High Class Tea Drinkers of Chiang Mai and Thailand, Know of Any Tea Houses, Tea Tastings?

[OldChinaHam]

You are probably talking about "Ma lee" tea or Jasmine tea in English.? World famous made in Fujian China only. Thai tea is western style tea including the Raming company. They make tea western style.

I am a tea drinker. My favourite local tea is Mien Lee tea. It has quite an unusual flowery aroma and it is grown in Thailand. There is very little information about this tea on the Internet, but it is available everywhere in the Chiang Mai province. The tea culture in Thailand is Chinese, so what you get here are Chinese teas, especially Oolongs and green teas. I am not very much into Oolong, and the regular green teas from Mae Salong and other tea growing areas are of mixed quality. There are pretty good ones and also pretty awful ones. It's essential to try before you buy. As for fermented/black teas, I haven't seen any decent one yet that could be used for anything else than tea/milk shakes. Personally, I like Jasmine tea and the white teas offered by some local companies. Unfortunately, the white ones cost about three times as much as the greens. The Raming company, probably the oldest and biggest tea company in Chiang Mai, produces some quite decent green teas, in addition a lot of commercial mid range teas. They have a tea house in the city and an outlet on Rd. 107 where one can taste and buy their teas. Then there is the pink gourmet tea shop on Charoen Rajida Rd. next to the river (18.791537, 99.002742). I am surprised that nobody mentioned it yet. They have a great choice of imported teas, scented and unscented, and they market their own blends, some of which are pretty awesome. I was positively surprised by their green Earl Grey (bergamot scented) tea, for example.

Cheers, CM-Expat

No, he is referring to hom muen li, meaning fragrant for 10,000 li (a Chinese unit of distance, less than a kilometer), which like jasmine (mali in Thai) is a flower added to the tea to give it a fragrance beyond that of the tea itself. Very nice, but isn't adding another fragrance, like jasmine or bergamot, a bit of admisssion that the tea is not really the best qulaity leaf? The best oolongs have floral fragrance that comes from the tea leaf itself.

Still, what you like is what is good!

Scrolling back, I see other anwered before I did on the hom muen li. Oh, the humiliation. Lot's of good ideas here, I've been buying Mae Saong Oolongs for 15 years--quality varies and high price is no guarantee of success. I now get the Doi Number 17, also known as gan on, or soft stem for 130 Baht per 100 gram vacuum sealed bag. Main shop located on the southeast corner of CMU.

Please do not fret your humiliation here if in the end you have good tea related ideas.

Just please advise how to get to the shop near CMU.

Or provide geographic coordinates.

And, is that WuLong really drinkable?

I am NO snob about price

I am looking for a tea as cheap as 130B per 100g that tastes like what I am used to drinking in Taipei.

I would walk a mile for that, so please tell me where to go.

Thank you.

(HouGouRou? what are the characters, please)

Edited July 29, 2013 by OldChinaHam

[hellodolly]

Have any of you people ever tried Pepsi Max?

[ARISTIDE]

I don't know if it would go well with my cucumber sandwich.

Have any of you people ever tried Pepsi Max?

[Sticky Rice Balls]

Bi Lou Chun! Chinese green tea.......my pic in cmai at my secret little tea house as im not up to disclose location on TV

Seems they send their tea guy to India to score the steas they ahve --darjeeling-genmai-jasmine--bi lou chun--etc..

I go back and drink until im going to pop....nice cozy thai teak house in the old city--prices have been going up tho

[FolkGuitar]

Today I visited the tea shop on Jaroenraj Rd (same road as all the river restaurants,) "Vien Joom On Teahouse." The pink place on the west side of the road.

I have to say, I was impressed! This is a very nice shop with a large selection of green, white, and oolong teas. Unfortunately, not a large selection of Black teas, my own preferred brew, but they do carry an 'English Breakfast' blend and a 'Lapsang Souchong.' I bought 50gm of the English Breakfast (230 baht or about 9 baht per cup) to try at home and am drinking it right now. Damn good tea!! Not quite up there with Fortnum & Mason's blend, but pretty close to what the East India Company sells, which is one of my usual beverages! Strong enough to stand on its own without being a least bit bitter, a good color and aroma, and smooth aftertaste. Who could ask for more? I'll certainly go back for a 100gm bag (400 baht) next time, and add this to my weekly rotation.

