Tea Hunting Adventures in China - Yunnan Gushu Sheng PuErh Travel Vlog

[@Christian-qu5ye]

This video left me with chills. Raw, true but polite. I love it! This is how businesses should he run. This is how money should be made but most importantly how relationships should be (through youtube or the tea farmers, families, etc).

[@MeiLeaf]

🙏 Thank you for these words, means a lot to us.

[@osuasheuatl]

Celine is a lucky woman, to have a husband who makes her laugh and takes her on adventures

[@MeiLeaf]

Haha I will print this comment out and make a t-shirt for her. Seriously, we all know that I am the lucky one.

[@christianraxo7535]

Don is a lucky man, to have a wife who is so beautiful and is equaly crazy

[@joshuathompson4242]

They are both equally lucky!

[@feilik]

Great video. This takes KZbin to another level - a whole absorbing documentary and a great way to learn more about tea and tea people.

[@MeiLeaf]

Thank you Phil, I am happy that you enjoyed this longer video - next up should be a feature documentary!

[@pleiadian99]

Absolutely love these farm trip videos. Thank you for taking the time to produce them. Really helps me appreciate the Tea even more!

[@danport222]

Don, this is basically a documentary, almost the Louis Theroux of tea. I'm new to the tea world but I've met a couple local (US) tea shop owners who claim to go to China to source their teas. Some I suspect go to the giant tea market in Beijing and buy any quality they can manage to get a deal for, but I learned about this process from your videos. Others, I wonder if they take an approach similar to what you're doing here. What are some questions I can ask these shop owners to get a better idea of their selection process without coming off as rude, or expectant that they go to means that might not be realistic for them? Are there other "green flags" that I can be looking for?

[@MeiLeaf]

Ooh very good question actually and not an easy one to answer. I think that the key is integrity. If they purchase from markets or wholesalers that's OK if they are open and tell you. The tea might be good anyway. I think asking them how they source tea is perfectly acceptable and judging by how much waffle or woolly information they give, you can pretty much tell if they are making stuff up.

[@Artzenflowers]

Dan, if you're on the west coast Crimson Lotus tea is an excellent source, in Tx? Try West China tea in Austin. Lots of online resources, just keep digging, you'll find some great sources.

[@gsssgfdgsdf6312]

@@MeiLeaf if its not easy to answer, could u pls make video where u asnwer it ? long video? ::)

[@achin83]

One must respect the amount of effort that goes into sourcing quality tea from each region. I hear people complain about cost, but quite honestly this is completely justifiable. I can appreciate the tea much more after seeing videos like this. Thank you for your dedication to the craft and sharing the journey with us.

[@JakeOlsonTheSnake]

Celine and Don; Wow! this was such a treat to watch, especially considering the amount of work it takes to constantly be looking/thinking through a lens, to choose what to capture and what to leave out. Vlogging is a mental strain, I have found: sometimes it is hard to be present if there is a camera involved! I am impressed and overjoyed that you took us along for the ride -- this sort of trip is a pretty unique experience, and to give us the opportunity to see a snapshot of your process and journey is generous of you. Thank you Thank you!! The firsthand look at pu-erh production was top notch as well, especially production on such a small scale. Sending love and joy from Seattle!! -J.

[@MeiLeaf]

Thanks and yes it is an added stress to our sourcing trips but gives us a lot of satisfaction when the videos are out there. As a vlogger, you know the level of attention to detail required to capture the scenery and action. In some ways it is tiring but in others it is revealing as it forces us to be very observant of our surroundings.

[@CR34TIV3M1ND]

Hug h hi h

[@casimsalabim]

What a story! Everything is in it: Passion, adventure, nature, love, good relations, good food and TEA!! One of the best films I've seen on KZbin so far. And doesn't Celine look gorgeous in that traditional clothes? Thank you both for letting us take part.

[@WillSagdiyev]

Splendid. It takes a lot to persuade me to watch a 56-minute video on KZbin, but this was worth it! Idea for a future video: Camellia taliensis vs Camellia sinensis (var. sinensis and var. assamica) and hybrids.

