> Mydnight, I just got some 2006 TGY at Wing Hop Fung in LA in August, and
> although I've had TGY I thought better, it is not bad. But I think I've
> missed the "hygiene of the tea and additives" news. Is there something I
> should look for, or is all 2006 TGY suspect?


Your August tea is either late spring or the yearly low quality summer
pick. I'd probably opt for the former because summer tea is mostly
used to wholesale to restaurants.

Well, firstly, make sure your leaves aren't neon green on the first
brewing. I first started noticing that the leaves on the inside of my
gaiwan/pot were slightly glowing green when I would brew instead of the
normal green color that I get with the Taiwans that I drink regularily
now. I ain't never seen a tea bush/tree that had such bright green
leaves even after frying. You could say that it was my source or argue
with whatever point that you want, but the guy I get my tea from is a
Anxi native of the Gande area and he's also my pal. He actually
recommended I curb my drinking of TGY to only on certain occasions.
I'm going to listen to him.

As for other teas, Pu'er is the next culprit. Mike can probably vouch
for this, but I have found everything from hair, fingernails, to a
band-aid in some "bing" tea. They don't add anything much to this tea,
that is other than DNA and bodily remnants, but they do use relatively
low quality leaves in some of the lesser known factories. Standards,
you say? It's something that can be avoided with a little palm
greasing.

The report on the HK news that I saw last week basically echos what I
am saying. The hygiene standards in the tea factories are not up to
snuff and they produce a lower quality product because of it. It is
not only about 2006 teas, either.

Anyway, I'm sticking to Taiwan teas and higher grades of pu'er and the
rest for now. I will wait until the autumn pick to pass judgement on
TGY.