Good time to buy tea?

Hi all! I'm thinking of buying some Chinese greens, black, oolongs and
whites. Do you think this is good time to buy tea or should I wait for
the time after spring harvest 07? When will those teas be available?
If I order green tea now, those teas are almost year old (for example
in Teaspring.com) - are they still fresh and of high quality? I have
understood that at least blacks stay fresh for a longer time. How
about oolongs, whites?

On Feb 7, 1:51 am, taigu1...@m wrote:
> Hi all! I'm thinking of buying some Chinese greens, black, oolongs and
> whites. Do you think this is good time to buy tea or should I wait for
> the time after spring harvest 07? When will those teas be available?
> If I order green tea now, those teas are almost year old (for example
> in Teaspring.com) - are they still fresh and of high quality? I have
> understood that at least blacks stay fresh for a longer time. How
> about oolongs, whites?

I thought I'd take a little different approach here: because it is the
week before Asian New Year's Day, the shelves seemed stocked with teas
in all the Chinatowns I've been to this past week: Oakland, San
Francisco, Los Angeles and Monterey Park. There are lots of gift
tinsof teas and what seems to be very fresh loose teas as well.
Oakland Chinatown even had a couple of bingchas and touchas on the
shelves.I even (FINALLY!) found a big tin of Butterfly Brand Tie Guan
Yin for $10.00 (which is probably high).
It's may favorite time of year to stock up on Chinese cooking
ingredients and the produce stands are just loaded with pomeloes and
durians and chestnuts in anticipation of the celebratory meals.
Shen
I think it goes : Gong Hay Fat Choy!

What was the BB TGY FL# and does it compare to the imperial gold
oolong you mentioned?

Jim

PS Wait a month and get mooncakes for half price.


> I thought I'd take a little different approach here: because it is the
> week before Asian New Year's Day, the shelves seemed stocked with teas
> in all the Chinatowns I've been to this past week: Oakland, San
> Francisco, Los Angeles and Monterey Park. There are lots of gift
> tinsof teas and what seems to be very fresh loose teas as well.
> Oakland Chinatown even had a couple of bingchas and touchas on the
> shelves.I even (FINALLY!) found a big tin of Butterfly Brand Tie Guan
> Yin for $10.00 (which is probably high).
> It's may favorite time of year to stock up on Chinese cooking
> ingredients and the produce stands are just loaded with pomeloes and
> durians and chestnuts in anticipation of the celebratory meals.
> Shen
> I think it goes : Gong Hay Fat Choy!

On Feb 8, 5:41 am, "Space Cowboy" <netst...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> What was the BB TGY FL# and does it compare to the imperial gold
> oolong you mentioned?
>
> Jim
>
> PS Wait a month and get mooncakes for half price.
>
>
>
> > I thought I'd take a little different approach here: because it is the
> > week before Asian New Year's Day, the shelves seemed stocked with teas
> > in all the Chinatowns I've been to this past week: Oakland, San
> > Francisco, Los Angeles and Monterey Park. There are lots of gift
> > tinsof teas and what seems to be very fresh loose teas as well.
> > Oakland Chinatown even had a couple of bingchas and touchas on the
> > shelves.I even (FINALLY!) found a big tin of Butterfly Brand Tie Guan
> > Yin for $10.00 (which is probably high).
> > It's may favorite time of year to stock up on Chinese cooking
> > ingredients and the produce stands are just loaded with pomeloes and
> > durians and chestnuts in anticipation of the celebratory meals.
> > Shen
> > I think it goes : Gong Hay Fat Choy!- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Sorry, Jim. No tin here.
I'm in LA for a week and when I get back, I'll get you the code.
The tin is about 9 inches tall and mostly beige/brown (if that helps).
I'll get you some, if you'd like.
It's okay. I am a little spoiled with Tie Guan Yin since our local,
fancy tea store (Far Leaves - Berkeley ) has some really good, albeit
expensive, stuff!
It seems to me that the "Butterfly Brand" is about the same as what I
bought in bulk at the Chinese grocery in Oakland.
BTW, I did also but an oolong in that shop that was called "Six
Treasures". I can't find that name anywhere; but, it was weird and
lovely. I really don't care too much for scented teas anymore; but
this tea went from orange blossomy (very light), probably an
osmanthus? to a jasmine-y (also very light), and then to a toasty,
roasted flavour. It was cheap - $22.00 a pound.
I didn't buy too much and, actually I'd get it again since the
flavours are so intriguing.
I am heading to Wing Hop Fung tomorrow and will sniff around there for
some interesting stuff!
Shen

Shen,

Thanks for the offer but I have enough tea to start my own country.
I'm curious which FL was $10. I doubt you paid more because Chinatown
prices are the same across the country. I don't know if Wing Hop Fung
is one store or several but I saw on TV last night the owner has a
$15000 ginseng root which is exactly suppose to look like a man. I
will say the Chinese see nature differently than the West.

Jim

On Feb 8, 10:07 am, "Shen" <she...@> wrote:
> On Feb 8, 5:41 am, "Space Cowboy" <netst...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
....I delete me and you...

