sink faster. Tea buds almost always have air trapped in the bud, and if there are only buds, it will cause the effect of the buds standing on end. is not true of the smallest bud, but it is easy to trap air in the processing and shaping of the leaves.<br /> I know that this doesn't help, but there are so many local teas that never get tasted except by living in the area as you did. Frying tea is the most common way to produce tea in the countryside, everyone has a wok and can make their own tea in tea growing areas. I which I could be of more help. The Chinese say that you can study tea for a lifetime and never learn all the names.<br /> Best wishes<br /> Austin </p> http://www.sevencups.com/forum/topic/40#post-154 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:05:47 +0000 Cornelia 154@http://www.sevencups.com/forum/ <p>Austin, </p> <p>Hi, I recieved the wonderful Long Jing tea. It has a really beautiful taste and the aftertaste really does linger in a delightful way, but it is not the tea I have been looking for. sigh. However, I am really glad to have a new tea to add to my pallete. </p> <p>The one we had in China was a bigger leaf, whole, and the dragon well seems to be buds and greener. Also the taste is different. I am still at a loss, perhaps that was a tea that they don't make anymore, it was a kind of long time ago. </p> <p>I was looking more at other types of tea, and it could be a yellow or white ( but I remember the leaves before brewing were more yellow-green, not white and downy). </p> <p>Perhaps it was just an ordinary common tea? I recall them always being very clear about letting the leaves stay in the cup with the top on, until they went to the bottom, and they didn't hang. Once they were at the bottom, we drank the tea and it was not bitter tasting at all, and they never put lots of leaves in, just a few, which always surprised me how little leaf they put in the cup- maybe 3-5 leaves, maybe a little more, and that was in a full size large covered cup. Perhaps, they just didn't have a lot of tea at the time, but the taste was memorable... </p> <p>still puzzled....if you have any ideas or know anyone who might, other wise, I will stop being a bug.<br /> best, and thank you for all of your sincere help, I do appreciate it.<br /> Cornelia </p> http://www.sevencups.com/forum/topic/40#post-153 Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:37:08 +0000 admin 153@http://www.sevencups.com/forum/ <p>Hi Cornelia<br /> It sounds like you are buying shen puer. All of our shen cakes are good choices. We have a good range from Mengku to Yiwu. I'm sure you will find something you like. We offer a pretty detailed description. I never buy anything that I don't like so I am a ban person to ask for recommendations.<br /> Take care<br /> Austin </p> http://www.sevencups.com/forum/topic/40#post-152 Sat, 14 Jun 2008 08:50:15 +0000 Cornelia 152@http://www.sevencups.com/forum/ <p>Austin, </p> <p>thank you for taking the time to respond. I found a website that showed the brewed tea leaves,and it did look like Long Jing, and I haven't tried that one yet. </p> <p>Thank you so much, and I will order some from seven cups and let you know. </p> <p>Any tips on a good puer from your website, (since you are in Yunnan). I tend to buy cakes that from the old trees and organic if possible. I really like the Haiwan 2006 #4032 ancient tree, the Powen tea factory 2006 #4010 wild arbor organic, and the Mengku 2006 Arbor king. </p> <p>Thank you again for your support and help, and take good care.<br /> Cornelia </p> http://www.sevencups.com/forum/topic/40#post-151 Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:00:29 +0000 admin 151@http://www.sevencups.com/forum/ <p>Hi Cornelia<br /> Thanks for your thoughts. It is truly a major disaster, but the Chinese are mobilized to help as only the Chinese can mobilize and the rest of the world has been very giving. The are some encouraging things happening that are very moving.</p> <p>The only tea that think of that matches the nutty taste you are talking about is Long JIng. The color is consistent, and the shape, but the Long Jing that being made now is not as large as a paper clip. It could be that in those days the tea was not as expensive or famous as now, and they may have waited until the leaves were bigger to get more tea. I'm just guessing about that. You would have been more likely to have had that tea in Hongzhou or Shanghai. Certainly it is a fried tea. Long Jing does have a nutty taste though, and smells a bit like fried soy beans. I hope this helps.<br /> Austin </p> http://www.sevencups.com/forum/topic/40#post-150 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 07:23:31 +0000 Cornelia 150@http://www.sevencups.com/forum/ <p>Austin, </p> <p>I hope all is well in China and I am sorry for all the devistation there, prayers and speedy recovery to all there. </p> <p>We went to several places in China with communes,one was Canton I'm pretty sure we had the tea there, the commune name was Dali ( I have an old journal I am refering to) </p> <p>We also went to Bejing, Shanghia, Xian, and Honchou. </p> <p>The leaves were flat, and hole, rounded at the ends, and about the size of a paper clip or large one. I really can't find anything like this and I have ordered some green with young whole leaves, but the taste is fruity, not nutty. </p> <p>thanks for helping,<br /> Cornelia </p> http://www.sevencups.com/forum/topic/40#post-149 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 05:25:14 +0000 admin 149@http://www.sevencups.com/forum/ <p>Hi Cornelia<br /> I'm sorry to have taken so long to answer. I have been out in the backwoods of Yunnan with very limited internet access and have not check the forum lately. It is hard to say which tea you were drinking, but if you will tell me where you were, I can make a guess. Chinese tea is very localized and I can research it better if I know where you were. Hopefully you were in a tea growing area.<br /> Austin </p> http://www.sevencups.com/forum/topic/40#post-148 Sat, 07 Jun 2008 07:22:19 +0000 Cornelia 148@http://www.sevencups.com/forum/ <p>I was in China in 1981 and we were served a green tea primarily at the communes. Generally, the leaves were presented in a large covered cup, and I recall they then poured the water on top. The leaves were whole, about the size of a large paper clip. There were not many used in the cup, and they went to the bottom, they did not hang like some greens. The brew was a greenish yellow brown-not too dark ( sorry it's vague- I think more yellow) it was a long time ago. The taste was nutty, green and quenching. Any idea what it was? I am an avid tea drinker, mostly drinking, puer, black, oolong, and I am expanding into green, I have become bent on finding that tea, and it was delicous, but I havn't been able to.<br /> any comments welcome,<br /> Cornelia </p>