ThinkGeek Monkey Picked Oolong

[scruffmcgruff]

http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/drink ... ?cpg=wnrss

Hmm, did they get tricked by some crafty businessmen or is this really true?

[hop_goblin]

From other sources I have read, for the most part, they all agree that some had used trained monkeys to pick tea leaves in china at one time or another. However, today , Monkey Picked TGY only refers to premium TGY oolong.

[Victoria]

All together more civilized and appealing than what the civets do to coffee beans.
Yuck!

I think the packaging is cute and being somewhat of a novelty would make a fun gift.

[scruffmcgruff]

Yeah I figured monkey-picked only referred to a premium grade (which is questionable anyway, just like imperial, tea king, wild tree, etc.), but the package does say that it is picked by trained monkeys. I'm skeptical, to say the least.

[Chip]

Geekiness when applied to the realm of tea without TEAgeekiness is a dangerous thing.

I get irritated when I see things like this, it is very misleading. They never come out and say, "this was not picked by monkeys." They really skirt all around it and the reader if he/she wants to think it is picked by monkeys, will believe it was indeed picked by monkeys. And so the lie will spread as the buyer then tells his/her friends that the tea being served was picked by monkeys. Sounds so romantic and well, geeky.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. I am 99.99% certain that this was not picked by monkeys. But the reader can read into the sales pitch whatever he/she wants to.

[Wesli]

Chimps can be trained to do some really tricky things, I wouldn't be surprised at all if they were picking leaves for people somewhere. $25/2oz is definitely reasonable when one takes into account how much labor $ those monkeys deserve.

What a weird thing for ThinkGeek to pick up. I don't believe it's true.

[DethChef]

Me thinks they need to stick with selling caffeinated gum and Nerf weaponry.

I did think the packaging was clever.

[scruffmcgruff]

Apparently I'm not the only one who noticed this:

http://tinyurl.com/33x45k

Especially check out this post:

http://tinyurl.com/32zho3

Maybe it's not all phony after all? That or he's being sarcastic, which is entirely possible.

[brandon]

You guys overlooked an equally spurious claim.
Im full of antioxidants, calmin' your souls.
Someone should tell them about L theanine.

[Chip]

Geekiness when applied to the realm of tea without TEAgeekiness is a dangerous thing.

Words of wisdom...

[Mary R]

Oh, it so had to be done...

[Libertatis]

i never thought i would see LOL catz applied to tea leaves. I'm not sure if what you have done is clever or will lead to the end of humanity!

[Mary R]

Oh the end of humanity for certain!

I swear, walk into any middle school in the country and the kids will be speaking to each other using lolcat syntax. It's eerie. And they're the future.

I don't want to be in that future. It's a scary, scary place.

[Libertatis]

ha agreed! I was once fond of LOL cat images until i realized they kept multiplying and spreading throughout the internet! They are much like the Borg, it may already be too late to stop them

[skywarrior]

I'd rather have a cat pick my tea. You don't know where that monkey hand has been!