I saw that some ´quality´´ green teas online cost more than 10x the
price of green tea that´s sold in the supermarket. I usually buy the
Lipton Chae green tea, both the pure and the flavored ones. I usually
pay around $2 for a 150gram bag of green tea.

Does the more expensive green tea taste different? How can they differ
so much in price? They are from the same plant and grown in same part
of the world.

writes:

> I saw that some ´quality´´ green teas online cost more than 10x the
> price of green tea that´s sold in the supermarket. I usually buy the
> Lipton Chae green tea, both the pure and the flavored ones. I usually
> pay around $2 for a 150gram bag of green tea.
>
> Does the more expensive green tea taste different?

Not necessarily, but often it does, radically.

> How can they differ so much in price? They are from the same plant
> and grown in same part of the world.

They aren't necessarily the same cultivar. They aren't necessarily
grown in the same places, and, as you know, land doesn't cost the same
everywhere. Along with the land, of course, come soil and climate,
which matter a lot. Also important is the amount and skill level of
the labor. Sorry if this seems formulaic, but really, there's no
mystery here. It isn't just a matter of middlemen (though they count,
too.)

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

:

> I saw that some ´quality´´ green teas online cost more than 10x the
> price of green tea that´s sold in the supermarket. I usually buy the
> Lipton Chae green tea, both the pure and the flavored ones. I usually
> pay around $2 for a 150gram bag of green tea.

make that more like ~80X if what you want is Xi Hu Long Jing (China);
Gyokuro (Japan) or Ujeon (Korea)

> Does the more expensive green tea taste different? How can they differ
> so much in price?

yes they do. Just try it, you couldn't have asked at a better time;
most Chinese greens are already released and Japanese greens will come
very soon.

>They are from the same plant and grown in same part
> of the world.
by "part of the world" you mean Asia I guess?....well, that's one *big*
place; on tea bags boxes all they say most of the time is "chinese
tea"...not really helping.

also, why is Chateau Petrus so much more expensive than other Bordeaux
wines? same grapes, same place...

Kevin

> wrote:
>I saw that some =B4quality=B4=B4 green teas online cost more than 10x the
>price of green tea that=B4s sold in the supermarket. I usually buy the
>Lipton Chae green tea, both the pure and the flavored ones. I usually
>pay around $2 for a 150gram bag of green tea.
>
>Does the more expensive green tea taste different? How can they differ
>so much in price? They are from the same plant and grown in same part
>of the world.

Yes, but most of the cheaper green teas taste different too. Go to your
local oriental market and pick up an assortment of different brands. You
should be able to find a dozen kinds under five bucks at a well-stocked
big city market. They will all taste different, and they'll all beat out
the Lipton's.
--scott

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

Scott Dorsey wrote:
>
>
> Yes, but most of the cheaper green teas taste different too. Go to your
> local oriental market and pick up an assortment of different brands. You
> should be able to find a dozen kinds under five bucks at a well-stocked
> big city market. They will all taste different, and they'll all beat out
> the Lipton's.
> --scott
>
>

This is an excellent suggestion. It will enable you to find something
that you will probably enjoy better than Lipton, without spending a
fortune. That being said, if you enjoy Lipton, there is no reason not
to drink it.

I don't drink green tea, but I have found with black teas that the most
expensive ones are not necessarily the ones that I like best. If you
experiment a bit, you should be able to find some teas that are
agreeable to both your palate and your pocket book.

sure... the more expensive green teas are used to tasted different, for
exemple , you can tell the different between the jasmin teas from a
restaurant and a good jasmin tea that you purchase at a tea store.
I use to purchase tea at www.jardinduthe.ca on line, this store offers a
very good quality of green, oolong, japanese green tea. and the pricing are
very reasonable .



> wrote in message
oups.com...
I saw that some ´quality´´ green teas online cost more than 10x the
price of green tea that´s sold in the supermarket. I usually buy the
Lipton Chae green tea, both the pure and the flavored ones. I usually
pay around $2 for a 150gram bag of green tea.

Does the more expensive green tea taste different? How can they differ
so much in price? They are from the same plant and grown in same part
of the world.

legroups
..com4/24/06

> I saw that some ´quality´´ green teas online cost more than 10x the
> price of green tea that´s sold in the supermarket. I usually buy the
> Lipton Chae green tea, both the pure and the flavored ones. I usually
> pay around $2 for a 150gram bag of green tea.
>
> Does the more expensive green tea taste different? How can they differ
> so much in price? They are from the same plant and grown in same part
> of the world.


Let me put it this way: YES. You will taste huge differences among good
whole leaf green teas, while the Lipton product is generic and almost by
definition stale since there is such a long time between the picking and
your drinking of it. You do *not* have to buy the best greens to appreciate
this difference. You will however be paying more than $2.00 for a 150 grams.
Could you spring for say 12 dollars for 100 grams? Or you could get sample
packets from one of the on-line vendors for around $3.00 each. While
SpecialTeas is not my favorite company, they do have good sample packets:
URL: <http://www.specialteas.com/>

I recommend trying a tea from Guangxi such as Lin Yun, a Japanese sencha,
and virtually any other. Go for teas within your price range, though. I
think you will be very pleasantly surprised, and you will find their
offerings far better than what is available in markets. This is spring, and
spring is the time. Go for it.

Brew these greens well below boiling. Boiling water will ruin them. Let's
say 170-175F to generalize, although some will be happier lower.

Michael