I thought it would never happen to me, but it has. I no longer can
grin and bear a tepid cup of water with a Lipton or cut-rate tea bag
plunked in. I politely decline, but my hosts know it is because I
don't deem their offering worthy. This troubles me because I'm
normally one to make the sacrifice to not hurt others feelings, but I
have just reached a point where I want a good cup of tea or none at
all. If offered some new brand or variant I will generally give it a
shot to say I have tried it, even if I know it is going to be bad, so
I'm not totally taken by the dark side... yet.

It's really a tough spot to be in at times and I've not yet figured
out a way to handle it better. How do you handle this situation? The
only up-side I can see is that maybe they will then at least try to
stock a better tea which may in turn elevate their own standards... at
least that's how I justify it to myself

- Dominic

> It's really a tough spot to be in at times and I've not yet figured
> out a way to handle it better. How do you handle this situation?

Haha, it happens in China too. Just bring your own tea. In China, the
hosts normally have all the equipment for tea brewing. So it's no
problem to bring along a few pouches quality tea. The office tea is
espcially the worst. Most people normally don't spend much money on
that stuff. So if you want to save yourself, then bring your own tea.
And may bring your own utensils too. And then prepare tea for your
hosts and educate them about tea. That way, both sides get some
benefit.

Tit for tat. They dont stock decent tea, you dont stock decent
coffee. I agree with Niisonge bring your own. I usually bring more
than I need and leave some for the hosts to 'try'. It is there when I
go back. You know you are a tea snob when you are told I dont stock
tea because it wouldnt be up to your standards.

Jim

On Jul 15, 8:32 am, "Dominic T." > wrote:
> I thought it would never happen to me, but it has. I no longer can
> grin and bear a tepid cup of water with a Lipton or cut-rate tea bag
> plunked in. I politely decline, but my hosts know it is because I
> don't deem their offering worthy. This troubles me because I'm
> normally one to make the sacrifice to not hurt others feelings, but I
> have just reached a point where I want a good cup of tea or none at
> all. If offered some new brand or variant I will generally give it a
> shot to say I have tried it, even if I know it is going to be bad, so
> I'm not totally taken by the dark side... yet.
>
> It's really a tough spot to be in at times and I've not yet figured
> out a way to handle it better. How do you handle this situation? The
> only up-side I can see is that maybe they will then at least try to
> stock a better tea which may in turn elevate their own standards... at
> least that's how I justify it to myself
>
> - Dominic

On Jul 15, 12:26*pm, Space Cowboy > wrote:
> Tit for tat. *They dont stock decent tea, you dont stock decent
> coffee. *I agree with Niisonge bring your own. I usually bring more
> than I need and leave some for the hosts to 'try'. *It is there when I
> go back. *You know you are a tea snob when you are told I dont stock
> tea because it wouldnt be up to your standards.
>
> Jim

I never thought about bringing extra and leaving it, great idea! See,
I knew there had to be a more tactful way to handle it.

and niisonge, it is funny when people expect because someone happens
to be Chinese/Japanese that they *must* have good tea as if everyone
of them instantly becomes a tea expert by birth rite. I'm more likely
to get a Yamamotoyama or FooJoy teabag instead of Lipton but that's
about it and even then not a guarantee. (I actually enjoy both of
those teabags though so I'm fine with it)

- Dominic

> and niisonge, it is funny when people expect because someone happens
> to be Chinese/Japanese that they *must* have good tea as if everyone
> of them instantly becomes a tea expert by birth rite.

Dominic, in China, unless you have studied tea for a long time, or are
employed in a tea profession, then most Chinese have limited knowledge
of tea - or at least varying levels of knowledge about tea. Moreover,
in a given region, one particular tea may be the most popular and
exclusively consumed - meaning you will have little luck finding and
drinking other types; like say Fenghuang Dancong.

That means the local residents might be quite knowledgeable about a
particular tea - but not about any others. Their "tea palette" or "tea
vocabulary" so to speak, is limited. On the other hand, there are
those who know of tea, but their budget is tight. So they only drink
cheaper grades of tea - fully knowing it is bad tea. Not much they can
do about it. Especially in the office, they go through a lot of tea in
a month. Some who don't really care much about tea won't keep any good
tea on hand in the office. But some who can't bear to drink bad tea
will always have decent tea on hand.

