The God Of Tea was not pleased when I mouthed off last week and slandered TGY, so he punished me in a cruel way. I had to taste samples sent from vendors with my friend for about 3 days last week. This top picture is what the tea tray looked like when I arrived, the picture at the end is what it looked like about half an hour later (with a clean up in between).My tea friend sent me a bunch of samples of heavily roasted TGY, which I don't really have the experience to enjoy yet. Some of the roasts were very strong, I haven't had a moderate TGY yet. On the other hand, I haven't tried them all. There were some really exceptional examples of other teas, though.
I would like to recant some of what I said last week about not liking green TGY. It can be very nice, especially when its fresh and high quality. I guess what I take exception to about TGY is more the people around here who drink it than the tea itself. When I walk into a shop they always ask if I'd like some TGY. It's always going to be cheap tea, and they don't really have anything else to offer. When I ask for something else they keep pushing TGY.
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Last Sunday a man from Anxi came to my friend's shop to sell us TGY. We were alone, and to make conversation I asked if he drank any other teas. He told me that not only his whole family, but everyone in China who knows anything about tea prefers TGY, especially in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong province. I just didn't say anything because I tend to react to such tea chauvinism a bit too strongly.
6 comments:
I cant imagine having to deal with that much tea let alone the mess. Ive never had a TGY that impressed me all that much, some that I thought was O.K. Smart, the mans implication was if you don't buy what I'm selling, your ignorant. You took the high road, why waste your breath?
All the tea was samples sent from Anxi, I think my friend only decided to buy one of those teas.
And you're right. Lots of salesmen use a slightly insulting pitch, which makes it seem like the only reason the buyer doesn't buy is his ignorance or some other character flaw.
Although it is understandable in many ways, I never cease to be amazed by people who are so expert with one type of tea but refuse to explore another.
i had one of these experience in Anxi, and after tasting Fresh TGY for 3 days, my wife expressed her concern about my face turning green.... And I marry her 2 yrs later. Cheers T
It's too bad there weren't any good ones, a nicely roasted, aged TGY is one of my faves! I hear you on the tea salesmen thing, though. I spend time at a teahouse up here and we get a rotating stock of people plying their stock of magic teas, much of which is mediocre at best. If I don't express some kind of interest, these guys tend to get offended, as if my level of tea appreciation isn't up to par with the quality of their goods. It's entertaining - the owner and I usually joke about it as it happens, in Chinese. Tea smartasses, what can ya do?
Here, they all speak Chinese and I can't speak the local dialect well enough to say anything witty.
Ha, the tea guys aren't usually Chinese, so they don't understand our jokes. It's alright, I'll come visit in China sometimes and we can crack jokes in English.
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