In the spirit of overtaking the green team, this is my question.\
Shouldn't the best puerh be made of the biggest oldest possible tea leaves that grow on old tea trees as these leaves had the longest time to absorb all the nutrients and has weathered the rages of time?
So why are the young tippy leaves the focus of lots of attention and the old leaves are hardly used except for some crappy shu cakes.
Anyone?
Nov 28th, '08, 11:46
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Re: Young vs Mature
Yes. It seems to me the whole tippy leaves is more of a new trend....and the best, most ageworthy old cakes are made from big old tree leaves. (from what I understand having no old cakes )Fatman2 wrote:In the spirit of overtaking the green team, this is my question.\
Shouldn't the best puerh be made of the biggest oldest possible tea leaves that grow on old tea trees as these leaves had the longest time to absorb all the nutrients and has weathered the rages of time?
So why are the young tippy leaves the focus of lots of attention and the old leaves are hardly used except for some crappy shu cakes.
Anyone?
For one thing....concerning the obsorbtion of nutrients.......old trees have a much larger, deeper more developed root system. Plantation teas are grown right next to each other limiting the spread of the root system. They then require fertilizer in a generic blend. Whereas the old tree roots are really expressing the terroir or earth inwhich they exist.
Nov 28th, '08, 11:55
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You have to remember also, that not all wild tea trees are fit for consumption.
Don't always believe what you think!
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I don't think it is, or at least I hope it's not. As long as they're whole, most people actually prefer them, I think, because they're more aesthetically pleasing. Plus, not all older, larger leaves taste the same, and vice versa for smaller, low number grade leaves. Plus throw in the factor of "no one knows how any of this will age" and it gets even more complicated yet.
Nov 30th, '08, 11:10
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Ok, I am still confused by this question.Fatman2 wrote:Old as in those that are in excess of 30 years.
Don't always believe what you think!
http://www.ancientteahorseroad.blogspot.com
http://englishtea.us/
http://www.ancientteahorseroad.blogspot.com
http://englishtea.us/