[@MeiLeaf]

Great video idea thank you.

[@susmitpratik007]

Wow, salute!

[@othe8577]

Wow. Thanks Don and everyone who went on this trip. I can't get enough of your videos. I especially love your tea travel videos, and appreiate all the effort that undoubtedly went into making these. I think this might be the best one yet! I appreciate the honesty and how passionate you are about getting the best experience for everyone involved down to your customers. Sorry about what happened with the first tea farmer.

[@palek555]

The thumbnail looks like its from this meme series called "youre probably wondering how i ended up here". I envisioned a situation where the left guy is talking about how he got scammed by Don and his amazingly charming smile and charisma lol.

[@kwool5151]

Like how she flipped the bird at you on 2:19 :D

[@dylanzenskateboarding]

What an amazing visual video this is a such a great T videos such great work and what a insight into China and real proper Chinese tea Culture and thank you so much for for making such a great real video!

[@steelameba3906]

I love this video, It is interesting and fun to watch from start to finish. Thanks for putting in the effort to make this tea documentary. Also I love 13:25 that is exactly how i expect a tea farmer to act.

[@jl8698]

sorry for the late comment but just found your channel! I have studied organic agriculture, and worked as a chef/cook for the past decade. Going along with what you said about the tea trees being planted from the seeds and bringing genetic diversity, it is also a testament to how much care and pride they put into their land. Yes it produces variety in flavour from region to region, but it also protects against viruses, bugs and any other sort of disease these trees may encounter, further strengthening their resilience.

[@alvincay100]

This kind of content is why I love your channel.

[@MonerPutul]

Epic vlog. Amazing, Awesome, Superb 😊

[@desertfox432]

Great video, I love those. The large business influence monologue was my favorite part. It requires ethics when dealing with finite resources, especially ones that are precious.

[@jcheero84]

GUSHU SUNDAY!!!😍😍 Had to stop watching my NFL football games for this epic episode.

[@MarinaC2112]

best tea trip video EVER!!!!! everything looks beautiful, the tea, the scenery, the food. now i'm hungry and i want tea

[@femkelodewijk9086]

Thank you guys sooooo much for this EPIC tea video. I really enjoyed watching this one! Very interesting to see a little bit about the things that happen behind the scene. For a next tea journey: don't hesitate and show us teaheads that epic stuff. Love you guys and I really appreciate the amount of effort you've put into this. Keep up the good work. ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

[@MeiLeaf]

Thanks Femke, I am happy that you enjoyed the more intimate view of the travels. Filming Celine sleeping is a little weird perhaps 😁

[@femkelodewijk9086]

@@MeiLeaf Not at all! I especially loved that part... what you say: the more intimate things. Don't get me wrong, I love all of your polished videos and that geeky educational stuff, but seeing this makes me smile. Deals not being made, seeing you wear that dirt and totally rock that look 😂 I don't know... it makes you more human (this all may sound a bit weird, but I hope you get what I mean 😶)

[@droooooo]

Wonderful video!! I love the care and respect given to the tea. It is a great look at how things come together, thank you for bringing us along! I must say, the smell and taste identification you have is quite the talent--and such enjoyment you have with it!

[@imJizzlah]

Thats gonna be a great sunday evening! :)

[@goednieuwskrantje-nl]

it's probably worth more invensting in the nicer people who seem to have less but care more than the one who was pulling nasty tricks to grab some money. You were probably lucky that you didn't go for the first one.

[@cholley_1]

This might be the coolest video on KZbin. It’s like I was there!

[@worldofwarcraft011]

Great video! Enjoying the new vlog-style

[@anypercentdeathless]

Been doing business in China almost 20 years. It's always this way. You used the right word: "Dishonorable."

[@george-vlachos]

I absolutely love this style of videos ! It's great to see the locations, makes me want to travel so so much ! It helps that, for my breakfast tea, I am also having the 2021 "Mom & Pop Shop" ! I have to add that your poker face during the negotiations was brilliant !!!

[@plantplanet3943]

Very satisfying and Educational to watch😊. Thanks for sharing!

