Saturday, after enjoying a leisurely lunch sitting along side a slowly sliding river, I am off for some tea tasting. My companions are Kevin, his wife, and another coworker named Ivy. Ivy has been kind enough to take us out to the local tea market to do some tasting and buying. This particular location is a large building. Housing numerous shops that are more like wholesale outlets that sell tea to restaurants, clubs, and other businesses. In other words they stack'em deep and sell'em cheap. Ivy is quite the connoisseur and negotiator. And without her accompaniment and tutelage this experience would have never happened.
It begins with Ivy driving us across town.(which should be a whole other entry in itself ) We park underneath an expressway in a dingy lot, cross a sticky alley, pass some shirtless old men playing cards in a doorway, veer left and head straight up a decaying flight of stairs. Halfway along we are stopped by glass doors. We swing them open. Cold conditioned air pulls us in and the sweaty sour smells of the alley and old card players are left behind the now closing doors. Enter the tea market. (can I get a gong!)
This place is very similar in layout to the louhu shopping center. Aisles and aisles of tiny shops, 15ft wide by 5-10 ft deep, packed with bags and bags of tea. Bags waist high, standing upright by their own mass with pie tins sitting on top for sifting. It's enticingly odiferous. Shop keeps, mostly teenagers, hail you with, "hey mista want some tea, want some tea." I'm just waiting to hear "DVD movie?" Thankfully I don't.
Ivy hurries us along to a place she has in mind. we are taken to a shop tucked in a corner. There's a young couple running the store. Brother and sister perhaps. They smile kindly at Ivy and extend vigorous welcomes. They apparently know each other. 4 tiny stools about a foot in height are placed in front of a small counter. we are invited to sit and the older brother asks Ivy of our business. He says a few words to the sister and she's off collecting samples for us to try. He boils water while arranging several tea cups on a steel mesh tray. He does this with tongs. Sister delivers the first of many pie trays to come and we pass it around smelling, examining. He grabs a half fist load and places it in a bowl, pours hot water into it and strains it out. He does this three or four times before we taste. It is excellent. From that first sample until the last, the level of quality, texture, and flavor increases over and over again. I am informed of growing processes, the basic differences between the 4 main tea groups and many other interesting tidbits and factoids. I am surprised at how interesting tea is. Some teas are better fresh while others require time to ferment. Like wine, you could spend a fortune collecting certain types of teas.
Then I think, oh man, where's my manly dignity? I'm gushing over tea! Crap! I quickly attempt to console myself. In 7 more days I'll be home watching football and eating nachos. At this realization I feel better, then I casually ponder to myself, "I wonder if this jasmine tea will go well with bean dip?"
I finally go crazy and buy a few thousand milligrams. "Give me two of everything!"
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