Does anyone know of a respectable Pu-Er vendor in the DC area or
(preferably) the MD suburbs of DC? I am on the cusp of venturing into
the world of Pu-Er and although I have read about Pu-Er online, I would
like to see and smell and touch (and taste!) the tea in person before
plunking down the considerable amount of change that is required to
purchase even the most basic of beengs. I have tried TenRen's loose
leaf version, from a Rockville, MD shop, but I am interested in cakes,
golden melons, bricks, tuochas and all of the other compressed
varieties--plus I am most interested in tasting a green Pu-Er and I am
not sure it is available in loose leaf.

Any information would be appreciated!

cha bing > wrote:
>Does anyone know of a respectable Pu-Er vendor in the DC area or
>(preferably) the MD suburbs of DC? I am on the cusp of venturing into
>the world of Pu-Er and although I have read about Pu-Er online, I would
>like to see and smell and touch (and taste!) the tea in person before
>plunking down the considerable amount of change that is required to
>purchase even the most basic of beengs. I have tried TenRen's loose
>leaf version, from a Rockville, MD shop, but I am interested in cakes,
>golden melons, bricks, tuochas and all of the other compressed
>varieties--plus I am most interested in tasting a green Pu-Er and I am
>not sure it is available in loose leaf.

I don't think there is one. The Da Hua market used to occasionally carry
some lower grade pu ehr teas, but they have now closed up like everything
else in Chinatown. Da Hsin is the only shop still left in Chinatown,
and they only have trash pu ehr in bags.

Ten Ren's take on pu ehr is very much nontraditional. You might try,
however, the Chinese grocery across the parking lot from Ten Ren, which
occasionally has some better teas now and then. If the Masim market is
still open, they are worth trying as well (but be careful... much of their
stock is very old).

There used to be a number of good tea shops in Chinatown, but since the
MCI center was built pretty much everything in Chinatown has folded because
of the increased rents. I am surprised not to see anything going up in
the suburbs to replace them, but I have not seen anything eyt.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."