Also, the next time I go back I'll pick up the Lapsang Souchong. The aroma seemed to be Extra Smokey, which is what I usually by from McNultey's Tea & Coffee in NY, and with the shipping charges, the cost at Vien Joom On will be on par.

[Somnambulist]

Hey, since there are so many tea drinkers on this thread I'd like to take the opportunity to ask how you have fared with customs. With food supplements I think under 70 USD and two kilos raises the likelihood of getting past customs without getting dinged, although there are random checks so one can never be sure. I have already recieved two pu'erh bings of 357 grams each, one from teaspring and the other from a vendor in Shanghai, but I would love to make a larger order to my new favorite vendor, in Kunming of say, 140 USD and between two and three kilos. Am I just asking to be flagged?

[FolkGuitar]

Hey, since there are so many tea drinkers on this thread I'd like to take the opportunity to ask how you have fared with customs. With food supplements I think under 70 USD and two kilos raises the likelihood of getting past customs without getting dinged, although there are random checks so one can never be sure. I have already recieved two pu'erh bings of 357 grams each, one from teaspring and the other from a vendor in Shanghai, but I would love to make a larger order to my new favorite vendor, in Kunming of say, 140 USD and between two and three kilos. Am I just asking to be flagged?

I just received a shipment of tea last week from the East India Tea Company in London. Four 200g tins, a bit over $100 USD and slipped right in with no Customs duties charged.

[Somnambulist]

Hey, since there are so many tea drinkers on this thread I'd like to take the opportunity to ask how you have fared with customs. With food supplements I think under 70 USD and two kilos raises the likelihood of getting past customs without getting dinged, although there are random checks so one can never be sure. I have already recieved two pu'erh bings of 357 grams each, one from teaspring and the other from a vendor in Shanghai, but I would love to make a larger order to my new favorite vendor, in Kunming of say, 140 USD and between two and three kilos. Am I just asking to be flagged?

I just received a shipment of tea last week from the East India Tea Company in London. Four 200g tins, a bit over $100 USD and slipped right in with no Customs duties charged.

Excellent, a hundred bucks worth slipped through. I ask because the shop I'm going to order from charges a lot of postage as soon as you put one item in your cart, but it gets relatively more reasonable as you add things. He has low prices, though. FYI, it's Yunnan Sourcing, an American in Kunming and in a month of reading obsessively about Pu'erh I've found he has a high reputation for being very informative and helpful with questions. He carries 45 varieties of what Westerners call black tea (but the Chinese call it red?).

[butterisbetter]

Bi Lou Chun! Chinese green tea.......my pic in cmai at my secret little tea house as im not up to disclose location on TV

Seems they send their tea guy to India to score the steas they ahve --darjeeling-genmai-jasmine--bi lou chun--etc..

I go back and drink until im going to pop....nice cozy thai teak house in the old city--prices have been going up tho

You've been in the restaurant and food service business so you know how hard it is to make a buck. But you don't want to help these people. I don't understand.

[OldChinaHam]

Bi Lou Chun! Chinese green tea.......my pic in cmai at my secret little tea house as im not up to disclose location on TV

Seems they send their tea guy to India to score the steas they ahve --darjeeling-genmai-jasmine--bi lou chun--etc..

I go back and drink until im going to pop....nice cozy thai teak house in the old city--prices have been going up tho

You've been in the restaurant and food service business so you know how hard it is to make a buck. But you don't want to help these people. I don't understand.

Yes, and I do not really understand this thinking either.

I for one am looking for some good quality Chinese green tea (qingcha), and wish to buy at a fair price.

A fair price is, for me, about 200 - 250 Baht per 100 grams.

If anyone can please suggest a source in Chiang Mai, then please do.

I have no more tea.

Good green tea is all I need.

Thank you very much.

OCH

(I do not want to buy via internet source. I already know about Monsoon, but am still looking due to price considerations.)

[butterisbetter]

Have you tried Choke Charoen at the airport? Located on the ground floor in the domestic arrivals sections. They are eager to give you free tastes. They grow tea in Mae Salong Chinese style green and oolongs.

