hello all,

i just purchased a tea that i am really enjoying, but since i cannot
decipher chinese, i don't really know what kind it actually is.

the only english on the container was not very helpful - 'zhong guo ming
cha' - which i think probably means something extremely vague such as
'chinese tea'.

anyways, here are some pics if you would like to help:

the container:
http://www.skizzers.org/auntymo/mysterytea1.jpg

here is a picture of the leaves:
http://www.skizzers.org/auntymo/mysterytea1a.jpg

i really like the tea, but have a bit of trouble describing the taste (apart
from it being greenish, heh), but the tea does uncurl into huge, whole,
gorgeous leaves.

any help is greatly appreciated
--mo--

Hi Auntymo,

> the only english on the container was not very helpful - 'zhong guo ming
> cha' - which i think probably means something extremely vague such as
> 'chinese tea'.

"Famous Chinese Tea". Well that looks like a box from Mainland China.

> anyways, here are some pics if you would like to help:
>
> the container:
> http://www.skizzers.org/auntymo/mysterytea1.jpg

"the way of tea" "top quality" etc.

The name of the tea is : Tie Guan Yin.

Guan Yin is the god(dess) Kannon.
Ti is black iron (black silver ?), an old character used here.

> here is a picture of the leaves:
> http://www.skizzers.org/auntymo/mysterytea1a.jpg

Big "stalks". Funny, that's exactly the same appearance of the one I was
drinking today.

> i really like the tea, but have a bit of trouble describing the taste
(apart
> from it being greenish, heh), but the tea does uncurl into huge, whole,
> gorgeous leaves.

And you have little branches with 2 or 3 leaves on them ? Mine is called
Anxi Mao She I had never heard of it before, which means nothing. It's also
a Wulong. I get a yellow brew.

There is a Anxi Tie Guan Yin, that should cost 20$ per 100g or more. It
gives an orange brew and is not so green when you see it dry. What is on
your photo looks more like a Taiwanese for the color (that gives a yellow
brew ?).

Kuri

Hi Auntymo,

> the only english on the container was not very helpful - 'zhong guo ming
> cha' - which i think probably means something extremely vague such as
> 'chinese tea'.

"Famous Chinese Tea". Well that looks like a box from Mainland China.

> anyways, here are some pics if you would like to help:
>
> the container:
> http://www.skizzers.org/auntymo/mysterytea1.jpg

"the way of tea" "top quality" etc.

The name of the tea is : Tie Guan Yin.

Guan Yin is the god(dess) Kannon.
Ti is black iron (black silver ?), an old character used here.

> here is a picture of the leaves:
> http://www.skizzers.org/auntymo/mysterytea1a.jpg

Big "stalks". Funny, that's exactly the same appearance of the one I was
drinking today.

> i really like the tea, but have a bit of trouble describing the taste
(apart
> from it being greenish, heh), but the tea does uncurl into huge, whole,
> gorgeous leaves.

And you have little branches with 2 or 3 leaves on them ? Mine is called
Anxi Mao She I had never heard of it before, which means nothing. It's also
a Wulong. I get a yellow brew.

There is a Anxi Tie Guan Yin, that should cost 20$ per 100g or more. It
gives an orange brew and is not so green when you see it dry. What is on
your photo looks more like a Taiwanese for the color (that gives a yellow
brew ?).

Kuri

Working with the PinYin with assumed accents:

zhong quo is mainland china
ming is the tea plant we call camilla sinensis
cha means tea as in a drink

The tea itself looks like a Pouchong (slightly oxidized green). Maybe
additional inscription shows the tea location of origin probably
somewhere in Fujian. It looks like commercial packaging so care to
share where we can get some? That is tantalizing leaf.

