100g Xiaguan Tuo Cha, Bowl Pureh Tea

This is one of the best Pureh tea I ever taste in the GZ trip. We try different Pureh Tuo Cha in one of the store. All of them are Raw tea with 4-5 year old (2004-05).

Usually 4-5 years old raw tea do not deliver enough richness and still taste raw. Some of the sample really reflex the fact. However, when we try this Xiguan Tuo Cha we have a very good impression.

Though it is a raw tea, produced in 2004, it already taste sweet and smooth. The liquor color keep in light yellow even after several brew. Not much richness is expected, but overall rating from me is really high. Xiaguan is famous in producing Tuo Cha, and this one really convince me they still keep a very good quality. The most important point is we all afford to try it. Each Tuo Cha cost only RMB40, how can you resist to take them home?

How to differentiate good Puerh Tea

It is quite interesting that many tea stores got this post of "How to differentiate Puerh Tea" issued by the Chinese Puerh Tea Society. So what is the "Four Important" points in choosing good Puerh?
1. Clean : The taste of the tea should be Clean and clear, no moisture taste.

2. Pure : The liquor colour should be in clear deep red, nothing like ink black.

3. Formal : Tea should be store in formal dry storage, no high humidity.

4. Taste : After taste of the tea should be mild, no bitterness.

The second part of the post is talking about "Six Don't policy"

1. Don't mark a wrong production year of the Pureh tea.

2. Don't use miss leading packaging.

3. Don't judge the tea by only observe the liquor colour.

4. Don't add artificial flavour into tea.

5. Don't use humidity Storage as selling point

6. Don't judge the tea quality only by tea leaves or year of the tea tree.

Well, they are very good reference for those who try to learn more about Pureh tea. I will remember them all the time.

GuangZhou FangChu Tea Wholesale Park (Part three)

After trying some Iron Buddist, the next target is my favourite Pureh tea. We walked across the main road, the third tea wholesale mall just located in front of us. The market is 5 floor high and full of tea seller. We were entering a dream treasure world.

We didn't walk through ever store (there are two many). We just stay in the one which attract me most as they display many aging Pureh tea cakes.

The store manager realized we are not idiot about Pureh, he was very please to introduce something good for us. First one we try was a Seven Sons raw tea cake from the early 90's. The tea leaves look very big with amazing smell of fresh earth. I just talk to myself this tea cake should be in very high quality and very expensive. Of course, the taste of the tea is absolutely wonderful. I'm sure all the Pureh lovers will enjoy this piece. Strong feeling of tea character, sweet and mellow with no bitterness. The after taste was so impressive that you can't resist to drink more. We are so satisfy with this tea but, actually we cannot afford to buy it. I do not want to disclose the price but I am sure it is wealth.

GuangZhou FangChu Tea Wholesale Park (Part two)

Woo...I just realize that me and my friend were only step in a very small part of the Fang Chu Tea Wholesale Market. After we walk 5 minutes more, we meet another market area which I think there are over sixty store around. We went through the streets in a very quick way and finally we were invited by a woman. We went into the store, sat down and try their best tea, the Iron Buddhist (Tie Guan Yin ).

At first, the store lady introduce us something not expensive. Of course, the result was some raw and bitterness. My friend who is not really a tea love also feel uncomfortable about that. After we said that we can try something more expensive, the lady smile and take out some tea from inside room.

She said the tea cost around RMB 120 per 500g. We cannot resist to taste it. At the same time, we examine the tea leaves as well. The leaves are in light green colour, bigger in size and smell young. Iron Buddhist (Tie Guan Yin ) do not like Pureh, usually younger Iron Buddhist taste better. Something sweet and mellow went through our tongue. The smell was so good even my friend wanted to taste more. Finally I bought 200g and carry on our trip in the tea market.

GuangZhou FangChu Tea Wholesale Park (Part one)

It is so exciting that I have two day holidays last week. As a tea lover, I certainly desire to go to Guang Zhou and have a look of the biggest Chinese Tea wholesale market in China.

Fang Chu, actually is a subway station of the line one subway route. After you reach Fang Chu station, there are sign lead you to the tea market. Along road side, you already see many tea store around. The big Tea Pot is so interesting that I can't resist to take a picture.

After walking for 20 minutes, crossing a bridge, finally I arrived the wholesale market. A smaller market was in my first sight. I just rush in and found the area was not as big as I expected. Not much store was opened yet, maybe because the time was only 11am. I was quite disappointed at that moment. But when I kept walking, woo... the story just began.