09.24.07
You get what you pay for
posted by Regena Rafelson | 11 comments
What, precisely, is the relationship between price and quality? Having conducted experiments on blue jeans, laundry detergent, and - surprise, surprise - tea; I can tell you that the answer is “No correlation,” when it comes to jeans and detergent. Tea is another matter altogether.
A few months back, I found myself in Wichita, Kansas. I woke up each morning muttering, “I’m still in Kansas, Toto.” One manifestation of my quest for a cup of decent tea can be read in a previous post, “How does the serious tea drinker handle travel?” What has not been revealed is my desperate attempt at the retail level. What follows is a tale of confession, disappointment, and finally . . . a personal truth.
The confession. Sitting on an impossibly lumpy bed at a Holiday Inn, thumbing through the local yellow pages, I found a listing for “Tea, retail.” The business had an authentic-sounding name and was located just a few blocks from the high school where I spent my days judging policy debate rounds conducted by the best high school debaters in the nation. At lunch on Tuesday, I took myself to the market in question. Walking through the doors, my olfactory organs were overwhelmed by at least a hundred different choices of incense and scented candles. The very large brick building was filled, from floor to ceiling with textiles, ceramics, spices, gifts, packaged foods, and toys. A voice pierced the closely spaced racks,
“May I help you?”
I found the source of the voice. “Yes. Thanks. Do you have bulk tea?”
“Over here.” I followed the young woman past a long counter of religious books. “What kind were you looking for?” In front of me was a case of shelves, at least nine feet tall, filled with 86 gallon-sized glass jars of bulk tea.
“Oolong.”
“We have eleven different Oolongs, right here.” She pointed to a group of jars. “Were you looking for something toasty-smoky, sweet, grassy - ?”
I looked at the choices. What’s in a name? I chose one called “Hairy Crab,” another called “Magnolia.” Each of these was priced at $1.80 (Wichita) per ounce. A dollar-eighty? The store itself spent a whopping ninety cents for an ounce . . . three cents per gram? I purchased an ounce of each. Looking at the large glassine bags of weighed tea, I splurged and bought an ounce of a third Oolong which retailed for $3.60 an ounce. The name of this third tea escapes me, but the woman assured me that it “is a little smokier than the others.” Having a nice piece of change left from a ten-dollar bill, I decided to buy a box of incense. The clerk warned me not to store or pack the incense near the tea. I left the store feeling that I had somehow cheated on my friends at T Ching, whose Frozen Peaks Oolong is not only exquisite in taste and smell, but a bit more dear to the pocketbook.
As luck would have it, it was two months before I tried the tea. This is the disappointment part. “Hairy Crab” has one endearing feature: the tea leaves do, indeed, unfurl like a crab trying to escape the strainer. If you purchase this tea, steep it for the show and throw the “brew” to your carnivorous plants. “Magnolia” smells and tastes like a dried flower arrangement. Neither of these teas has any staying power, or patience: one cup, and the leaves have given up the ghost. A second steeping hardly colors the water. The third, more expensive tea -let’s just say that the name I bestowed upon it, “Dusty Burning Dung Pile,” is accurate.
The personal truth? Frozen Peaks Oolong ends up being comparable in price, but far superior in flavor. Because I can get five to six cups from a single teaspoon of rolled leaves, the cost per cup ends up being about the same, if not a bit less, than the teas I purchased at such a “great” price. I wonder if more experienced tea drinkers have found this to be true: when purchasing a product, such as tea, with thousands of years of history in India, China, Japan and other countries in the temperate tropics . . . do price and quality, indeed, correlate?
September 24th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
Funny you should mention this Regena, As I was just finishing a cup of Yunnan, that tastes like it was scraped from a freshly tarred roof. I bought this from a friend who owns a Coffee/Tea/Specialty Food shop in the Local Farmers Market. The price was $5.00 for 40z. Hmm!! you do get what you pay for. I was thinking as I was finishing a cup of Kashanganj “snow bud” yesterday. “It doesn’t get better than this” So that having been said. I’m going down to brew and steep another cup of “Snow-Bud” I’ve been “hoarding” for special occasions. LIKE RIGHT NOW!!…BY!………PJF
September 24th, 2007 at 5:16 pm
Great post! It brought up a lot of questions for me, such as: How do you evaluate what a tea should cost (ie., what can you look for? I guess access is part of it too; in Wichita, the pickings are probably slim)? And, if you don’t want more than a cup of tea at a time, is it possible to save the once-used tea leaves for a future cup (like later that day or the next day)?