Jim


"auntymo" > wrote in message news:<EZyvc.617880$Pk3.116337@pd7tw1no>...
> hello all,
>
> i just purchased a tea that i am really enjoying, but since i cannot
> decipher chinese, i don't really know what kind it actually is.
>
> the only english on the container was not very helpful - 'zhong guo ming
> cha' - which i think probably means something extremely vague such as
> 'chinese tea'.
>
> anyways, here are some pics if you would like to help:
>
> the container:
> http://www.skizzers.org/auntymo/mysterytea1.jpg
>
> here is a picture of the leaves:
> http://www.skizzers.org/auntymo/mysterytea1a.jpg
>
> i really like the tea, but have a bit of trouble describing the taste (apart
> from it being greenish, heh), but the tea does uncurl into huge, whole,
> gorgeous leaves.
>
> any help is greatly appreciated
> --mo--

Working with the PinYin with assumed accents:

zhong quo is mainland china
ming is the tea plant we call camilla sinensis
cha means tea as in a drink

The tea itself looks like a Pouchong (slightly oxidized green). Maybe
additional inscription shows the tea location of origin probably
somewhere in Fujian. It looks like commercial packaging so care to
share where we can get some? That is tantalizing leaf.

Jim


"auntymo" > wrote in message news:<EZyvc.617880$Pk3.116337@pd7tw1no>...
> hello all,
>
> i just purchased a tea that i am really enjoying, but since i cannot
> decipher chinese, i don't really know what kind it actually is.
>
> the only english on the container was not very helpful - 'zhong guo ming
> cha' - which i think probably means something extremely vague such as
> 'chinese tea'.
>
> anyways, here are some pics if you would like to help:
>
> the container:
> http://www.skizzers.org/auntymo/mysterytea1.jpg
>
> here is a picture of the leaves:
> http://www.skizzers.org/auntymo/mysterytea1a.jpg
>
> i really like the tea, but have a bit of trouble describing the taste (apart
> from it being greenish, heh), but the tea does uncurl into huge, whole,
> gorgeous leaves.
>
> any help is greatly appreciated
> --mo--

"cc" > writes:

> [...]
>
> And you have little branches with 2 or 3 leaves on them ? Mine is called
> Anxi Mao She I had never heard of it before, which means nothing. It's also
> a Wulong. I get a yellow brew.

I bet it's a variant transliteration of Mao Xie, or Hairy Crab. Good stuff!

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

"cc" > writes:

> [...]
>
> And you have little branches with 2 or 3 leaves on them ? Mine is called
> Anxi Mao She I had never heard of it before, which means nothing. It's also
> a Wulong. I get a yellow brew.

I bet it's a variant transliteration of Mao Xie, or Hairy Crab. Good stuff!

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

thanks for the response so far! but then i figured you guys would love a
mystery. heh

i made some more of it today, just seven dry leaves in my small gaiwan. and
once the leaves uncurled they filled half the gaiwan!

here is a picture of the leaves after i enjoyed my tea:
http://www.skizzers.org/auntymo/mysterytea1b.jpg
(as you can see most of the branches have three leaves on them)

the dry leaves are tightly rolled and heavy, reminding me of a gunpowder
tea. it also smells green like a gunpowder, with no flowery scent that is
noticeable.

the liquor is yellow green. it smells like a chinese green. very light
taste. as i said, pretty green. heh. i'm new at this by the way.

on the top of the container there is some embossed writing:
'zi bo xinlu'
the character for tea, and then underneath...
'zhiguan'

a couple of people have said that the container says it is a ti kuan yin. if
it is...wow...it's not like any ti kuan yin i've ever tried yet, seeming
more 'green' than usual, and having none of the flowery, perfumy oolong
smell. anyways i like it.

it cost about $30.00CAD for the container of tea, which i guesstimate holds
about 200 or so grams (?). i'm pretty horrible at guesstimating, and don't
have a scale handy. anyways, it will probably last me forever since i only
need a few leaves per gaiwan.

i bought it at a hole in the wall chinese shop in our local china town. i
think i've been to most of them already, i like to take a bit of a risk and
purchase tea usually having no idea of what i am actually getting. it would
probably help a lot if i knew chinese eh? i'm no conoisseur, but i've found
a few kinds i really like, a da hong pao, some ti kuan yin, and a few
greens, also *another* mystery tea which i'll probably start another thread
for.

anyways, thanks for all the help so far!

