I am enjoying Tai Ping Hou Kui, I became intrigued by it`s unique shape, and the whole idea of drinking one of the strangest looking green tea.
As with all teas I am interested in having a great representative of the kind preferably original not fake and highest quality, as I read the market is flooded with replicas of great teas, and there is few guaratee for a tealover to find a good example of these famous teas. I read Hojo`s description, he clearly explains some characteristics that only the real TPHK carries.
I want to try 5 teashops to compare them in price vs quality: First I tried Dragon teahouse, supreme grade, I don`t like it, in comparison to hojo`s description this is a fake, good tea but I was hoping for a greater bang, it had a bit of orchid and nutty taste, but many broken leaves, few are the correct lenght; next I wish to try Funalliance, their new harvest came in, but judging from the picture it is not as good quality as last year, but the description that it is 100% wild tea is attractive, I didn`t know that there is such a thing; Teaspring is known for those anti fake serial numbers give with famous tea; Hojotea is a known to carry only superhigh grade tea, and Jingteashop, their description is clear they say the tea is from Hou Keng village and the original breed, but only A grade, they wrote that AAA grade on the original plantation costs 1000 $/500 grams, 200 $ / 100 grams, that is a lot considering the interest that the merchants put on this price, so considering this statement as true than none of the teashops I know carries the real AAA grade TPHK.
Please write down about the TPHK`s you have tried, how should it be which vendor is to be trusted and general opinion about this tea.
Jun 28th, '09, 16:27
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The only TPHK I have had is the TeaSpring Cha Wang in each of the last two years, but not yet this year. I enjoyed it very much both times and the leaves were quite nice looking: big and flattened. One of the best Chinese greens I have tasted ... maybe the best.
The Hojotea offering is sounding interesting from what you say.
The Hojotea offering is sounding interesting from what you say.
Re: Quest for the real Tai Ping Hou Kui
Did someone here try their teas?Oni wrote: Hojotea is a known to carry only superhigh grade tea
Their prices for Chinese teas are very high (about 1$ per gr for Tai Ping Hou Kui or Long Jing) although their prices for sencha and gyokuro are low for superhigh grade (5,400円 for 100gr gyokuro, 3,500円 for sencha)
Anyway as Salsero wrote, you can try the Tai Ping Hou Kui from Teaspring. They sell the majority of their teas in 25g packages so you can get some for 15$.
I imagine the difference is not worth the price.
The AAA is not 5x better.
Like wine...you reach a point of diminishing returns
Better? yes Worth the money? well, how much ya got?
The AAA is not 5x better.
Like wine...you reach a point of diminishing returns
Better? yes Worth the money? well, how much ya got?
“Take some more tea,” the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.
“I’ve had nothing yet,” Alice replied in an offended tone: “so I ca’n’t take more.”
“You mean you ca’n’t take less,” said the Hatter: “it’s very easy to take more than nothing.”
“I’ve had nothing yet,” Alice replied in an offended tone: “so I ca’n’t take more.”
“You mean you ca’n’t take less,” said the Hatter: “it’s very easy to take more than nothing.”
A couple weeks back I treated myself to TPHK at Seven Cups' Tucson teashop. I don't have much basis for comparison, since TPHK is generally above my pay grade (as B. Obama once famously said, in a very different context), but it was a wonderfully pleasant way to while away an afternoon hour or two. The leaf certainly looked authentic to me, the infusion(s) tasted just fine--though I'm hardly ready to make it my everyday choice--and Zhuping or her staff can no doubt provide chapter and verse on their source. Quite a bit pricier than, say, Teaspring, and I wouldn't consider ordering it myself, but maybe worth looking into if you're serious.
Jun 30th, '09, 02:51
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I ordered a sample from Hojotea, I have recieved pictures with the master who produces it, from Hou Keng village, so I think I will experience something great 
I have downloaded "All in this tea" by Les Blank and Gina Leibrecht, I recommend for all of you tealovers, it might clarify some issues, and it thought me to appreciate the teafarmers and the teamasters, so I think a great chinese tea should be made by the hand of a teamaster and the plants should be cared for by the teafarmer, and it is a pitty that the interests of the great bussiness conglomerates do not appreciate and support the making of great tea.
I have downloaded "All in this tea" by Les Blank and Gina Leibrecht, I recommend for all of you tealovers, it might clarify some issues, and it thought me to appreciate the teafarmers and the teamasters, so I think a great chinese tea should be made by the hand of a teamaster and the plants should be cared for by the teafarmer, and it is a pitty that the interests of the great bussiness conglomerates do not appreciate and support the making of great tea.
+1Salsero wrote: Great! I very much look forward to your evaluations!
How much did they charge for the sample, shipping costs included of course?Oni wrote:I ordered a sample from Hojotea, I have recieved pictures with the master who produces it, from Hou Keng village, so I think I will experience something great
Jul 1st, '09, 02:02
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Location: Gainesville, Florida
Sounds interesting. The photo of the leaf on the website is like nothing I have seen in real life. At a dollar a gram I would never drink it regularly, but it would be cool to try.Oni wrote:3000 Yen/30 grams, and he said that the my quest will be over, he mailed me pictures about the making with the master, and it shows how each indiviual leaf structure is cared for.
I still need to try two more shops, but this is pretty convincing, I used an incredible concentration, and there is NO bitter taste, I eat dry leaves no bitter taste, just subtle flowery flavour that slips itself in your mouth and gets stronger with each sip, the leaves are soft and fleshy, they sink fast after filling up, it has a pleasent gan, I think it has a lot of theanin, and the samples were very high quality too.