[@lukisIVIII]

These vlogs are so high quality I'd definitely pay to watch more of them!

[@wit_tea_taster4036]

A wonderful video, as always. I’m sipping Young Gushu 2018 as we speak, and watching farmers prepare gushu puerh while drinking some just makes you appreciate the tea even more.

[@territodd9151]

What a privilege to share your experience vicariously. I honor what you are trying to do to provide quality tea using ethical business practices and sustainable production of tea. I received my first Mei leaf order of tea ware today and LOVE the Yixing clay pig tea pet!

[@nyc0053]

23:12 😕 We do not live long enough! Yet. 😊 我们活得不够久！ 然而

[@craftyklaus]

Thanks for yet another great video! :)

[@anasibndawood6696]

Very nice! I love these videos where you can actually see these tea farms and local people . And the entire experience

[@galecarp]

Thank you for making this video. I have never seen this in my life as I was born in downtown.

[@solskinify]

I loved the style of this video, super interesting and gripping!

[@jordeelhaymon9416]

What a wonderful video. I'm happy.

[@jukemaster2848]

amaaaaazing video. by far, my favorite mei leaf video thus far :)

[@budthecyborg4575]

this is the side of China that I am interested in. People with heritage and pride. This is the real China.

[@nyc0053]

I fell in love with this episode. I will take the time to look at it and watch it slowly. Thank you.😏 我爱上了这一集。 我会花时间看一下，慢慢看。 谢谢。

[@gmvdm]

Great video, and wonderful to see the whole process end to end! 谢谢您！

[@nemoletov8214]

Gushu from Ywu is pretty enjoable this year. 1 quality selection mao cha around 250$ per kilo so cakes cannot be below this price from any brand who claim theirs leaves originating from that places .

[@euca7730]

I sorry you guys encountered some business risk there, but happy to see that you finally got what you want and please keep on doing so! Every video is so genuine and great!

[@TheAlexandraKass]

Best video yet guys! I´ve watched it twice already!

[@teahive8429]

Jeez Don and Celine, just go pro with those video skills already!😘 My favorite video yet! What a journey, thanks for taking all the extra time and effort to record and then come home and edit! You guys rock! Hoping we can manage to spoil ourselves when that tea shows up in your shop! Cheers!

[@MeiLeaf]

Thanks fellow KZbinrs. The tea is up and on the website whenever you are ready to taste.

[@teahive8429]

oh dang.

[@jaakkokuja]

Such a great and informative video. Seeing the process and then buying and tasting the tea brings the experience to a whole different level. Thank you!

[@supersonicyou]

Thank you! Really loved the video.

[@bobbyport]

Excellent video, so nicely put together. Great energy and presentation... A genuine pleasure to watch. Many thanks indeed for sharing and investing so much in the process.

[@TheBergMan]

You're our superhero, don. Thank you for going that extra mile in sourcing tea. Appreciate your company

[@matthiashubner1657]

I really enjoy this kind of videos !!!! I could watch them every day :) 'cause I get the feeling to be with you on trip in these great tea areas :D

[@ruthannamarteifio2956]

Don and celine, you make the whole journey a joy------I've learned so much from you----- And this doc/travel vlog is excellent! Tea life is another world and you brought it to us-----And a much greater understanding of China, also----- Many thanks!!!

[@charlesperez9976]

Ok,so this might be your finest video,to see those leaves being picked,it is like poetry in motion. You,Don,you are a maestro of Buyers. I am a slightly compromised palate,my sense of smell and taste is handicapped,but I have purchased mighty tea from you,with great pleasure. My favorite is the most pilgrim,such a delight! And,I will be in London in September,I hope to meet you,and enjoy some tea together,and you will teach me more.

[@charlesperez9976]

Quick spellcheck,I meant mist pilgrim,ha! To see that Gushu being roasted,wow what a thrill! Thank you for sharing such adventures!

[@janethughes2775]

He is a scammer! Glad you did not agree to the money.

