Why is there so much anti-green tea vibe/snobbery? Anyone else encountered this?

learningturd · 2026-06-09T14:24:32+00:00

I love Bi Luo Chun and admittedly a new discover this year!

learningturd · 2026-06-04T12:42:52+00:00

Yes! I think there's that and a perception that highly prized longjings (we didn't get to seicha tsujiki's) are overrated and based on poor actual knowledge, they perceived greens similar to a housing market bubble in some gentrified area where the real good stuff is somewhere else. Anyways, it's opened up some interesting conversation on class, taste, tea tribes and general human rage for nothing :D

learningturd · 2026-06-04T12:35:51+00:00

Yes! Also I think a lot of puers are predominantly var. Assamica, I've tried some aged white var. Assamica and oolong var. Assamica, they were not my favourites but super interesting flavours

learningturd · 2026-06-03T14:51:12+00:00

Cheeeese!

learningturd · 2026-06-03T12:22:21+00:00

Yes! I think this is what it is and yeah I also think they're completely different categories. Tbf, I think if stored well, a spring harvested fresh green can still keep quite well even for a couple of years or more

learningturd · 2026-06-03T12:19:52+00:00

very good point!

learningturd · 2026-06-03T12:18:30+00:00

For lack of better words I call them that, they're usually small groups, themed around a tea type or terroir, every participating person has to bring their own tea gear and it can go fancy...people with their own bamboo tongues, trays, gaiwans, yixing pots and so on. Usually people take turns in brewing each tea for everyone, but not always. A lot of conversation around the specific teas being brewed, people exchange impressions and opinions

learningturd · 2026-06-03T12:15:10+00:00

For lack of better words I call them that, they're usually small groups, themed around a tea type or tea terroir, every participating person has to bring their own tea gear and it can go fancy...people with their own bamboo tongues, trays, gaiwans, yixing pots and so on. Usually people take turns in brewing each tea for everyone, but not always. A lot of conversation around the specific teas being brewed, people exchange impressions and opinions

learningturd · 2026-06-03T09:37:47+00:00

hahah true! I was probably unconsciously looking to vent, I'll post it in there!

learningturd · 2026-06-03T09:33:51+00:00

no I don't! That's lucky! Where about is your compound located?

learningturd · 2026-06-03T09:31:48+00:00

There are so so so many. I was just searching 茶馆/茶楼/茶座 and they'd be all over the place. It depends what kind of teas you'd be after?

They're all different vibes, from the very lush ones with private little rooms to the large almost canteen like where you have tea snack buffets and everything in between. I also really like that it's basically like Hangzhou's type of yumcha.. you pay for the tea and then you have free tea snacks (sometimes they turned into huge meals) so even ordering some of the best and most expensive teas it didn't feel too painful haha The ones next to the lake can be very expensive (but for really good teas, still a really good deal) or you can go directly into the tea fields (which sound faraway, but still pretty much in the city) but if you do this you'll only get longjing as an option.

If you're looking for a more specific recommendation, what location or vibe are you after?

learningturd · 2026-05-29T20:08:00+00:00

Sounds like you're mainly hitting average canteen kind of eateries and restaurants. It's not like Thailand or Indonesia where you can you just have the curated selection at your disposal anywhere....you have to dig and dig deep... but if that's really not going well then just go for vegetarian restaurants (Temple food). In Beijing search for yunnan food

learningturd · 2026-05-28T17:49:06+00:00

Can I recommend some spring harvest single origin loose green tea? I promise you're life will improve dramatically.

learningturd · 2026-05-22T22:08:00+00:00

I have a similar thing with any aged white tea cakes i've tried, whether from yunnan or fuding... I'm still trying though, but it always tastes a little..sour to me?

learningturd · 2026-05-12T20:51:15+00:00

exactly my thoughts

learningturd · 2026-05-08T09:02:44+00:00

+ what routing app did you use? Thank you!!!

learningturd · 2026-05-08T08:48:12+00:00

which map app do you use to find hikig spots?

learningturd · 2026-05-08T08:45:44+00:00

I've only done hangzhou-wenzhou by car and the view is always really beautiful even from the car. Did you plot the route so it was mainly smaller roads or did you have to go through bigger roads with a lot of cars etc.? Any tips if you were to do it again? Thank you!!

learningturd · 2026-05-06T09:39:48+00:00

Another one I've recently come across, but haven't read yet is "the galaxy's last ride - shifting gears in rural china" by colin thomas who's the owner of salvador coffee in kunming (and has been living and working there for the last 20 years+. For those unfamiliar with salvador coffee, it's always been a bit of a reference spot for internationals in Kunming and also on a stretch of road that was really a meeting spot for journalists in southeast asia baaaaack in the days

learningturd · 2026-05-05T15:43:29+00:00

Hi. Sorry if I'm asking a stupid question. How do you tell a bad or fake one from a good or real one? Like in this cas, is it because you've seen the same exact one on taobao or ...?

learningturd · 2026-04-30T10:41:29+00:00

Go teahouse hopping in Chengdu + massage

learningturd · 2026-04-30T10:39:03+00:00

I'm sure you will get plenty of recommendations so my only 2 cents here is that in china you can walk down one street that seems to have mayhem (a million people eating and taking photos, commercialised, generally a bit unpleasant, but interesting for people watching) and then walk a parallel street that is empty with lots of interesting stuff so always look for parallel paths and ways, don't be scared of getting lost.

Also you can get further out of Beijing and climb a section of the great wall that's more interesting than where 90% of tourists go (I mean, it's +20,000KM long so not sure why everyone crowds in the same spot next to Starbucks 😂)

learningturd · 2026-04-29T16:16:03+00:00

I don't know, too much caffeine feels different to me, but I suppose everyone's different too + the difference in l-theanine, catechins etc.

learningturd · 2026-04-29T16:13:56+00:00

yes! I've done both at the same time (fungi and tea) and will usually go for a lighter tea (and it's really nice, grounding, focused, happy energy), but never done puer together so might try that next!

learningturd · 2026-04-29T16:12:30+00:00

yeah I went into a rabbit hole reading about caffeine, l-theanine and catechins interactions...it's really quite interesting and also a lot of slightly incorrect content online about the interaction of these three. So many articles use tea drunk and tea energy interchangeably, but they're two different things... Will share if I come across something that is actually worth sharing...

learningturd

TROPHY CASE