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

[tool84]

OldChinaHam the reason the green tea tasted like dead tea is because you didn't steep it properly. Green tea is very fragile and should NOT be steeped at boiling temp. A correct temp would be around 80 Celsius and usually 1-3 min is sufficient. If you want a stronger affordable green tea, go for Chinese Gunpowder, it is also more forgiving if steeped incorrectly.

[honu]

After two visits to China I've became a bit obsessed with tea and have been researching it for months.

I live in Bangkok, but I'll cover what I know about the questions and points here:

-where to buy tea in Chiang Mai:

The tea shops already mentioned are a good bet, or the airport shop referenced sells a lot of tea that should be "relatively" high grade (tea gets a lot better than that, I'd expect, although I've not tried those teas, I just took a look). That shop tends to sell in higher quantity packages (200g to 500g), so pricing is generally well above the 100 to 200 baht range, more like 500 to 1000 baht, but then a half kilo of tea is a lot, and better tea costs more. They would let you taste some tea, which is kind of ideal.

The Royal Project shop in the airport (same level, not far away) also sells decent tea, maybe slightly lower grade, for around 250 baht per 200 grams, or not a bad deal. Oolong varieties sold as #12 and #17 (cultivars imported from Taiwan some time ago, grown near Chiang Rai at Doi Mae Salong) are both better tea than the average person ever tries, if growing and processing are adequate. Compared to what tea enthusiasts drink it's not "good tea" but compared to anything out of grocery stores it really is exceptional (all relative). A word of warning: the Royal Project green tea isn't as good; go with the oolong.

The large old market in Chiang Mai sells a lot of tea (don't remember if the name in the link is right, but as far as I know there is just one). I bought an oolong sold as "# 1" (which probably meant "first grade", even though it was decent but not that good) that was inexpensive and ok, maybe 250 baht for 200 grams. There was no name for the type of tea other than oolong, not a good sign since oolong is a broad category of tea. I also bought a green tea at slightly less which was drinkable but probably old tea, so not good enough that I would buy it again.

"dead tea" taste:

If you buy tea in a place like the old market you have no idea how old it is; could be several years old. It's hard to say how long tea can stay fresh, maybe a year or two, maybe longer, or some sources also say green tea should be consumed in under half a year. It depends on storage conditions and that market isn't ideal for as hot as it would get.

You should brew green tea at lower temperature, as posted, but not doing that should bring out the astringency (like bitterness, more or less), and limit the other flavors. I'd expect age and storage conditions were the problem with the other tea mentioned. If you wouldn't want to measure water temperature then pouring a little room temperature water in first before the boiling water would be an approximation.

Black tea should be brewed by water at boiling point (my understanding, at least), and oolong should be slightly lower, but it wouldn't really hurt it to brew oolong with boiling water, it's just not ideal.

tea brewing:

Funny no one here has mentioned steeping tea leaves more than once. There are different ways to steep tea, which depends on what "tea ware" you use.

Really you can just put tea in a cup and strain the water out to a second cup but using a pot or other device is better, if only for covering the tea so steam doesn't carry away flavor components.

You probably need to experiment with different amounts of tea and water and brewing times to get to what you like. Brewing the tea in one go, leaving it sit for 4 or 5 minutes in a diluted mixture, is one possibilty, but probably better to brew multiple infusions (steeps) for shorter times, which depend on the type of tea.

A starting point might be 2 minutes for each steep for 3 to 5 steeps, depending on mix of water to tea and type of tea. Green tea should brew faster, so start with less time. Later you could adjust it, probably also increasing the steeping time for each infusion.

Ultimately if you want the best tea out of the process you'd likely buy a gaiwan, a lidded cup for tea brewing, and use lots of tea and a little water brewed more times, maybe 6 to 8 infusions. To go to that extent read up some on tea first on-line.

buying tea on-line:

Probably the easiest way to buy good tea since you could do a little research. But if you are lucky a shop will sell good tea and also let you taste before you buy it (brew some), so you couldn't go wrong, unless they switch the tea, which shouldn't happen in a normal shop.

If the idea is to buy 100 to 200 grams for around 150 to 250 baht then no need to even look on-line; you are talking about tea in a different price range.

Higher end tea pricing varies a lot but 50 grams would normally cost 200 baht up to well over 1000. As an example, I bought #2 grade Longjing (Chinese green tea) at a Bangkok tea shop in Chinatown for 800 baht for 100 grams, with # 1 grade going for 1300 for the same amount. Pricing in Beijing wasn't a lot different than that but there are lots of grades, so you could get decent tea for half that, just not quite as good, or even less for decent oolongs.

some tea basics:

Green tea: lightly oxidized tea. Oxidation is essentially the same thing as burning, or yellowing of old newspaper, and different processing stops or speeds up the natural oxidation process of tea leaves.

Oolong tea: moderately oxidized tea (between green and black, which is fully oxidized). There are different "cultivars" or tea plants that can be processed to this level of oxidation to make them oolong. All tea is the same species, just based on variations.

Black tea: fully oxidized tea. Indian or Sri Lankan produced teas popular in England are of this type, but other places make them, just not so many out of northern Thailand.

white tea, yellow tea, pu'er tea: other types. White is processed differently green, and made using buds instead of leaves, and pu'er is a fermented type from a certain region in China. Red tea usually just means black tea (the leaf is black, the brewed tea is red), but the full story could be more complicated.

I could say more but this covers some basics.

[honu]

One other interesting thing about some Thai oolong teas: they can taste like butter. Funny, but I mean that as a good thing.

