Dayuling and the Gaoshan Game

[Bok]

Found it
http://international.thenewslens.com/article/28797

and another on the same topic
http://laorencha.blogspot.tw/2016/05/so ... g-tea.html

[kyarazen]

From what I have heard from friends and tea people in Taiwan is that precisely because it is gov owned, real fushou shan is very difficult to get. The top two or three grades are not sold at all, they go directly to Politicians, only KMT of course and other shady people... similar for what is left of DYL.

I doubt that a lot of really good DYL or Fushou is available outside of Taiwan. Takes some very good connections to get this kinds of teas, not even speaking of that a lot of Taiwanese will not give those teas to a foreigner in the first place.

indeed fushoushan is not so easy to get because demand outstrips supply..

the winter harvest last batch was excellent and extremely delicate.. i'm queueing for this year's spring harvest
hope to at least get a few tins

[daidokorocha]

Found it
http://international.thenewslens.com/article/28797

and another on the same topic
http://laorencha.blogspot.tw/2016/05/so ... g-tea.html

Thank you very much for these links.

[hopeofdawn]

Wow, thank you for the links--that definitely puts a different spin on the original article. Reminds me a lot of some of the grazing rights issues we have here in the U.S., with a few bad ranchers refusing to pay the gov't ridiculously low grazing fees ...

[bagua7]

Hey mob

I after some Da Yu Ling. Can anyone recommend me a non-US based vendor?

Thanks!

[xiaobai]

Public servants in Taiwan have ridiculously high salary and benefits and enjoy a pretty good life...

This is the typical statement about public servants that can be seen in many Forums. As if the latter were all blood suckers living on the backs of the hardworking Taiwanese people. Forgetting that, as everywhere else, the denomination "civil servant" includes the doctors who cure your illnesses, the teachers who teach your kids, and the soldiers/policemen who protect you and especially those few who care for the food safety in this country, which is a long forgotten subject.

If you think most public servants have ridiculously high salaries in Taiwan, you should pay a visit to Singapore to learn what a ridiculous pay for a government official really is.

Ignoring those ill-informed remarks, perhaps it would be nice to bring to the discussion (as it was done in those other articles that you linked) that the author of the mentioned article in Munchies is an American-born lady, who is an amateur journalist, and whose misinformed and poor documented opinions are mixed in the post in question with those of one of the interested parties. Namely, the family who owned the DYL 105K tea gardens. These people have been exploiting the property for two or more generations. The latter was originally a lease from the Government (essentially Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Chek at the time) for the father, for his service in the Kuomintang army. It was supposed to be returned to the state after one generation, not to be passed on from father to son, as it actually happened.

Had Taiwan a stronger government and a stronger civil service able to expedite expropriation in due time, the property would not have been lingering forever in the hands of this family, making them quite wealthy as a result of their exploitation.

As to Fushou san Oolong, it is possible to find it. I have seen it at various tea shops in Taipei. Nothing that is impossible to find, if you are willing to pay the price (which is high but not exorbitant). It is government owned, so the government officials (and not the civil servants), get the highest grade (In China is even worse for certain kinds of tea, like Wuyi Yancha or Long Jing).

PS.: By the way, all those things said by David Tsay and the lady in the Munchies article about Gaoshan tea-gardens in DYL not using chemicals are like Science Fiction. It sounds so nice to the ears of foreigners...

[ethan]

As to Fushou san Oolong, it is possible to find it. I have seen it at various tea shops in Taipei. Nothing that is impossible to find, if you are willing to pay the price (which is high but not exorbitant).

Okay, but almost impossible to get a taste. Did so yesterday in Tainan (delicious) & will only say one man's high price is another man's exorbitant price (& it even varies for the same man on different days).

PS.: By the way, all those things said by David Tsay and the lady in the Munchies article about Gaoshan tea-gardens in DYL not using chemicals are like Science Fiction. It sounds so nice to the ears of foreigners...

There is some organic tea made in Taiwan, I hope. I've bought some "organic" tea.

xiaobau, I hope you are not really so upset by Bok's comments. I expect he is in accord w/ what you have written about teachers etc. & is thinking mostly about control of Taiwan by KMT that still negatively effects life in Taiwan now. happy new year

[ethan]

Apology. I did something wrong. Looks like all one quote from xiabao instead of my answering parts of his post between quotes. sorry--Ethan

[kyarazen]

Hey mob

I after some Da Yu Ling. Can anyone recommend me a non-US based vendor?