--mo--

thanks for the response so far! but then i figured you guys would love a
mystery. heh

i made some more of it today, just seven dry leaves in my small gaiwan. and
once the leaves uncurled they filled half the gaiwan!

here is a picture of the leaves after i enjoyed my tea:
http://www.skizzers.org/auntymo/mysterytea1b.jpg
(as you can see most of the branches have three leaves on them)

the dry leaves are tightly rolled and heavy, reminding me of a gunpowder
tea. it also smells green like a gunpowder, with no flowery scent that is
noticeable.

the liquor is yellow green. it smells like a chinese green. very light
taste. as i said, pretty green. heh. i'm new at this by the way.

on the top of the container there is some embossed writing:
'zi bo xinlu'
the character for tea, and then underneath...
'zhiguan'

a couple of people have said that the container says it is a ti kuan yin. if
it is...wow...it's not like any ti kuan yin i've ever tried yet, seeming
more 'green' than usual, and having none of the flowery, perfumy oolong
smell. anyways i like it.

it cost about $30.00CAD for the container of tea, which i guesstimate holds
about 200 or so grams (?). i'm pretty horrible at guesstimating, and don't
have a scale handy. anyways, it will probably last me forever since i only
need a few leaves per gaiwan.

i bought it at a hole in the wall chinese shop in our local china town. i
think i've been to most of them already, i like to take a bit of a risk and
purchase tea usually having no idea of what i am actually getting. it would
probably help a lot if i knew chinese eh? i'm no conoisseur, but i've found
a few kinds i really like, a da hong pao, some ti kuan yin, and a few
greens, also *another* mystery tea which i'll probably start another thread
for.

anyways, thanks for all the help so far!

--mo--

In article <EZyvc.617880$Pk3.116337@pd7tw1no>, "auntymo" > wrote:
>
>the only english on the container was not very helpful - 'zhong guo ming
>cha' - which i think probably means something extremely vague such as
>'chinese tea'.

literally means "Chinese famous tea" (means "fine tea")

>
>the container:
>http://www.skizzers.org/auntymo/mysterytea1.jpg

the top 4 red characters in a box mean "fine grade fine tea" (my poor
translation)

then the 2 red characters can translate "top grade"

the 2 big black characters mean "tea dao (tau) (way of tea)?

the 3 red ones mean "te guan yin" (iron buddha).

bye now,

pam @ home ¤p¬}

Pam's Ode to Spammers & Telemarketers

May all spammers & telemarketers die an agonizing death; have no
burial places; their souls be chased by demons in Gehenna from one
room to another for 1000 years.

In article <EZyvc.617880$Pk3.116337@pd7tw1no>, "auntymo" > wrote:
>
>the only english on the container was not very helpful - 'zhong guo ming
>cha' - which i think probably means something extremely vague such as
>'chinese tea'.

literally means "Chinese famous tea" (means "fine tea")

>
>the container:
>http://www.skizzers.org/auntymo/mysterytea1.jpg

the top 4 red characters in a box mean "fine grade fine tea" (my poor
translation)

then the 2 red characters can translate "top grade"

the 2 big black characters mean "tea dao (tau) (way of tea)?

the 3 red ones mean "te guan yin" (iron buddha).

bye now,

pam @ home ¤p¬}

Pam's Ode to Spammers & Telemarketers

May all spammers & telemarketers die an agonizing death; have no
burial places; their souls be chased by demons in Gehenna from one
room to another for 1000 years.

As for Iron Buddha all I could see was the second character for
Goddess only after you pointed it out. I flipped back and forth
between the two characters for Iron and Mercy and couldn't match them
on the tin. For the two big black characters I have packaging for the
top character which means Enjoying. I couldn't find it in any online
dictionaries. I couldn't find the lower character. I agree with the
original poster I've never seen Tie Guan Yin that looked like this. I
always think it is heavily oxidized. I'm taking a picture to my
Chinatown and see if I can find some. The leaf is still on the stem?
I guess some pruning would be normal to keep the plant under control
and you encounter broken stem in lesser grades but not like that. One
of the most interesting tea discoveries I seen from Chinatown. I'm
jealous.