It takes some practice to really separate out flavor elements since at first unusual flavors like butter or peach can just seem vaguely sweet and floral.

I tried a Thai oolong winter harvest tea not too long ago that was "malty." There was no missing that unusual taste, maybe just not familiar or easy to describe, but very nice.

As already mentioned here Assam teas are known for that (malt taste), but being a bit new to tea I've not tried them yet.

There is a pu'er shop in Bangkok where the owner lets you try the teas, so if anyone is down this way you could stop by and taste some that might not taste so much like horse dung. They are unusual, though. The shop is right beside the Chong Nonsi BTS station, JRT, opposite the side towards Silom.

[OldChinaHam]

So, anyway, as I was saying,

I guess it really is more difficult to find/buy decent tea in Thailand.

Remember when I said the tea I tried tasted dead?

That was true then for that batch, but not for this next one I just tried: It was not dead,

It was much more like too alive for me.

In fact it smelled sort of like I was mowing the lawn, Or baling hay.

However, when you put it in a tall glass, And submerge it under boiling water, then it starts to behave a bit better. Actually, I think it is drinkable, but too expensive for what you get.

I would pay just 10Baht per 50 grams, And I would have listed this price in 100 gram amounts, Except I don't think you will want more than 50,

Ever.

I won't buy it again, but I did drink up the whole packet of 100 grams which I got at TOPS Super store. They have some Chinese tea there which is better, though also not good, And they are still filling the canister with plenty of twigs which should never be in good tea,

Or maybe they think I am too poor to buy a stove for my tea,

And the twigs are to start a fire to heat the water.

So, anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know that now I do agree with you, and, yes, you were right. There is no good tea in Thailand,

That I have found so far.

This tea that I just had came sealed in a foil envelope stating it was premium tea from Thailand. It has such weak flavor I thought I was drinking unflavored hot water at first.

So I put in a whole mound of it in a very tall glass, Almost more tea than the glass would hold,

Still it tasted mostly like hay from the barnyard.

I purposely am not mentioning ANY brand names here, Because what is the point? I do know that you can get some very decent tea up around Chiang Rai,

But that is mostly for export, Or at least they put it in bags and label it as tea grown in Taiwan.

The Taiwanese think they are drinking their own tea when,

In actuality, the Taiwanese are drinking Thai Tea.

Yes, fellow Tea Drinkers, "Its A Mixed Up, Muddled up, Shook Up, World".

So, As they say in Hong Kong...... "Bottoms Up".

Edited November 21, 2013 by OldChinaHam

[noappendix]

I found Monsoon to have pretty decent tea. I especially liked the Shangri La Oolong and the HIll Tribe Green Tea Blend.

[OldChinaHam]

I found Monsoon to have pretty decent tea. I especially liked the Shangri La Oolong and the HIll Tribe Green Tea Blend.

I have tried it, and I do like it.

I also do not want to say anything negative about this, but my opinion is that these teas are just a little overpriced compared to what I am used to in Taiwan.

But why should this be, I do not know, since some Thailand grown tea is actually exported to Taiwan.

My thinking is that there is far too high a markup on this tea.

I would love to buy it if the tea were about 50 percent cheaper.

Do Monsoon sell good tea? Yes I think they do.

[MrGaoMungGawn]

OK Folks,

I finally found some good tea that I am sure you will like.

This is grown in Thailand (I think),

But has the packaging in Chinese, and it states that it is a product of Taiwan.

But I do not believe this because I don't think they would import tea from Taiwan, and then sell it in Chiang Rai tea region.

Here is the name of the tea so you can think about this product and share your ideas:

Here are the marking that are in English since I know better than to post any Thai words here:

4 Seasons Tea

email: <removed>

website: doidhamma.com

This tea costs about 450Baht for what looks like about 100 to 200 grams.

I don't know for sure because the adhesive label that is in Thai covers up the packet packaging which is in Chinese.

Anyway, this is some really half decent tea for 450 Baht, and I could easily drink this on a daily basis.

The other garbage that is available here from the local markets or from TOPS is truly putrid and not worth the energy to heat the water.

I have stopped drinking that stuff.

When I know more about this tea, I will post my thoughts,

BUT I WOULD PREFER to hear from you about this tea.

Tks.

Edited December 31, 2013 by onthedarkside
email removed as per forum rules

[MrGaoMungGawn]

OK, Folks,

Chiang Mai Folks, anyway:

I found some tea you might like to try, but it is not the Chinese tea that I am used to from Taiwan.

Still, it is worth a sip or two, I think.

This is the Thai Green Tea, probably coming out of the mountains in Chiang Rai.

It is offered from the Royal Project store at CMU agriculture faculty.

This is a very nice little shop, and they have about three or four varieties of tea in hard paper square packaging, which I prefer to metal tins (as they say in the UK), or canisters, as they said when fighting world war one in the trenches, when they lobbed canisters of chlorine and phosgene gas, and this was the time, down in those trenches, when a good strong cup of black tea really hit the spot, and took ones mind off the rats running back and forth.

So why not head over there to the Royal Project store at CMU, and try some of their tea,

The cost is about 150 to 300 Baht for 200 grams, and they do offer something they call Oolong tea, but I have no idea what it really is, maybe WuLong.

If anyone has already tried this, then please let me know.

I find that this tea actually has some life to it,

And does not taste dead, but somewhat alive, which is the way tea should be,

As you know.

Thanks.

[sustento]

OK, Folks,

Chiang Mai Folks, anyway:

I've been trying to think who you reminded me of

[harrry]

OK, Folks,

Chiang Mai Folks, anyway:

I've been trying to think who you reminded me of

You should have used the past tense.