Chat by the Teaside Ep.1 // Future of traditional tea making in China

[@drumtunerz]

Hi Matt, David here, It's awesome to see a very familiar face. I really liked how your channel and business grows. Missed working with you. Take it easy and keep safe! Best regards.

[@teaangle]

Thanks David. Seen some of your recent work you've posted, they look great. Maybe we'll get a chance to work together again in the future. All the best and keep up the great work.

[@TheHeraldOfChange]

Timestamp 10:00 After the Cultural Revolution, many Tea Farmers were "allocated" land for the growing of tea. As a result this allocation/permission passed from one generation to the next by direct inheritance. Today, it is very difficult for a "new"person or would-by farmer to get land allocation and start farming tea, because of existing regulatory issues and "closed shop" practices. At least this is how it was explained to me by a University Graduate when I last visited farms in the West Lake District, in Hangzhou.

[@teaangle]

Indeed. Even though, depending on the region there are new plots of land constantly being opened up, it'd be really hard, or pretty much impossible for any new tea producer to try and get an allotment of land unless one had some sort of connection with a family in the area. So rather than farm tea on their own land, many producers purchase raw leaves from other families that have land. This is particularly the case with the higher grade leaves

[@kaonohi09]

Is it true the older your tea plant, the better your tea could be? So, the new generation of tea growers would benefit if they inherit or take over an established tea farm.

[@teaangle]

In most cases yes. Sure, if they're lucky enough to be able to inherit or take over such lands, but there's very little opportunities to do that.

[@PastorErickDMarquez]

It means prices will go up

[@teaangle]

Indeed. It's already happening, prices for certain teas are going up every year

[@josedesilencio8851]

I'm from the Philippines, and I'm buying different kinds of Chinese tea online particularly at "Shoppee". How can l be sure that I'm buying is a real deal?

[@teaangle]

Check to see what info the tea vendor provides in terms of their background and how they go about sourcing their teas. It's tricky but in the end, it mostly comes down to experience and tasting the actual teas. It's a bit easier if there's a place that sells Chinese tea around where you live that you can actually go and try different teas. But if you're shopping online, there's going to be a lot of trial and error but over time, you'll develop an understanding of what certain teas should taste like and then be able to compare whether or not something you bought online is the real deal.

[@josedesilencio8851]

Thank you for replying. Yes, l made a lot of trial and error.