[@Cratees]

18:55 best line ever hahaha

[@Cavi587]

I love how involved you are with the process. It really shows how much you love and respect tea, seeing it as a lot more than just a product to sell. The video was so interesting and informative that I didn't even notice how an hour flew by. Keep up the good work :)

[@moniquemyers2770]

Loved the adventure 🍵 thank you

[@petra.andersen]

Great video. Looking forward to tasting the Nectar Raider when I am in London beginning of October. Camden Mei Leaf shop is of course on our list of places to visit 😘

[@archibaldspectre7136]

Nice Adventure

[@idamelin]

Wow - what a great video!

[@akpak4449]

Once again I am stunned by the quality of the production of these travelling videos. The way you approach local farmers, skilled commenting and exceptionally good work with the camera of course (greetings Saline :))

[@moritzkohler9214]

Good descison Don. Go with your gut feeling. Peace

[@JoePundek]

Don, I watch a lot of your videos and I have to say this is the best one. Of all of them. I have just watched it all the way through having seen it before about a year or so ago. I can only imagine the effort and time to film and edit this but please do consider making more. I felt totally transported into the region.

[@chrisladouceur4093]

Tea “drunk” watching this and loving it so much. What a great video, very immersive. Great vibes

[@13jgasho]

LOVE the Vlog style!!

[@danielletavano3389]

Very cool...I love seeing how tea is picked and processed. And it was interesting to see how you sourced Nectar Raider. I appreciate your thorough investigation into every part of the tea production process. Keep digging deep, my friend 👌

[@robcavenphotography5231]

Top quality, fascinating video guys, love it. That stain had good design elements Don, maybe a new line in Tea-Head Jeans mate? :)

[@jang.1185]

Awesome video and amazing tea and story again. Thank you! I really like people who care for what they do. This is also my style - to make and offer everything always the best as is possible. Therefore I have an idea how much energy does it cost. I am impressed again and I appreciate tea more and more. Actually I am often sad if I do not like some tea which I am tasting :D So what I started to do is trying to pick up something positive from any tea I am having. And as I can see, there is still a lot of to discover. Be well :)

[@Fernanda31BR]

Lovely leaves

[@nickinportland]

That blue dress is dope

[@saracaudill]

This was such an amazing video!! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the effort and love you obviously put into everything you do! I know I am not the only one who appreciates not only all the legwork you put in to make sure you bring back the “good stuff” for us tea heads, but that you take the time to virtually bring us along, so we can get a peek into what goes into making this magical elixir called tea. I cannot wait to try this one!

[@GinToshiro]

It's just AWESOME. I love it.

[@mariannefleur6671]

Hey Don & Celine: this is the best video ever! I always loved your travel videos, and this one topped it all. I read a lot about Puerh production and commercialization in Yunnan, as well as land use, public policy, cultural identity, and transformation taking place. I’m dreaming of going there and seeing it all myself. This has helped me understand and feel the mountains one step more, and I just love the way you touched on all the aspects of this multifaceted and complex world in such a warm-hearted, but even headed way. You’re a gentleman, with a heart and soul great enough to brush off the less worthy dust that might cross your path. You’re also a great appreciator, with curiosity and enthusiasm, eye for detail and indomitable taste buds and olfactory talents. It’s a joy to see the world through your eyes! (And Celine’s) Stay that way! ❤️❤️❤️

[@z3ns3n]

Incredible documentary, really enjoyed it, very digestable for my mind :)) Ive been interested in a tea for a while, did read couple of books besides drinking tea, but your two trip videos rounded the knowledge and gave life and deeper isight :) Amazing sequencing, video and speech collaboration! Thank you guys for making such masterpieces :)!

[@justanotherday5441]

I LOVE this video!I like the style, which is a bit different from the other farm visit videos - enjoying the more vlog like style!. Very engrossing and informative - I don't know if anyone knows more about tea than Don and such great energy! I thought I was a tea addict before, but now I'm also a Mei Leaf video addict. I love watching Don and Celine, who is so beautiful and does all the awesome Mei Leaf artwork! Also really enjoyed seeing a bit of personal background as well as the great details about the farmers, the food, the village and seeing how its all done. Great music as well. Best 56 minutes I have spent and could have easily watched another hour of you two traveling to the other farms and learning more about tea. Would love to see more of these! :)

[@surrealnight5230]

Very nice job. Thank you.