Jim

(Dr. Gee) wrote in message >...
> In article <EZyvc.617880$Pk3.116337@pd7tw1no>, "auntymo" > wrote:
> >
> >the only english on the container was not very helpful - 'zhong guo ming
> >cha' - which i think probably means something extremely vague such as
> >'chinese tea'.
>
> literally means "Chinese famous tea" (means "fine tea")
>
> >
> >the container:
> >http://www.skizzers.org/auntymo/mysterytea1.jpg
>
> the top 4 red characters in a box mean "fine grade fine tea" (my poor
> translation)
>
> then the 2 red characters can translate "top grade"
>
> the 2 big black characters mean "tea dao (tau) (way of tea)?
>
> the 3 red ones mean "te guan yin" (iron buddha).
>
> bye now,
>
> pam @ home ¤p¬}
>
> Pam's Ode to Spammers & Telemarketers
>
> May all spammers & telemarketers die an agonizing death; have no
> burial places; their souls be chased by demons in Gehenna from one
> room to another for 1000 years.

As for Iron Buddha all I could see was the second character for
Goddess only after you pointed it out. I flipped back and forth
between the two characters for Iron and Mercy and couldn't match them
on the tin. For the two big black characters I have packaging for the
top character which means Enjoying. I couldn't find it in any online
dictionaries. I couldn't find the lower character. I agree with the
original poster I've never seen Tie Guan Yin that looked like this. I
always think it is heavily oxidized. I'm taking a picture to my
Chinatown and see if I can find some. The leaf is still on the stem?
I guess some pruning would be normal to keep the plant under control
and you encounter broken stem in lesser grades but not like that. One
of the most interesting tea discoveries I seen from Chinatown. I'm
jealous.

Jim

(Dr. Gee) wrote in message >...
> In article <EZyvc.617880$Pk3.116337@pd7tw1no>, "auntymo" > wrote:
> >
> >the only english on the container was not very helpful - 'zhong guo ming
> >cha' - which i think probably means something extremely vague such as
> >'chinese tea'.
>
> literally means "Chinese famous tea" (means "fine tea")
>
> >
> >the container:
> >http://www.skizzers.org/auntymo/mysterytea1.jpg
>
> the top 4 red characters in a box mean "fine grade fine tea" (my poor
> translation)
>
> then the 2 red characters can translate "top grade"
>
> the 2 big black characters mean "tea dao (tau) (way of tea)?
>
> the 3 red ones mean "te guan yin" (iron buddha).
>
> bye now,
>
> pam @ home ¤p¬}
>
> Pam's Ode to Spammers & Telemarketers
>
> May all spammers & telemarketers die an agonizing death; have no
> burial places; their souls be chased by demons in Gehenna from one
> room to another for 1000 years.

I agree it's a Ti Kuan Yin I've never seen. In fact I think of cheap
TKY as the poor mans Puerh. You can go into the grocery stores and
buy cheap TKY and go into the retail tourist stores and buy much more
expensive Ti Kuan Yin. I've seen tins for +$100 so switch to Puerh
from the apothocary. I've never bought at high prices but yours is
worth checking out. My local tea shoppe is getting a new stock of Ti
Kuan Yin to replace the old. He never liked the taste of the old and
likes the new. It hasn't arrived but tasted a sample he had from the
Lost Wages tea show and I agree. It is big black curled chunky leaf.
He started his second anniversary sale yesterday and I stocked up on
some great bargains. He had TongYu Mountain green tea from Fujian
which seems to be rare. I'll go back on Sunday and cleanup on
whatever remains.