How hard is it in the urban areas to find tea shoppes that would sell
a wide selection of Chinese teas. If I live near a tea market like
Fangcun and Maliando then no problem. Lets say Im living in Kunming
and Im tired of puer. How hard would it be for me to get some Fujian
Yinzhen. Or say I have money to spend on tea. Where would I spend it
assuming I wanted variety.

xiexie,
Jim

On Jul 16, 12:11 pm, niisonge > wrote:
> > and niisonge, it is funny when people expect because someone happens
> > to be Chinese/Japanese that they *must* have good tea as if everyone
> > of them instantly becomes a tea expert by birth rite.
>
> Dominic, in China, unless you have studied tea for a long time, or are
> employed in a tea profession, then most Chinese have limited knowledge
> of tea - or at least varying levels of knowledge about tea. Moreover,
> in a given region, one particular tea may be the most popular and
> exclusively consumed - meaning you will have little luck finding and
> drinking other types; like say Fenghuang Dancong.
>
> That means the local residents might be quite knowledgeable about a
> particular tea - but not about any others. Their "tea palette" or "tea
> vocabulary" so to speak, is limited. On the other hand, there are
> those who know of tea, but their budget is tight. So they only drink
> cheaper grades of tea - fully knowing it is bad tea. Not much they can
> do about it. Especially in the office, they go through a lot of tea in
> a month. Some who don't really care much about tea won't keep any good
> tea on hand in the office. But some who can't bear to drink bad tea
> will always have decent tea on hand.

Space Cowboy > writes:

> How hard is it in the urban areas to find tea shoppes that would sell
> a wide selection of Chinese teas. If I live near a tea market like
> Fangcun and Maliando then no problem. Lets say Im living in Kunming
> and Im tired of puer. How hard would it be for me to get some Fujian
> Yinzhen. Or say I have money to spend on tea. Where would I spend it
> assuming I wanted variety.

In Kunming it's no problem, or at least it wasn't two years ago when I
was there. But Kunming's a *big* city.

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

> How hard is it in the urban areas to find tea shoppes that would sell
> a wide selection of Chinese teas. *If I live near a tea market like
> Fangcun and Maliando then no problem.

Yeah, if you live in a large urban area, then you can go to the local
tea market and find different kinds of teas. And at large supermarkets
and some deparment stores, they have a selection of teas. But in most
areas, the local shops stock only a limited variety of teas - driven
by consumer preference. I've been to a lot of stores where the only
tea in stock was Tieguanyin and nothing else.

> It's really a tough spot to be in at times and I've not yet figured
> out a way to handle it better. How do you handle this situation?

1. I bring my own tea most places. Worst case I have some of the Ten Ren
Black tea in bags. It's drinkable and reasonably priced.

2. If I have to drink tea made from Lipton's, I make sure the water is boiling
and I make the tea very weak. You can make a drinkable cup... nothing
to write home about, but the key is to get the water hot enough.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

On Jul 15, 10:32*pm, "Dominic T." > wrote:
> I thought it would never happen to me, but it has. I no longer can
> grin and bear a tepid cup of water with a Lipton or cut-rate tea bag
> plunked in. I politely decline, but my hosts know it is because I
> don't deem their offering worthy. This troubles me because I'm
> normally one to make the sacrifice to not hurt others feelings, but I
> have just reached a point where I want a good cup of tea or none at
> all. If offered some new brand or variant I will generally give it a
> shot to say I have tried it, even if I know it is going to be bad, so
> I'm not totally taken by the dark side... yet.
>
> It's really a tough spot to be in at times and I've not yet figured
> out a way to handle it better. How do you handle this situation? The
> only up-side I can see is that maybe they will then at least try to
> stock a better tea which may in turn elevate their own standards... at
> least that's how I justify it to myself
>
> - Dominic

Such self imposed restrictions are for snobs like us who think out
tastebuds are one above commoners and their drinking preferences. Most
times it is a state of mind and not the torture we think we are
subjecting ourselves to. One can bring your own tea leaves, but will
carrying it in a canister compromise the tea in the summer heat? Wine
being transported through various changes in temperature, not matter
how short the transpoting time, alters the end flavour, so does tea.
So you might wish to leave the leaves out a bit to help it 'settle' -
but for how long? Then there is the question of water. Whose water are
you going to use? The water supplied by your host, which might not
agree with your tea, or are you going to carry your own?
And the water kettle? Should you be carrying a tetsubin for green,
yellow and white tea, or if you are brewing an aged pu'er, and a clay
kettle if you are going to brew young pu'er, oolong and black teas? Or
will you settle for the stainless steel? If I were to escalate myself
to mega-snobbery, I would not be drinking 95% of the teas brewed
outside my tea table then...
There are always polite alternatives. A great tea person I know would
either take a sip of the tea and leave the rest untouched, or politely
accepting the tea but not touch it at all. When asked, he smiled and
replied he was hoping for water instead. When tea is offered in an
Asian setting - for that matter I think in all cultures, it is a show
of the host's hospitality, and perhaps sometimes, lipton or a
supermarket brand tea is all he can afford or know. To refuse that
downright is shaming the host and spurning his goodwill, to fish out
your teaware and start brewing your own tea, worst, to educate them
along the way, is an insult. If refusing the tea is rude, brewing your
own tea there is smearing shit on their face.
But at a restaurant, well, that's a different story...
Duh~

