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Sorry I didn’t see this posting earlier.
Switzerland: Laengasstee & Reichmuth von Reding
In Switzerland try Laengasstee in Bern, or Reichmuth von Reding, which is a catalogue shop. The former is so particular with quality that they travel to Asia almost every year for sourcing. They have some of the finest selections in Europe. The latter was setup by Hanspeter Reichmuth, once the most respected wine master in the country who turn tea-loving a couple of decades ago.London: Post Card Teas
Post Card Teas in London is very particular with quality too; they have a Tea Masters’ series. This shop is highly regarded by my tea students and tea friends in that country.All these are tiny operations compared to Mariage Freres, but more quality oriented.I don’t like the taste of infused leaves either. Some rural people in different parts of China still do that, but not anything popular.
I know. I think that’s because puer is a tea pretty new to international scientists that they are not aware of the need to study it yet.
There are, however, a few studies in China involving the observation of caffeine levels in shu cha. They do find various forms of caffeine in puers, and in a particular study even similar ones as that in roasted coffee beans): SHE Gai-Mei et al, The occurrence of 8-oxocaffeine and pyrimidine alkaloids in Pu-erh ripe tea, Acta Botanica Yunnanica, 2007, 29 (6) 713~6I think the conclusion in another study is more in agreement with our logical assumptions: that the level of caffeine very gradually lowers as the fermentation progresses, but the end product still contain substantial amount of caffeine (from 3.38% of total dissolvable content to 2.23%): The effects of Asperigillus on Post-fermentative Process of Pu-er Tea, Acta Botanica Yunnanica, 2008, 30(5) 624~8These reports are only in Chinese
and I have not found any concerning the content change as the tea matures It is reasonable to have a business agenda there as the setup was basically totally funded by them. However, while it is okay to avoid issues that may not be advantageous to their business, it is another thing to propagate wrong concepts of things. Coming from a people whose history has been seriously manipulated and re-appropriated by Western powers, I am particularly strong view about institutions misrepresenting things. I see deliberate misrepresentations worse than the absence of representation. If I sound too aggressive, please bear with me.
Paris: Le Palais des Thés, Dammann Freres & Maison des Trois Thés
In France, I think Dammann Freres has a stronger collection of traditional quality tea as a larger business, and so is le Palais des Thés. And if you’d like a bit of adventure, a small shop in Paris which I have not been, but was introduced by a reader — Maison des Trois Thés seem to carry a fresh and boutique collection.Outside of France, the Swiss and the English are also quite good in trying to provide quality traditional ranges comparable or better than Mariage. Though few businesses have grown as profitable as Mariage Freres to be able to host a small museum.Bai Hao oolong is more like a black tea than oolongs. I think the best way to enjoy it is to infuse it like a black tea, i.e. longer infusion time. For a ratio of 90 ml to 2.5 g, I think I’d infuse it at least for 3 minutes. If you trust the hygiene of your source, do not blanch the tealeaves, but instead preheat your pot real well.
This is a great question. That’s one reason why I have created Tea Guardian: to tell people what is genuine and quality in tea. I think the tea review articles abt White Peonies and Silver Needles, and the chapter on White Teas have quite explicitly explained this very considerate question of yours for the general consumers.
However, I am thankful of you for this opportunity to further clarify. To answer the question very briefly, here are a few points as a quick guide:- Silver Needle is a leaf shoot tea. There are no open leaves attached to the silvery shoots.
- The leaf shoots should be around 2 cm long, silvery in shades of very light warm grays, no greenish tints.
- Smell of hay and hints of flower rather than grassy or herbaceous.
- Liquor should be a light canary yellow rather than lime yellow.
- White Peony is a leaf shoot with one or two second leaves, all attached during production, but some leaves maybe separated during handling and transportation.
- The leaf shoots of White Peony should be judged the same as real Silver Needles as above.
- The leaves should have a clearly oxidized appearance, although there may be some green left in the leaves. (this point as edited by “pancake”)
- The liquor should be canary yellow rather than lime yellow and the taste fuller than Silver Needles.
Please do take time to read the linked articles in teaguardian.com for better understanding. The pictures there are important clues.
They have a much greater agenda in creating their own version of tea tradition than trying to understand what tea had been. The way they flavour and scent teas to extremes is unbearable to me as a tea drinker.
Price ranges can be even greater than that and the quality differs so dramatically that what is supposed to be a tea with only leaf shoots can turn into a low grade White Peony. Some people even use African semi-oxidized teas with bits of leaf shoots for the label of white tea. I am amazed at the flexibility of moral level of the merchants and the vulnerability of the consumers.
So did you just walked up as a tourist without prior appointment and they received you like that? I had some very good experience with Turks too but for an institute to be open as such to everyone is amazing. It would be nice if you could post some photos or video of the experience. The readers would be keen to share this.
and I have not found any concerning the content change as the tea matures 