Jim

"auntymo" > wrote in message news:<2UPvc.659857$oR5.636347@pd7tw3no>...
> thanks for the response so far! but then i figured you guys would love a
> mystery. heh
>
> i made some more of it today, just seven dry leaves in my small gaiwan. and
> once the leaves uncurled they filled half the gaiwan!
>
> here is a picture of the leaves after i enjoyed my tea:
> http://www.skizzers.org/auntymo/mysterytea1b.jpg
> (as you can see most of the branches have three leaves on them)
>
> the dry leaves are tightly rolled and heavy, reminding me of a gunpowder
> tea. it also smells green like a gunpowder, with no flowery scent that is
> noticeable.
>
> the liquor is yellow green. it smells like a chinese green. very light
> taste. as i said, pretty green. heh. i'm new at this by the way.
>
> on the top of the container there is some embossed writing:
> 'zi bo xinlu'
> the character for tea, and then underneath...
> 'zhiguan'
>
> a couple of people have said that the container says it is a ti kuan yin. if
> it is...wow...it's not like any ti kuan yin i've ever tried yet, seeming
> more 'green' than usual, and having none of the flowery, perfumy oolong
> smell. anyways i like it.
>
> it cost about $30.00CAD for the container of tea, which i guesstimate holds
> about 200 or so grams (?). i'm pretty horrible at guesstimating, and don't
> have a scale handy. anyways, it will probably last me forever since i only
> need a few leaves per gaiwan.
>
> i bought it at a hole in the wall chinese shop in our local china town. i
> think i've been to most of them already, i like to take a bit of a risk and
> purchase tea usually having no idea of what i am actually getting. it would
> probably help a lot if i knew chinese eh? i'm no conoisseur, but i've found
> a few kinds i really like, a da hong pao, some ti kuan yin, and a few
> greens, also *another* mystery tea which i'll probably start another thread
> for.
>
> anyways, thanks for all the help so far!
>
> --mo--

I agree it's a Ti Kuan Yin I've never seen. In fact I think of cheap
TKY as the poor mans Puerh. You can go into the grocery stores and
buy cheap TKY and go into the retail tourist stores and buy much more
expensive Ti Kuan Yin. I've seen tins for +$100 so switch to Puerh
from the apothocary. I've never bought at high prices but yours is
worth checking out. My local tea shoppe is getting a new stock of Ti
Kuan Yin to replace the old. He never liked the taste of the old and
likes the new. It hasn't arrived but tasted a sample he had from the
Lost Wages tea show and I agree. It is big black curled chunky leaf.
He started his second anniversary sale yesterday and I stocked up on
some great bargains. He had TongYu Mountain green tea from Fujian
which seems to be rare. I'll go back on Sunday and cleanup on
whatever remains.

Jim

"auntymo" > wrote in message news:<2UPvc.659857$oR5.636347@pd7tw3no>...
> thanks for the response so far! but then i figured you guys would love a
> mystery. heh
>
> i made some more of it today, just seven dry leaves in my small gaiwan. and
> once the leaves uncurled they filled half the gaiwan!
>
> here is a picture of the leaves after i enjoyed my tea:
> http://www.skizzers.org/auntymo/mysterytea1b.jpg
> (as you can see most of the branches have three leaves on them)
>
> the dry leaves are tightly rolled and heavy, reminding me of a gunpowder
> tea. it also smells green like a gunpowder, with no flowery scent that is
> noticeable.
>
> the liquor is yellow green. it smells like a chinese green. very light
> taste. as i said, pretty green. heh. i'm new at this by the way.
>
> on the top of the container there is some embossed writing:
> 'zi bo xinlu'
> the character for tea, and then underneath...
> 'zhiguan'
>
> a couple of people have said that the container says it is a ti kuan yin. if
> it is...wow...it's not like any ti kuan yin i've ever tried yet, seeming
> more 'green' than usual, and having none of the flowery, perfumy oolong
> smell. anyways i like it.
>
> it cost about $30.00CAD for the container of tea, which i guesstimate holds
> about 200 or so grams (?). i'm pretty horrible at guesstimating, and don't
> have a scale handy. anyways, it will probably last me forever since i only
> need a few leaves per gaiwan.
>
> i bought it at a hole in the wall chinese shop in our local china town. i
> think i've been to most of them already, i like to take a bit of a risk and
> purchase tea usually having no idea of what i am actually getting. it would
> probably help a lot if i knew chinese eh? i'm no conoisseur, but i've found
> a few kinds i really like, a da hong pao, some ti kuan yin, and a few
> greens, also *another* mystery tea which i'll probably start another thread
> for.
>
> anyways, thanks for all the help so far!
>
> --mo--