[@Kuppz5]

Really love these tea trip videos! hope there's more coming ^_^'

[@vancer11]

Waw 😍😍😍😍

[@JamesCharlton]

Fantastic video guys. I'm hooked! Having recently purchased some of your tea I can hand on heart say that it is absolutely delicious. You guys are an inspiration. Keep up the great work!

[@nt4409]

It does look so much like Northern Thailand.

[@gsssgfdgsdf6312]

it used to be northern thailand in the past b4 china claims it

[@tobacco118]

​ @gss sgfdgsdf Yunnan doesn't even share a border with Thailand. You can't even tell a good lie. It looks Thai becoz their ancestors migrated south to Laos and N. Thailand in ancient times.

[@zakerymizell8838]

Love you guys! Can't wait to try it :)

[@gomertube]

Great video!

[@dmmmm411]

Looooooooooooove!

[@joetexas1546]

I’m watching You😃👍

[@nyc0053]

I want some of their tea, I like the family, and their process. Also, this will bring me even closer to China. 我想要一些他们的茶，我喜欢这个家庭，以及他们的过程。 而且，这将使我更接近中国。

[@user-pt2ql9nh5k]

nyc0053 喜欢普洱茶吗？

[@nyc0053]

是的，我愿意。

[@benparkinson8314]

Following yiu deeper into the universe of Tea

[@joeybidner]

love seeing everything behind the tea you sell. this gives so much more enjoyment to my jelly juice vampire which is from this same family right? so rad

[@SteveWasserman]

Have been watching your videos all afternoon, having just found your channel and amazing shop too (!). Can't wait to make the pilgrimage to Camden to come and experience some of your teas firsthand. What incredibly educational and awe-inspiring vids you have here. Wonderful. Thank you.

[@MeiLeaf]

Thanks and welcome to our channel and community of Teaheads. Please do come by and taste our tea if you are in London or order online (we ship worldwide). I hope that you enjoy binge watching those videos,

[@SteveWasserman]

It's incredible. I'm having this incredible education in tea right from the comfort of my little Queensbury flat. Am SO going to come into the tea shop this week and sample/buy some teas! Do you have everything for sale in the tea shop that you have on the website? AM SUPER EXCITED TO START DRINKING YOUR TEAS!

[@MrTommy6711]

Unbelivable intresting :-)

[@Fernanda31BR]

Good travels

[@Fernanda31BR]

Hard work always repay

[@moritzkohler9214]

Amazing thanks !!!

[@maxzyklas3704]

Love is!!!! Such a Long Video ;)

[@Cruz0e]

the chicken soup, my mom calls it carcass tea :)

[@philiplee8168]

I spot a *very* familiar location up in the high mountain :D you should've mentioned you were up there as my in-laws have some of the good stuff!

[@philiplee8168]

and not to forget to mention, great vlog! :D

[@nyc0053]

20:26 - I like to hear you speak Mandarin. ❤️ 我喜欢听你说普通话。

[@RobMouritsen]

This was fascinating to me! What a great video, with a great story, great education, great production value. So interesting. How many of the teas you sell come from a process like this (the whole visit, I mean)? How often do you do trips like this?

[@killers31337]

Damn, now I want to visit Yunnan.

[@huntergreen99]

Don,, I could tell you didn’t have any sleep but mostly after meeting with the guy for Breakfast following getting the big screw from him, I could truly see that he let the wind out of your Sails and I’m so sorry. Evidently he thought he could force you into a deal that you were not comfortable with. It sounded as if he wasn’t very accommodating and I feel didn’t treat you fairly. You see he doesn’t know that you really and truly care about your viewers and want to help them. Which in turn would make him more profit in the long run. I may be new but it doesn’t take me long to read someone and see what their motives are. Again I’m sorry you have to deal with people like that but that’s how it is with business people today. Good luck Don. Keep up the good work!!!! Mark in Kentucky, USA.