> Sorry, Jim. No tin here.
> I'm in LA for a week and when I get back, I'll get you the code.
> The tin is about 9 inches tall and mostly beige/brown (if that helps).
> I'll get you some, if you'd like.
> It's okay. I am a little spoiled with Tie Guan Yin since our local,
> fancy tea store (Far Leaves - Berkeley ) has some really good, albeit
> expensive, stuff!
> It seems to me that the "Butterfly Brand" is about the same as what I
> bought in bulk at the Chinese grocery in Oakland.
> BTW, I did also but an oolong in that shop that was called "Six
> Treasures". I can't find that name anywhere; but, it was weird and
> lovely. I really don't care too much for scented teas anymore; but
> this tea went from orange blossomy (very light), probably an
> osmanthus? to a jasmine-y (also very light), and then to a toasty,
> roasted flavour. It was cheap - $22.00 a pound.
> I didn't buy too much and, actually I'd get it again since the
> flavours are so intriguing.
> I am heading to Wing Hop Fung tomorrow and will sniff around there for
> some interesting stuff!
> Shen

On Feb 9, 6:05 am, "Space Cowboy" <netst...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> Shen,
>
> Thanks for the offer but I have enough tea to start my own country.
> I'm curious which FL was $10. I doubt you paid more because Chinatown
> prices are the same across the country. I don't know if Wing Hop Fung
> is one store or several but I saw on TV last night the owner has a
> $15000 ginseng root which is exactly suppose to look like a man. I
> will say the Chinese see nature differently than the West.
>
> Jim
>
> On Feb 8, 10:07 am, "Shen" <she...@> wrote:> On Feb 8, 5:41 am, "Space Cowboy" <netst...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>
> ...I delete me and you...
>
>
>
> > Sorry, Jim. No tin here.
> > I'm in LA for a week and when I get back, I'll get you the code.
> > The tin is about 9 inches tall and mostly beige/brown (if that helps).
> > I'll get you some, if you'd like.
> > It's okay. I am a little spoiled with Tie Guan Yin since our local,
> > fancy tea store (Far Leaves - Berkeley ) has some really good, albeit
> > expensive, stuff!
> > It seems to me that the "Butterfly Brand" is about the same as what I
> > bought in bulk at the Chinese grocery in Oakland.
> > BTW, I did also but an oolong in that shop that was called "Six
> > Treasures". I can't find that name anywhere; but, it was weird and
> > lovely. I really don't care too much for scented teas anymore; but
> > this tea went from orange blossomy (very light), probably an
> > osmanthus? to a jasmine-y (also very light), and then to a toasty,
> > roasted flavour. It was cheap - $22.00 a pound.
> > I didn't buy too much and, actually I'd get it again since the
> > flavours are so intriguing.
> > I am heading to Wing Hop Fung tomorrow and will sniff around there for
> > some interesting stuff!
> > Shen- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Hummmm...........doesn't look or taste like that.........when I get
back, I'll check it out more thoroughly. It really runs the gamut from
orange blossomy to jasminey.
I ahve a Cantonese speaking friend whom I'll drag to Chinatown with me
to enquire.
Shen

Just a possibility. Maybe the word 'treasures' has more meaning than
the word 'cups' when it comes to tea.

Jim

On Feb 9, 8:47 am, "Shen" <she...@> wrote:
> On Feb 9, 6:05 am, "Space Cowboy" <netst...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
...for the curious use Google...
> Hummmm...........doesn't look or taste like that.........when I get
> back, I'll check it out more thoroughly. It really runs the gamut from
> orange blossomy to jasminey.
> I ahve a Cantonese speaking friend whom I'll drag to Chinatown with me
> to enquire.
> Shen

"Space Cowboy" <netstuff@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:1171039528.177716.147580@h3g2000cwc. ...
> Just a possibility. Maybe the word 'treasures' has more meaning than
> the word 'cups' when it comes to tea.
>
> Jim

That's probably the truth...when I think of a tea called six (or however
many) treasures, I think of those packs of tisanes that include multiple
ingredients like rock sugar, wolfberries, chrysanthimum, etc...not what Shen
was talking about obviously.

Melinda

When I hear description of a kaleidoscope tea I automatically think of
a hidden teasure. However if it turns out to be all tea then I want a
boat load.

Jim

On Feb 9, 10:02 pm, "Melinda" <Csine...m> wrote:
> "Space Cowboy" <netst...@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message
>
> news:1171039528.177716.147580@h3g2000cwc. ...
>
> > Just a possibility. Maybe the word 'treasures' has more meaning than
> > the word 'cups' when it comes to tea.
>
> > Jim
>
> That's probably the truth...when I think of a tea called six (or however
> many) treasures, I think of those packs of tisanes that include multiple
> ingredients like rock sugar, wolfberries, chrysanthimum, etc...not what Shen
> was talking about obviously.
>
> Melinda

On 2007-02-13, Scott Dorsey <kludge@panix.com> wrote:
> I only drink four cups of six treasures tea from the Eight Obscure Tea
> Mountains.

But you don't get it at Ten Ren, I presume?

N.