TeaDB

Category: Article

  • Pu’erh Buying Categories. A Few Common Approaches.

    Pu’erh Buying Categories. A Few Common Approaches.

    In 2007, it was estimated that as much as 95% of the pu’erh purchased was for storage and speculation, and not actual consumption (Zhang, Ancient Caravans). Psychologically free of tea going bad, pu’erh-heads are known to go a little purchase crazy. People buy and store pu’erh for many different reasons. Some of us buy as we go. Others store pu’erh as a hobby to see what might happen. Others simply store pu’erh because we bought too damn much of it! (more…)

  • “Yiwu” Raw Pu’erh [May 2015 Tea Drinking Report]

    “Yiwu” Raw Pu’erh [May 2015 Tea Drinking Report]

    Big shoutouts to Carolyn, Richard, Dignitea and several vendors for providing teas and others like Shah8 for their recommendations! A brief disclaimer: This report should be taken as my own personal journey into tea and not as the ultimate, definitive anything.

    WTF Part 1!? These reports have been getting progressively longer. Rather than do something sensible, (a) get an editor to reduce flab and misspellings or (b) allow my mom or girlfriend to chuck out samples/stage an intervention… I stuck my middle finger out and indulged.. That’s right! This report is even longer than the previous one and will be released in two installments. The first will cover the young tea and the second will consume the Yiwu with some age (somewhat arbitrary set as 8 years). (more…)

  • What is Pu’erh?

    What is Pu’erh?

    This article heavily references Zhang Jinghong’s book, Ancient Caravans & Urban Chic. Do yourself a favor and read her book!

    At the height of the pu’erh craze in 2007, the Simao prefecture changed its name back to Puer. At the same time, a ceremony was arranged to welcome back the Golden Melon Tribute Tea back to its supposed birthplace in Simao. This event was not without controversy and was not well-received in the neighboring Xishuangbanna. The Golden Melon’s base material was from Yibang (located in Mengla County, Xishuangbanna) and Xishuangbanna-based people felt that their association with pu’erhs history had been compromised and hijacked. Many also complained the name change would lead to confusion, because pu’erh was primarily known and marketed as a tea. (more…)

  • Sampling Pu’erh. A Few Considerations

    Sampling Pu’erh. A Few Considerations

    What’s in the bag?? For people trying to explore pu’erh, sampling is inevitable. A sample is a good, albeit imperfect way to learn and get a feel for a tea. Pu’erh is an endless subsection of teas with various makes, source materials, storage etc. and while repetition is also very important, it’s also a good idea to sample widely to experience the breadth that pu’erh offers. Here’s a few considerations to keep in mind while sampling. (more…)

  • Zhang Jinghong’s Puer Tea: Ancient Caravans and Urban Chic

    Zhang Jinghong’s Puer Tea: Ancient Caravans and Urban Chic

    This is a review of Zhang Jinghong’s Puer Tea: Ancient Caravans and Urban Chic. Please also check out TwoDog’s review. More people need to read this book. Seriously!

    What is authentic pu’erh? This question is constantly asked in Zhang Jinghong’s challenging and informative Ancient Caravans and Urban Chic. Similar to other buzzwords like artisan or specialty, authenticity is frequently used as a term to push a product (tea or otherwise). The pu’erh world is very guilty of this. It’s no secret that the pu’erh world is full of lots of bullshit and misinformation that are just there to sell tea (read an ebay description). It’s a marketplace built on flat-out lies (ummm..) and numerous softer, difficult to verify lies (i..e why are all the trees ancient and wild?). Zhang’s book attempts to do the impossible and unpack the endless maze of perspectives and opinions in the pu’erh world. (more…)

  • Yancha (Wuyi Oolongs) [March 2015 Tea Drinking Report]

    Yancha (Wuyi Oolongs) [March 2015 Tea Drinking Report]

    Big shoutouts to Brian, Carolyn, and Richard (+vendors) for providing several of the teas for this month and allowing the content to be what it is! I hope you like long-form content, because this tea of the month report is truly massive.

    In the month of March 2015, the tea of the month was Yancha. During this month, I had Yancha at least once a day (unless totally unfeasible). I’ll still consume other teas, but the primary focus is understanding and building a palate for a specific type/genre/region of tea through repetition. This is the most personal blogging type style of post for TeaDB, and the goal is to stretch my palate as well as give recommendations to interested parties. (more…)

  • May/June/July Tea of the Month 2015

    Here’s the announcement of the next batch of tea of the months. Feel free to drink alongside, give suggestions, etc. Due to being egregiously and hilariously over my tea budget, I’m not sure how much I will be able to accommodate specific requests!

    • Greater Yiwu, Mengla County + Youle (May 2015)
    • Menghai County (June 2015)
    • Aged Oolongs (July 2015)

    (more…)

  • Cutting Out the Middleman (And is it Worth It?)

    Cutting Out the Middleman (And is it Worth It?)

    As westerners we are in a land far from the production of our beloved Yunnanese pu’erh and from the huge tea markets of China. This seemingly locks us into a constant struggle to eliminate as many middlemen and meddling hands as possible between us and our teas. The western market for pu’erh is far smaller and physically further from the source, giving east Asian vendors little incentive to accommodate us. It’s no surprise that there is a western premium that most of us pay to get our teas. However, unlike oolong or green teas, pu’erh is also sold with very commonly label. For mass-marketed teas like Dayi or Xiaguan it is very easy to find the Chinese prices for the tea using Donghe or Taobao. It is also possible for the willing and resourceful to buy directly from the Chinese market (via Taobao). This article examines this and several of the different tea types and approximates the markups. (more…)

  • Wuliang/Ailao Raw Pu’erh [February 2015 Tea Drinking Report]

    Wuliang/Ailao Raw Pu’erh [February 2015 Tea Drinking Report]

    Big shoutouts to Carolyn & Brian (a different Brian from last month) for providing several of the teas for this month and allowing the content to be what it is! I hope you like long-form content, because this tea of the month report is truly massive.

    In the month of February 2015, the tea of the month was Wuliang/Ailao Pu’erh. During this month, I had Wuliang/Ailao Pu’erh at least once a day (unless totally unfeasible). I’ll still consume other teas, but the primary focus is understanding and building a palate for a specific type/genre/region of tea through repetition. This is the most personal blogging type style of post for TeaDB, and the goal is to stretch my palate as well as give recommendations to interested parties. (more…)

  • Pu’erh Regions: Pu’er Prefecture

    Pu’erh Regions: Pu’er Prefecture

    This article frequently references and links to babelcarp. Babelcarp is a Chinese Tea Lexicon that is an essential resource for tea nerds that want to dive in further and don’t understand Chinese! This article also sources many maps from a TeaChat thread, original sources vary.

    Previously named Simao, Pu’er Prefecture shares pu’erh’s name and is one of the three principle growing prefectures for pu’erh tea. Located in Yunnan, Pu’er is sandwiched in between Xishuangbanna and Lincang and despite not being a particularly important historical growing region it is a historical hub for the tea horse road. Pu’er prefecture also borders Laos, Burma and Vietnam. Within Pu’er Prefecture, there are a few high-profile regions although the majority of the prefecture lacks the hype of the most hyped regions, especially Xishuangbanna. (more…)