niisonge > writes:

> > None of these is compelling, though I'd favor hei cha. Following on
> > Lew's point, it's a pronounceable term that might carry the cachet of
> > exoticism before becoming a mainstream term.
>
> Oooooh, exotic, I like that! :-)
>
> > However, there seem to remain plenty of alternatives. In the West,
> > more usually equates to better. What about twice-cured, fully cured,
> > perfectly ripe, 100% ripe, mature, complete, etc.?
>
> Very good point, I will run that by the Chinese. This guy added on his
> QQ, so we chat often. He did say Hei Cha is not well understood even
> in the Chinese market.

Forgive the oversimplification, but I think heicha tends to be tea not
destined for consumption by Han people. Those post-fermented teas
from Hunan and Sichuan are mostly drunk by Mongolians, Uighurs,
Tibetans, and others far from the Han heartland, I think. (I know
there are exceptions: Lu'An, for one.)

Come to think of it, maybe those who are trying to find a marketing
angle for heicha should think of emphasizing the Central Asian aspect
of the tea. There's lots of Chinese tea sloshing around the world -
maybe consumers would be intrigued by a different kind of exoticism.
(Disclaimer: accepting marketing advice from me may be fatal to your
bottom line.)

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html