tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16115542.post7980392376968296963..comments2024-03-16T11:51:28.412-04:00Comments on CHA DAO: Into the Dragon's Mouth: Shopping for Tea in Maliandaocoraxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03645573592247798140noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16115542.post-25126504460083819972010-11-04T11:33:50.319-04:002010-11-04T11:33:50.319-04:00EDITOR'S NOTE: warren cannot access blogspot.c...EDITOR'S NOTE: <i>warren cannot access blogspot.com directly from the PRC, so i sent him austin's comment via email. here is his reply:</i><br /><br />Austin, tea prices are certainly higher now; even higher from say last year for maocha. That has made distributors unhappy as they either have to swallow a portion of the bigger price or unload the costs onto their customers. But inflation in China has raised prices all around, and tea is not exempt from this inflationary pressure. You are right to say that some tea prices seem outrageous or even a scam. In Fuzhou there are many fancy retail tea shops throughout the city, most selling super-expensive teas. I have sat in these shops and countless times seen customers fork over thousands of yuan for a pound of gift tea meant to be as a payment for business favors, though I myself didn’t taste the value in the tea they were buying. But keep in mind that many tea-store clients are business people, or work in the government, where tea purchases can be deducted as a business expense. There are also, however, rumors that some of these tea stores are a front for money-laundering schemes and other types of shady business deals like kickbacks – which is perhaps why some stores have prices that seem outrageously high. The Chinese tea-store business model is also quite unique: a lavishly decorated store is staffed with pretty, young, unmarried girls who serve and sell tea to mainly a male clientele. If the girls are charming and have much charisma, they can captivate their customers into purchasing more tea. And for the men, it’s a pleasurable experience to be served tea by such pretty girls. In China, some people jokingly say: “tea tastes better when steeped by a lovely hand.” Or they might also say: “in a tea store I can steep tea, and also be steeped in beauty.” As I said in my blog post, these pretty tea stores have high overhead – and that is also reflected in the price of the tea, as also is the fancy packaging (the inner tea containers, the outer box, and the matching paper gift bag).<br /><br />But what does that mean for the budget-conscious consumer or anyone unwilling to hand over a few thousand kuai? Look at it this way: the real value in tea is what you feel it is worth to you. If you happen to experience a tea that is beyond compare, then perhaps it is worth thousands of yuan; and you might happily spend such a sum. On the other hand, if a tea doesn’t meet your expectations when you taste and compare it to other teas or previous experiences of the same tea, then perhaps it’s not worth the asking price. Can you taste the value in your tea? That's the main question.<br /><br />When I buy tea, I usually have a price range in my head and certain expectation of quality. I then either work my way up or down in price – depending on what type of tea I’m buying and its intended use. And of course, I avoid shops with outrageously high markups.coraxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03645573592247798140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16115542.post-58372996204105550392010-11-03T15:19:48.845-04:002010-11-03T15:19:48.845-04:00Excellent article Warren. Shopping in the vast Chi...Excellent article Warren. Shopping in the vast Chinese big city tea markets is a challenge, and probably Maliandao is the most challenging. China Daily reported earlier in the year that as much as 80% of the people shopping there were getting scammed. http://bit.ly/8hiwTJ<br /><br />I especially like your explanation of the variables to consider when buying DHP. There is talk about speculators pushing up the price of DHP. The rumors around Wuyishan put the blame on business men located in Beijing. Outrageous prices where reported by CCTV recently. Xiamen has the biggest concentration shoppes pushing these prices, but consider the number of shops in Wuyishan that have more than doubled in the last year, all selling 'authentic' DHP to every tourist that walks in the door. Is that happening in Fuzhou as well?<br /><br />I don't buy tea in the city markets, but I can say that the competition out in the countryside has becomes as intense as the competition is in the big city markets. The buyers are Chinese, and are representing younger tea entrepreneurs that are feeding the growing domestic market for better tea, and tea that is coming from outside the traditional local markets.<br /><br />I think the fashionable Fujian hongcha, Jin Jun Mei, Yin Jun Mei that you mentioned are a good example. Those tea spiked last year in Beijing with the government players in Xiamen driving the speculation, with cooperation from Tong Mu village tea makers. These teas were first made in 2007 by Lapsang Souchong makers. Those teas really spiked in 2009, but in 2010 the price was reduced by half, and a DHP spike was generated fueled by the same money.<br /><br />You also mentioned that the market in Guangzhou is primarily puer. In 2002, there were just a few puer dealers there, and when the puer bubble expanded puer came to be the primary tea sold there. Now there is a lot of over priced 2007 puer sitting on shelves there. I mention that just to point out how dynamic the market in China is. <br /><br />I agree with you that the middle of the market is where the value is to be found. Still the 'Famous' teas are famous for a reason, and if you get the real thing, it will always be on your mind even if the money isn't in your pocket.<br /><br />It is cool that the Chinese tea makers or putting energy into inovation by creating new teas. I had a hong cha in Yunnan recently that was new, it was also spicy, complicated, sweet and rich. It was remarkable but to expensive for either me or my customers. I'm hoping that it will follow the path of Jin Jun Mei, Yin Jun Mei. So I can afford it.<br /><br />AustinAustinhttp://www.sevencups.comnoreply@blogger.com