Bi Lou Chun! Chinese green tea.......my pic in cmai at my secret little tea house as im not up to disclose location on TV

Seems they send their tea guy to India to score the steas they ahve --darjeeling-genmai-jasmine--bi lou chun--etc..

I go back and drink until im going to pop....nice cozy thai teak house in the old city--prices have been going up tho

You've been in the restaurant and food service business so you know how hard it is to make a buck. But you don't want to help these people. I don't understand.

Yes, and I do not really understand this thinking either.

I for one am looking for some good quality Chinese green tea (qingcha), and wish to buy at a fair price.

A fair price is, for me, about 200 - 250 Baht per 100 grams.

If anyone can please suggest a source in Chiang Mai, then please do.

I have no more tea.

Good green tea is all I need.

Thank you very much.

OCH

(I do not want to buy via internet source. I already know about Monsoon, but am still looking due to price considerations.)

[hougourou]

Hey, since there are so many tea drinkers on this thread I'd like to take the opportunity to ask how you have fared with customs. With food supplements I think under 70 USD and two kilos raises the likelihood of getting past customs without getting dinged, although there are random checks so one can never be sure. I have already recieved two pu'erh bings of 357 grams each, one from teaspring and the other from a vendor in Shanghai, but I would love to make a larger order to my new favorite vendor, in Kunming of say, 140 USD and between two and three kilos. Am I just asking to be flagged?

I just received a shipment of tea last week from the East India Tea Company in London. Four 200g tins, a bit over $100 USD and slipped right in with no Customs duties charged.

Excellent, a hundred bucks worth slipped through. I ask because the shop I'm going to order from charges a lot of postage as soon as you put one item in your cart, but it gets relatively more reasonable as you add things. He has low prices, though. FYI, it's Yunnan Sourcing, an American in Kunming and in a month of reading obsessively about Pu'erh I've found he has a high reputation for being very informative and helpful with questions. He carries 45 varieties of what Westerners call black tea (but the Chinese call it red?).

I met Scott of Yunnan Sourcing in the Kunming wholesale tea market about eight years ago. Nice guy and very knowledgable. Pu-erh is his specialty but the other teas he sells are also interesting, such as the Dan Cong Oolong from Guangdong. Good prices and service--I highly recommend him. I've received several 2 kg. shipments from him and never was charged customs duties.

[OldChinaHam]

Have you tried Choke Charoen at the airport? Located on the ground floor in the domestic arrivals sections. They are eager to give you free tastes. They grow tea in Mae Salong Chinese style green and oolongs.

Bi Lou Chun! Chinese green tea.......my pic in cmai at my secret little tea house as im not up to disclose location on TV

Seems they send their tea guy to India to score the steas they ahve --darjeeling-genmai-jasmine--bi lou chun--etc..

I go back and drink until im going to pop....nice cozy thai teak house in the old city--prices have been going up tho

You've been in the restaurant and food service business so you know how hard it is to make a buck. But you don't want to help these people. I don't understand.

Yes, and I do not really understand this thinking either.

I for one am looking for some good quality Chinese green tea (qingcha), and wish to buy at a fair price.

A fair price is, for me, about 200 - 250 Baht per 100 grams.

If anyone can please suggest a source in Chiang Mai, then please do.

I have no more tea.

Good green tea is all I need.

Thank you very much.

OCH

(I do not want to buy via internet source. I already know about Monsoon, but am still looking due to price considerations.)

Thank you again for this info about the airport shop. To be honest I have not tried it because it seemed out of the way from anyplace I normally visit. Now, I will just have to go because I have no more tea. If it is good, than I will thank you more because this will solve my tea sourcing problem. My tea needs are really not complicated. I am just looking for a fairly good quality green tea/wu long tea, for daily drinking that has a good tea flavor. I like the slightly sour astringent fruity flavor of green tea. Sorry these are not scientific terms for flavors, but the best I can do. To me, the slightly bitter taste and sour taste goes well with munching food or snacks. I really do not believe there is any need to buy the high price tea for me, just drinking during reading or study time. But I want one with a stronger flavor because I do drink a lot of it.

I will take a ride over to the airport in one of those airport taxis with the fixed price to the airport, which is a real bargain here in Chiang Mai.

Normally, your first thought with anything bought from an airport shop is that it must be overpriced, the added price needed to pay for the airport concession fee. (This time though, I hope not.)