Thanks!

after 105k is ruined, you will probably have to seek out a lower spot, or some other high altitude gardens at the edge of FSS/DYL.. ~

[Bok]

This is the typical statement about public servants that can be seen in many Forums. As if the latter were all blood suckers living on the backs of the hardworking Taiwanese people. Forgetting that, as everywhere else, the denomination "civil servant" includes the doctors who cure your illnesses, the teachers who teach your kids, and the soldiers/policemen who protect you and especially those few who care for the food safety in this country

I think we are mostly on the same page. I was referring to government employees like state banks, administration etc. I know it firsthand how much they get from relatives of my family here in Taiwan. It is not all hearsay. They get really good interest rates for their money in the bank, early retirement and other things the normal person does not get. And it used to have a relation with being part or friendly to the KMT. Not so much anymore but old networks die hard... anyways it's about tea not politics. But I would definitely not recommend to try to buy FSS in Taipei... double the price at least for sure. Or any other tea for that matter, except the ones which are grown locally like Baozhong.

[xiaobai]

I think we are mostly on the same page. I was referring to government employees like state banks, administration etc. I know it firsthand how much they get from relatives of my family here in Taiwan. It is not all hearsay. They get really good interest rates for their money in the bank, early retirement and other things the normal person does not get. And it used to have a relation with being part or friendly to the KMT. Not so much anymore but old networks die hard... anyways it's about tea not politics. But I would definitely not recommend to try to buy FSS in Taipei... double the price at least for sure. Or any other tea for that matter, except the ones which are grown locally like Baozhong.

Yes, I think we are on the same page. And I agree this is not the place to talk politics.

However, there is a big difference between giving the impression that some teas are completely out of reach to most people and thinking that they can be obtained provided one is willing to pay the price.

In that regard, I don't think it takes very special connections to get the grade of FSS that is being made available through certain vendors on TC.

Nevertheless, everyone in this Forum is probably aware that the highest grades of a certain tea type are not going to be accessible to anyone (Foreigner or Taiwanese), except probably to the farmers themselves, their families, close relatives and friends.

However, if you are willing to pay the price, you can get good tea including FSS or DYL from a lower elevation than the now extict 105K. It won't the TOP TOP grade, which the farmers keep for themselves, but still quite good.

Taipei can be more expensive than other places in Taiwan closer to the source. But it is also where most government officials whom you wrote about live, and therefore it is natural to expect that good FSS is made available to them locally. The premium, as I said, is to be expected because everything in the big city, from the meat and veggies that one eats to the water that one drinks comes with a premium (and this is true elsewhere as well, not only in Taiwan).

In addition, one has to recall that often tea is post processed by the seller themselves, in order to increase its added value. I know a seller in Taipei, who obtained leaves from FSS last year, roasted them, and compressed them into a tea melon shape (金瓜, Jingua, like those you can sometimes see in Yunnan, made with Sheng leaves). It is meant for aging. The Jingua are of course expensive (you buy 1.34kg of FSS in one time!), and you have to buy it at the right time, but it is available to everyone (including foreigners, and I know of a few cases of foreigners who bought those Jingua made of FSS leaves).

I don't know what your experience is, but mine, after living here for some years, is that all those famous teas are not completely out of reach (although you are not likely going to find the best tea in Taiwan around the corner on your first visit to the country). Another thing is whether they are worth the price people often ask for them (even after you get a discount because you are a local or you have local connections).

[ethan]

Hey mob

I after some Da Yu Ling. Can anyone recommend me a non-US based vendor?

bagua, you stimulated discussion w/o getting help in your quest. Perhaps you want to change your request for help in getting some excellent gaoshan; &, perhaps you might not address us as "mob". (From Australia "mates" might sound right) cheerio

[bagua7]

I am not too picky about elevations as long as the tea is gentle.

Any vendors out there who sell decent DYL regardless of elevation.

Thanks!

[bagua7]

Ordered two separate batches, one from TeaHome which I am familiar with their excellent Dong Dings, and the second from Tea Mountains. I bought a 98k 50g for $65 US. They told me they sell high quality oolongs. I take their word!

Here's a link:

http://www.teamountains.com/teas.php?cat=2

[Bok]

Ordered two separate batches, one from TeaHome which I am familiar with their excellent Dong Dings, and the second from Tea Mountains. I bought a 98k 50g for $65 US. They told me they sell high quality oolongs. I take their word!

Here's a link:

http://www.teamountains.com/teas.php?cat=2

Wow, is that how much people have to pay for gaoshan outside of Taiwan!? Guess I better never leave this country...