When you visit China’s tea market it is important to realize that for a famous regional puerh tea like Lao Banzhang* the estimated annual spring production is 10 tons but roughly 5000 tons of tea is sold in China’s tea market under this description. Whether most of the tea sold is fake and/or heavily blended with cheaper raw materials from elsewhere this is a business practice that is rife throughout China. Big profits are made this way by both dishonest merchants and tea producers who apply this strategy to all teas that command a meaningful enough price.
Misinformation and tall tales used to regale an audience is common practice in the art of selling tea. Be wary of a Chinese tea shop that indoctrinates you on the miraculous benefits of the divine leaf, its miraculous discovery and how fortune has favored you by making the tea available to you today. As with all propaganda there will be truths, half-truths and outright lies intermittently integrated into the story but once you start imagining pigs fly then that is a clear sign to leave this fantasy world behind.
In the event that you show expertise on evaluating a tea, an experienced shopkeeper will not want to risk offending you with boasts and promises. He may even decide to show and offer you high quality teas for sampling and for sale. However if he sees you as being potentially a one-time customer and has intentions to take advantage of this situation he may use the bait and switch scam. Always be mindful to carefully check your purchased items at the shop to ensure they are what you agreed and to avoid surprises later.
The above descriptions are obviously some of the worst case scenarios on the happenings in a Chinese Tea Market. Unfortunately the reality isn’t too far off as it relates to the quality of the tea products and offerings. From a personal stand point I would estimate that for every 100 puerh tea items I randomly encounter, I would eliminate over 90 of those items based on issues with quality and authenticity alone. The daunting thing for a newcomer who visits is that I am in no way exaggerating on those numbers. I would also like to mention that there are good and passionate tea merchants out there conducting honest business. On those fleeting moments that you may encounter one I strongly urge you to seize those golden opportunities to enjoy the experience of drinking and reflecting on tea. You will find that the language of tea appreciation is universal.
cont. Part 2 The Misrepresentation of Age in Puerh Tea
(Old Tricks Become More Refined)
Lao Banzhang* - Liquid Gold, Exploring Banzhang Tea by Wang Hau, Lou Ying Tin, Wu De