[Johpa]

I am not a big tea drinker, certainly no connosieur, but having been to Mae Salong to sample the wares countless times, I was far more impressed with Mae Aw (Baan Rak Thai) north of Mae Hong Song up at the border. Like Mae Salong, it is also an older KMT tea growing village. Sitting along the resevoir drinking good teas was as pleasurable as it can be. But beware, I have been told that some of the tea shops will serve you great tea but do the old switcheroo trick when they sell you the large bag of leaves to take back home.

[hellodolly]

Enough talk about stick your little pinky out when you drink it tea.

Does any one know where one can purchase licorice tea. Back home It was put out by a tea company called Sash Tea.

[butterisbetter]

I am not a big tea drinker, certainly no connosieur, but having been to Mae Salong to sample the wares countless times, I was far more impressed with Mae Aw (Baan Rak Thai) north of Mae Hong Song up at the border. Like Mae Salong, it is also an older KMT tea growing village. Sitting along the resevoir drinking good teas was as pleasurable as it can be. But beware, I have been told that some of the tea shops will serve you great tea but do the old switcheroo trick when they sell you the large bag of leaves to take back home.

Yes. That was done to me once in Mae Salong.

[Sticky Rice Balls]

Anyone who wants to PM me is free to do so......i simply enjoyed the quiet ambiance and now as of

lately that is no more---just one little oasis in cm that im not surrounded my tons of people---geez sorry!

Bi Lou Chun! Chinese green tea.......my pic in cmai at my secret little tea house as im not up to disclose location on TV

Seems they send their tea guy to India to score the steas they ahve --darjeeling-genmai-jasmine--bi lou chun--etc..

I go back and drink until im going to pop....nice cozy thai teak house in the old city--prices have been going up tho

You've been in the restaurant and food service business so you know how hard it is to make a buck. But you don't want to help these people. I don't understand.

[OldChinaHam]

Anyone who wants to PM me is free to do so......i simply enjoyed the quiet ambiance and now as of

lately that is no more---just one little oasis in cm that im not surrounded my tons of people---geez sorry!

Bi Lou Chun! Chinese green tea.......my pic in cmai at my secret little tea house as im not up to disclose location on TV

Seems they send their tea guy to India to score the steas they ahve --darjeeling-genmai-jasmine--bi lou chun--etc..

I go back and drink until im going to pop....nice cozy thai teak house in the old city--prices have been going up tho

You've been in the restaurant and food service business so you know how hard it is to make a buck. But you don't want to help these people. I don't understand.

Don't be sorry!

Loving tea means......

Never having to say you're sorry.

[OldChinaHam]

Has anyone here walked through CM's largest central main market?

If so, have they seen any decent tea there?

Any vendors have stalls with good tea for sale?

I have heard they have Chinese tea for sale,

But I do not know anything about quality and variety.

Pls advise if you do.

Tks.

[eden8]

Has anyone here walked through CM's largest central main market?

If so, have they seen any decent tea there?

Any vendors have stalls with good tea for sale?

I have heard they have Chinese tea for sale,

But I do not know anything about quality and variety.

Pls advise if you do.

Tks.

may i know where is the central main market?

i tried thai green tea yesterday night and i end up couldn't sleep for the entire night.....

555+

[ARISTIDE]

When a Thai person say there is a good quality tea here or there, chances are it's not. What you get mostly in Thailand is almost always some Oolong from Chiang Rai province. A good place to buy tea is never the local market. I found best place to buy tea is Jia Thong Heng main branch (near Chedi Hotel) and Monsoon at JJ market and they are not even good! I only truly enjoy Long Ching and Pin Luo Chun from China. Or some good green tea from Japan. But I can drink Oolong from Chiang Rai just to get by. Most Thai when you ask for tea they think Lipton or Delma, when you ask for green tea they think Oishi green tea drink in a bottle.

Has anyone here walked through CM's largest central main market?

If so, have they seen any decent tea there?

Any vendors have stalls with good tea for sale?

I have heard they have Chinese tea for sale,

But I do not know anything about quality and variety.

Pls advise if you do.

Tks.

Edited August 31, 2013 by ARISTIDE

[OldChinaHam]

Has anyone here walked through CM's largest central main market?