September 24th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
Anne, I have had good luck re-using the leaves of Oolong and Silver Needles up to six times a day. Steeping longer does not lead to stronger; it leads to bitter. If you like your tea stronger, use more leaf. Experiment with steeping times, starting with the minimum and adding thirty seconds until you get the brew you like. I have never reused leaves the next day . . . although I have been tempted!
Sandy, Michelle . . . what should Anne be looking for when buying tea? (The Nepalese Oolong from T Ching Store is a real steal right now . . . the leaves are whole; the tea is lovely; and the price is great!)
September 24th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
Anne - when you purchase high quality green, white or oolong whole leaf teas, they can always be resteeped throughout the day. In Asia they believe you should not resteep leaves after the sun has set on them - meaning the next day. We have honored that tradition. We typically resteep 4-6 times throughout the day, although many people even go beyond that. Remember the antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal constituents in the tea will prevent problems even though the tea is left sitting in a dark, damp environment. (ideally a small tea pot) Just remember to drain off, or drink off, all the excess liquid - tea - so the leaves aren’t sitting in a pool of water.
September 24th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
Just a thought Regina, perhaps the oolongs which you purchased had been there for quite a while and/or been exposed to the ever so wonderful scents of Kansas? Here in Colorado Springs (similar market for tea), I know that the various places which carry bulk tea go through their supply very slowly indeed, one place in town has been carrying some teas for over a year and a half. I’d support local business more, but ultimately online purchasing is less expensive and much better quality.
About reusing leaves, I reuse almost all tea leaves at least once. Most good blacks will stand up to two steepings, and many greens, whites, and oolongs last well beyond two steeps. I always try to reuse tea, it’s less expensive that way, and it works well. Today I made a pot of black tea from Assam in the morning, and now that I’m back from my running around for the day I’ve brewed the leaves again for some afternoon cups. The tea isn’t nearly as good, but it makes a simple cup which is enjoyable. I’ll brew something fresh later to accompany my work this evening and night, I’ll probably try a new oolong.
The leaves don’t go bad, at least not over the course of 7-8 hours, and I know from experimenting that it takes 4-5 days for anything to start growing on old leaves if you’re in a dry climate.
September 24th, 2007 at 6:55 pm
Thanks for all the great info, everyone.
My mother, a life-long tea-drinker, will often take the last of the tea in the teapot out, put it in a mug with a slice of lemon, and pop it into the fridge for a cool pick-me-up later in the day; I guess that’s another way of saving it for later.
September 24th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
Anne, I think part of the criteria for what tea “should” cost is kind of like buying art or wine. You ultimately have to decide what it’s worth to you as an individual. If you love it and it’s at a price you are willing to pay, then go for it. If not, pass it by and find something else that meets your criteria of taste (gustatory or aesthetic) and price. I know people who, despite truly enjoying a particular tea (you could just as easily substitute the word wine in place of tea), are not willing to pay the price and are content to settle for a cheaper tea that they consider adequate. The other side of the coin are people who pay exorbitant amounts of money for a tea that I might never consider purchasing no matter how good it is. Probably the most important is to find a merchant who you trust and who you know sells good quality tea, some of which at least is at prices you are willing to pay. My 2 cents.
September 25th, 2007 at 9:36 am
Regena, thanks for the posting. If you think tea pickings are slim in Witchita you should try Sidney Ohio! There is a small coffee shop in town which carries a particular relatively well known brand of “tea” in bags (which for some odd reason most people think of a being a convenience factor?, come on it’s not THAT hard to clean out your teapot and either way you still have to boil water) but I have learned to appreciate great WHOLE LEAF teas (at least when we are talking about actual TEA and not Tisane, Herbal or whatever else you may wish to call other botanical drinks that happen to be prepared in a similar manner to true teas) made with properly prepared water temperatures and brewing utensils. In short, I’d say that the internet is usually the best place to at least start looking for good teas. Again, much of the information already presented is extremely good advice. IF you are luck enough to find an actual TEA shop (not a coffee shop or multi purpose emporium that happens to carry tea) where they actually have the proper equipment, the knowledge of how to prepare good teas AND have enough turnaround time that the tea doesn’t sit on the shelf for over I’d say about 6 months (that’s what my tea purveyor of Japanese greens where I purchase most of my Japanese teas recomends for maximum green tea shelf life–drink it young for fresh, clean “sweet” taste) then GREAT. I have been fortunate enough that while my “local” tea shop is 100 miles away in the city of Cincinnati, it is staffed (and owned) by people who are knowledgable and passionate about tea. I also enjoy brining along some of my new “finds” on internet shopping tours to let the staff try my new purchases as well.