On Jul 27, 6:19*am, Kevo > wrote:
> On Jul 15, 10:32*pm, "Dominic T." > wrote:
>
>
>
> > I thought it would never happen to me, but it has. I no longer can
> > grin and bear a tepid cup of water with a Lipton or cut-rate tea bag
> > plunked in. I politely decline, but my hosts know it is because I
> > don't deem their offering worthy. This troubles me because I'm
> > normally one to make the sacrifice to not hurt others feelings, but I
> > have just reached a point where I want a good cup of tea or none at
> > all. If offered some new brand or variant I will generally give it a
> > shot to say I have tried it, even if I know it is going to be bad, so
> > I'm not totally taken by the dark side... yet.
>
> > It's really a tough spot to be in at times and I've not yet figured
> > out a way to handle it better. How do you handle this situation? The
> > only up-side I can see is that maybe they will then at least try to
> > stock a better tea which may in turn elevate their own standards... at
> > least that's how I justify it to myself
>
> > - Dominic
>
> Such self imposed restrictions are for snobs like us who think out
> tastebuds are one above commoners and their drinking preferences. Most
> times it is a state of mind and not the torture we think we are
> subjecting ourselves to. One can bring your own tea leaves, but will
> carrying it in a canister compromise the tea in the summer heat? Wine
> being transported through various changes in temperature, not matter
> how short the transpoting time, alters the end flavour, so does tea.
> So you might wish to leave the leaves out a bit to help it 'settle' -
> but for how long? Then there is the question of water. Whose water are
> you going to use? The water supplied by your host, which might not
> agree with your tea, or are you going to carry your own?
> And the water kettle? Should you be carrying a tetsubin for green,
> yellow and white tea, or if you are brewing an aged pu'er, and a clay
> kettle if you are going to brew young pu'er, oolong and black teas? Or
> will you settle for the stainless steel? If I were to escalate myself
> to mega-snobbery, I would not be drinking 95% of the teas brewed
> outside my tea table then...
> There are always polite alternatives. A great tea person I know would
> either take a sip of the tea and leave the rest untouched, or politely
> accepting the tea but not touch it at all. When asked, he smiled and
> replied he was hoping for water instead. When tea is offered in an
> Asian setting - for that matter I think in all cultures, it is a show
> of the host's hospitality, and perhaps sometimes, lipton or a
> supermarket brand tea is all he can afford or know. To refuse that
> downright is shaming the host and spurning his goodwill, to fish out
> your teaware and start brewing your own tea, worst, to educate them
> along the way, is an insult. If refusing the tea is rude, brewing your
> own tea there is smearing shit on their face.
> But at a restaurant, well, that's a different story...
> Duh~

See I don't think that is the case, I respect your opinion but there
has to be a line. I don't enjoy the taste of Lipton teabags, not weak
not strong. I don't enjoy Lemon Zinger or Berry/Hibiscus godawful
tisane. I don't want them. Water is an issue, I have been a friend's
houses where the water is terrible and my own tea or not it would have
been bad... but that I can deal with. I don't need special brewing
vessels or thermometers to just enjoy a cup of tea.

I don't see it as any different than when I may have someone over and
they ask for a beer and I hand them some amazing Belgium or
handcrafted microbrew, they take a sip and leave it not liking it
because they prefer Coors or Bud Light. I don't get bent out of shape,
or insulted, or look down on them for having basic tastes... instead I
make sure to stock Coors/Bud or some higher quality facsimile thereof
so that next time they are happy.

I've prepared amazing hand-raised lamb chops and had a friend turn
their nose up after the first bite because it was sweet. Next time I
do it with an herb crust. No big deal.

I do often bring a teabag or two made by me from some of my favorite
loose teas I just never thought to bring a few more and give them as a
gift as has been suggested here. I understand it is a touchy subject
and can possibly offend some, but in my opinion if one is that easily
offended and angered then I am probably better off not being their
friend. I do always respect and honor a new or foreign host's
offerings though. Even if it may be salty rancid yak butter tea, and I
try to smile throughout because that is cultural and not a time to be
prissy about things.

Again I understand your comments, I just think they may be a bit
extreme for the average situation.

- Dominic