If so, have they seen any decent tea there?

Any vendors have stalls with good tea for sale?

I have heard they have Chinese tea for sale,

But I do not know anything about quality and variety.

Pls advise if you do.

Tks.

may i know where is the central main market?

i tried thai green tea yesterday night and i end up couldn't sleep for the entire night.....

555+

Yes you may ----- The central main market I was referring to is this:

Gad Luong Market (sp)

I write the Thai name like this: ****Thai language removed****

But I could not tell you how to get there, I have been spending too much time trying to learn Thai to actually go anywhere in Chiang Mai yet.

Now though, I have run out of wulong or qingcha, and so must venture out into the streets of Chiang Mai to locate some good tea to replenish my stash.

I am not that picky, so any good green tea will do.

And I am very interested to hear your comment about not being able to sleep after the green tea. I think it really does pack a punch with the caffeine. I love it because it keeps my nose to the Thai language grindstone, where it should be. This is why I drink so much tea in the first place. +5555 to your +555

Edit: (sorry, I guess the Thai place names in Thai are not allowed on this thread.)

Edited August 31, 2013 by OldChinaHam
This is an English language forum, English is the only acceptable language, except in the Thai language forum where Thai language is allowed.

[OldChinaHam]

When a Thai person say there is a good quality tea here or there, chances are it's not. What you get mostly in Thailand is almost always some Oolong from Chiang Rai province. A good place to buy tea is never the local market. I found best place to buy tea is Jia Thong Heng main branch (near Chedi Hotel) and Monsoon at JJ market and they are not even good! I only truly enjoy Long Ching and Pin Luo Chun from China. Or some good green tea from Japan. But I can drink Oolong from Chiang Rai just to get by. Most Thai when you ask for tea they think Lipton or Delma, when you ask for green tea they think Oishi green tea drink in a bottle.

Has anyone here walked through CM's largest central main market?

If so, have they seen any decent tea there?

Any vendors have stalls with good tea for sale?

I have heard they have Chinese tea for sale,

But I do not know anything about quality and variety.

Pls advise if you do.

Tks.

As I say above, I already agree with you about the Monsoon place. And, I will settle for the Chiang Rai wulong tea, but at a fair price. I say, a fair price. I will also visit the Jia Thong Heng main branch whenever I have the chance, and I am glad to get the information you provide here. Tks.

[eden8]

Has anyone here walked through CM's largest central main market?

If so, have they seen any decent tea there?

Any vendors have stalls with good tea for sale?

I have heard they have Chinese tea for sale,

But I do not know anything about quality and variety.

Pls advise if you do.

Tks.

may i know where is the central main market?

i tried thai green tea yesterday night and i end up couldn't sleep for the entire night.....

555+

Yes you may ----- The central main market I was referring to is this:

Gad Luong Market (sp)

I write the Thai name like this: ****Thai language removed****

But I could not tell you how to get there, I have been spending too much time trying to learn Thai to actually go anywhere in Chiang Mai yet.

Now though, I have run out of wulong or qingcha, and so must venture out into the streets of Chiang Mai to locate some good tea to replenish my stash.

I am not that picky, so any good green tea will do.

And I am very interested to hear your comment about not being able to sleep after the green tea. I think it really does pack a punch with the caffeine. I love it because it keeps my nose to the Thai language grindstone, where it should be. This is why I drink so much tea in the first place. +5555 to your +555

Edit: (sorry, I guess the Thai place names in Thai are not allowed on this thread.)

maybe i add too much of the tea leaves .. (i was just trying for the first time)

i have pm you the picture of the tea bag..

[ARISTIDE]

Use around 11g or 1 heap table spoon of tea per 1 pot of tea. Leave it in hot water no more than 50 seconds. Never leave tea more than 1 minutes. I drink 1-3 pot of tea every night no problem

Has anyone here walked through CM's largest central main market?

If so, have they seen any decent tea there?

Any vendors have stalls with good tea for sale?

I have heard they have Chinese tea for sale,

But I do not know anything about quality and variety.

Pls advise if you do.

Tks.

may i know where is the central main market?

i tried thai green tea yesterday night and i end up couldn't sleep for the entire night.....

