Mydnight wrote:

.... a nip here and a tuck there ...

> 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.

OK, the band-aid comment made me a bit ill... hell to think others were
just worried about a few bugs. That's pretty damn rough.

I had mentioned this a while back in reference to rice crops, since I
have close friends in Korea that grow rice, and the things you hear are
stomach turning. I think almost all food prep in Asia/U.S./wherever to
some extent will have this effect since we like to think of things
being relatively clean and safe... it rarely is though. BUT I will say
I have seen and heard more about Chinese products that is downright
unsafe, illegal, and just plain wrong.

I will also say that I have seen some very un-natural shades of green
in some japanese/chinese green teas that I know for certain were fresh
and clean... and TGY also can have this look about it too even
legitimately.

It's sad but radiation, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and other
"genetic modifications" are most likely here to stay due to our greed
and lack of outcry... it is unfortunately a fact of life anymore. It is
also why I do not like to claim anything about tea and health benefits,
because I'm sure there is much more harm than good anymore in each
leaf.

"Life, no one has survived it yet." - me

- Dominic