When I travel to possibly help with the problem of what to do when away from home I’d suggest making up a small “tea kit” to take along. I purchased one from Bodum that was meant for coffee but it makes a perfect travel bag as it already has a tea kettle with it. Pack your own tea, get your favorite enfuser method (I’d actually prefer using a purple yxing clay pot but when traveling these are pretty delicate so I’ll settle for a nylon basket and mug, preferably ceramic but plastic if I must) and then just prepare your tea as usual. You may need to pack a thermometer and timer as well as a tea scoop with your hot pot but they will fit in the small pack provided. This can also be accomplished by just purchasing a small hot pot and your own small travel case or even one of those re-usable soft sided nylon lunch “bags”. Be creative, look at your budget and don’t let it scare you. Price isn’t always indicitive of quality but many times (unless you are really into the puerh types of teas which actually age well and become more valuable with time much like fine wine) I’d suggest that for the most part freshness is the key (along with a good quality water supply at the proper temperature you may need to purchase bottled water depending upon where you are in the world) to enjoying that perfect cup of tea all day long.
By the way I have been able to re-use the tea leaves if for some reason I’d prefer to save them for a bit later. This works pretty well especially with the Oolong varieties but you have to be able to lay out your leaves on a paper napkin or towel of some variety and allow it to thoroughly dry out if you intend to use it at a later date. For most people, the best thing do is follow the advice as given earlier, just use leaves that were brewed that same day. I really enjoy looking at the TChing blogs and I totally agree with you Regena that the Nepalese Oolong right now is a PERFECTLY great tea at a fantastic price from T Ching’s store. Shop around, don’t be afraid to experiment and experience new tastes till you find something in your price range that you like. If you are fortunate enough to find a real brick and mortar tea shop, ask questions and sample what they sell. Most reputable places will have some brewed or make you a cup to order so you can try before you buy (and sometimes they’ll actually give you one gratis)! Get to know the staff and they’ll be able to help you to tailor your tea drinking habits.
Just enjoy your morning cuppa, I think I’ll join Paul in his Kashangnaj Snow Bud as I’ve saved JUST enough to use for enjoying several infusion of this lovely tea today. CHEERS
Patrick a.k.a. kinghazzah
September 25th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
Running a teashop myself, I agree with kinghazzah in almost all points. But while Japanese green teas should be indeed consumed as soon as possible after harvest, the shelf-life of most other teas is much longer. I have even stored very delicate Darjeeling First Flushes for 2 years and ended up with only minor losses in flavor. But storage is VERY important and the glass jars that Regena mentions (and many teashops) use for visual appeal are totally unsuited.
I also slightly disagree with the oversimplification of: You get what you pay for. I usually modify this statement to: While a high price isn’t a good indicator for high quality, a cheap price certainly IS a good indicator for inferior tea (the wholesale price of high quality teas doesn’t allow room for discount prices).
Let me give you an example for the relativity of prices for high quality tea. While traveling in Germany last winter, I made a visit to one of the best German tea stores (most shops sell nothing but flavored varieties). I was shocked by the price tags some of the teas carried. I found some teas that we carried (it’s relatively easy to compare for some of the top Darjeeling teas) with an identical price on the tag - just in Euro, not New Zealand Dollars (which had an exchange rate of roughly 1:2 at that time!). Am I selling our teas too cheap or does somebody else have an enormous markup?
I’m sure, people buy from both sources and since we are a world apart (literally speaking), there is no direct competition.
September 25th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
Jo, point well taken. I have had some of those Darjeeling teas (both first and second flushes) that I’ve stored myself for a while (not quite as long as you have) in stainless steel containers with the lid that you snap clip shut, much like those glass containers BUT you don’t have the light coming through the glass to worry about. The only problem with these are temperature control but that’s usually not much of an issue in most of our homes/office situations. Again, your point about cheap priced tea is also a good one as overpriced tea is ALWAYS a possibility. I also was shocked by the prices beign charged in German tea shops when I was there last year. I wasn’t on a tea trip but you know when out of town you check out what’s available. That’s also easier than trying to explain to the airport security personnel what thost little green leaves are in your luggage. Thanks for the input.
September 27th, 2007 at 6:00 am
it is difficult at times to explain to a new consumer - why darjeeling teas which look alike differ so much in price. the reason is simple - you pay good, you earn a good product….. it feels really sad to see the bigger companies buying the lowermost teas and selling them at abnormally high prices - - this indirectly hits the image of tea hard as people tend to think tea is really not their taste of the day.. they miss out on the teas that they deserve for the price they are paying. we need to get together and educate consumers - we need to teach them to recognise their teas…