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britt
2nd Degree Black Belt
Joined: 22 Oct 2007
Posts: 175
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 Posted: Jan 06, 2008 9:47 pm Post subject: 2005 Spring Wuyi Zheng-yen "Bai Ji Guan" Oolong |
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I have been accused by many of China-bashing (true) and favoritism towards free China-Taiwan (also true) but being as open minded as I am, on the rare occasion where it is warranted I will praise the commies from the mainland. This Wuyi oolong is one such case.
After checking the safety issue with a friend who is originally from mainland China and who is well-versed in Chinese and Taiwanese tea, I decided to give this a try. He recommended Wuyi oolongs only for safety, not for taste, as he prefers Taiwanese high mountain oolongs. He said the Wuyi oolongs have so far been unaffected by the safety issues related to many other mainland Chinese teas.
This oolong is expensive at $37.50 for two ounces, but in spite of the hype about Wuyi oolongs, this stuff really does deliver. I have not lost any weight and I did not expect to, but this Wuyi tastes great especially when done Gong Fu style. I have had great results using a Taiwanese mineral-ore teapot as well as a recently aquired, second-hand, 200cc Yixing Zhi-sha.
I don't know much about Chinese oolongs, but I have seen many Wuyi's listed and they cover a very large range in price. I am not necessarily recommending them all, although personally I really like this particular one. It is my impression that there are multiple sections of Wuyi, with the center providing the best tasting and safest variety. I agree with the taste assessment and as for safety, I'm still alive and well.
A final note to those defenders of the mainland who have been offended by my previous posts; I trust that this one is acceptable? Please note that I also made what may be my first positive comment on an Yixing teapot. That's two positive comments about mainland Chinese products in one post. Savor this once-in-a-lifetime experience because it is unlikely to be repeated. |
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joelbct
Brown Belt
Joined: 11 Jan 2008
Posts: 41
Location: Westchester, NY
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| Posted: Jan 11, 2008 11:15 am Post subject: |
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Do you think we have that much to fear from Chinese Tea? I buy 90% Organic Food, but I wonder if Organic Certification means much in China anyway- I do love my China Green, White, and Black, however...
I generally purchase tea from high-end specialty vendors who claim to interact with the actual farmers, and I like to think anyone so committed to growing and producing premium tea according to traditional methods would not use excessive dangerous pesticides... But maybe this is wishful thinking.
Britt, do you have any links to studies or reports analyzing pesticide contamination in brewed tea, either from China or Japan? I guess we would have to be careful to consider who is doing the research as well.... |
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britt
2nd Degree Black Belt
Joined: 22 Oct 2007
Posts: 175
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| Posted: Jan 20, 2008 8:42 pm Post subject: |
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I missed this post and I apologize for the delayed response.
| joelbct wrote: | | Do you think we have that much to fear from Chinese Tea? I buy 90% Organic Food, but I wonder if Organic Certification means much in China anyway- I do love my China Green, White, and Black, however....... |
I have many friends and co-workers who are from mainland China as well as a few from Taiwan and Hong Kong. When I brought the mainland Chinese tea contamination issue to their attention, they did something I can't; they checked it out on websites and newspapers written in the Chinese language. Anyone who attempted to verify my statements came back and said I was correct. They did seem genuinely concerned, although some continued drinking the same tea while others completely switched to Taiwanese tea, which is much safer.
Another co-worker from the mainland said that organic certification, even by internationally recognized bodies, is meaningless in China as they put on a good show during certification, then immediately return to their prior uncertifiable and unsafe methods.
| joelbct wrote: | | I generally purchase tea from high-end specialty vendors who claim to interact with the actual farmers, and I like to think anyone so committed to growing and producing premium tea according to traditional methods would not use excessive dangerous pesticides... But maybe this is wishful thinking. |
There are probably many good and safe teas from China, I just feel that finding them is not easy or certain. I have never run across this type of safety issue in the teas from Taiwan or Japan; their populations would not tolerate it. Pesticides are not the only issue with mainland Chinese tea. There are additional issues such as lead contamination and the adding of wheat gluten, which itself was the culprit in the pet-food related deaths of dogs in the US last year.
| joelbct wrote: | | Britt, do you have any links to studies or reports analyzing pesticide contamination in brewed tea, either from China or Japan? I guess we would have to be careful to consider who is doing the research as well.... |
I'm sorry I don't have specific links to any studies. Much of this information came from the mainstream media, the FDA, and comments from US Congressmen. However, I felt the most important evidence was the verification I received from friends who checked out and verified the problem in the Chinese language media.
Occasionly I do drink mainland Chinese tea but I must trust the source or I won't touch it. The problem is not confined to cheap tea; a local restaraunt owner I know threw away ALL of his personal tea stash after verifying my comments. Some of these teas were very expensive and he said all of them were contaminated. He switched to Taiwanese High Mountain oolong, but also said the Wu Yi oolongs are safe, he just doesn't care much for them. |
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