555+

Yes you may ----- The central main market I was referring to is this:

Gad Luong Market (sp)

I write the Thai name like this: ****Thai language removed****

But I could not tell you how to get there, I have been spending too much time trying to learn Thai to actually go anywhere in Chiang Mai yet.

Now though, I have run out of wulong or qingcha, and so must venture out into the streets of Chiang Mai to locate some good tea to replenish my stash.

I am not that picky, so any good green tea will do.

And I am very interested to hear your comment about not being able to sleep after the green tea. I think it really does pack a punch with the caffeine. I love it because it keeps my nose to the Thai language grindstone, where it should be. This is why I drink so much tea in the first place. +5555 to your +555

Edit: (sorry, I guess the Thai place names in Thai are not allowed on this thread.)

maybe i add too much of the tea leaves .. (i was just trying for the first time)

i have pm you the picture of the tea bag..

[KRS1]

There is a specialty tea shop across the street from Monkey club.

Coming from Nimanheimin its right before you get to the Ducati shop on your right near the Ducati intersection.

[OldChinaHam]

So, anyway, EDEN8, thank you again for your PM and suggestion for green Thai tea.

This afternoon, I went out searching for the brand called "Number One", (the image you sent to me) which has Thai lettering stating "Green Tea", or ChaKiao.

I was unable to find this in Chiang Mai, although I tried a few western style markets, the Tesco Express, and the traditional market near the university.

No go.

Instead I bought some other tea which is just called GreenTea in Thai.

There is no lettering in English.

And in very tiny lettering it says in Chinese, "HighMountain Tea", then "Green Tea".

The Chinese Brand seems to be: MeiShinLe (in Chinese)

So, anyway(again), I get it back to the roost,

And I infuse it by dumping a half tablespoon in a glass of 99 degree C water.

I cover it and let the water dissolve the goodness of the Thai green tea.

The tea when you open it up has a strange what I would call sort of "dead" smell.

Not live smell like I normally enjoy when taking a whiff of Taiwan wulong or Taiwan green tea.

Maybe, probably, this is due to the processing steps, such as baking, or whatnot.

Then finally after about 120 seconds, the tea is strong enough to drink.

It still has that dead smell to it.

But there is definitely tea taste there.

I think this may be an acquired taste, as in puer cha is sort of an acquired taste, too.

I did not like pu er when I first tried it.

And I also don't find it enjoyable to drink now. Although I know that plenty of people in Taiwan love it.

Well, if EDEN8 is listening or reading, or anyone else:

What is this sort of dead aroma and dead taste to the tea?

I paid 120Baht for about 200 grams, or so.

There is no weight indication on the package.

I definitely will finish the package.

A very interesting tea drinking experience, indeed.

Anyone know what I am drinking?

And did I overpay for it?

Edited September 1, 2013 by OldChinaHam

[OldChinaHam]

Re: China Oolong Tea

Product of: Fujian Tea Import & Export Co., Ltd.

Import & Repack by: China Imex Co. Ltd

So in quiet desperation, I bought a 100 gram tin of this Oolong Tea of theirs. Nothing to write home about.

But has anyone here ever tasted their wares?

What I am wondering is if this company might actually import or produce some much higher quality teas that they sell in a different catalog.

Or, has anyone else tried this company's products?

The website is this: http://en.fteast.com/main.html

(To me, this tastes like Lipton's Black tea)

180Baht for 100 grams.

[Sticky Rice Balls]

http://www.pinnaclegastro.com/en/tea-ronnefeldt.php

can try here--based in BKK and delivers to my fav tea shop in cm..

they showed me the card when i asked where they get thier tea......

[shiatsuman]

I usually get my tea in Mai Sai,

5 bags for 100 baht

they appear to come from china (no Roman or Thai script) and seem to be green, jasmin or oolong

can usually tell from the outside of the package which is which,

quality and quantity vary, the equivalents at the Wororos Road market in CM are 35 a packet,

I have found Jasmin to be my consistent favorite for morning and afternoon drinking.

In January I went through Mai Salong on the border run .

Tasted some local Red tea that originated from Taiwan, 100 baht a bag ,assured that no ´medicine´ was used on the crop,

Lovely tea giving a real lift

will try to get some more

I asked about Red Tea at Wororos market was told oolong red tea !

guess its back to Mai Salong