Attention Pu Er Drinkers

[chenyaolong]

On my recent trip to Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, I visited three of the "six famous tea mountains": Jinuo Shan, Nannuo Shan and Bada Shan (which is sort of an extra seventh).

While it was a great trip, and I got to learn a lot about Pu Er and the various peoples who make it, such as the Jinuo, Hani and Bulang people, I have a cause for concern:

The use of asbestos in the area! It is in common usage in villages, and you can regularly see piles of broken asbestos in the street in some villages. When talking to people they seemed almost unaware and shrugged off the dangers of asbestos. My granddad currently has terminal cancer from asbestos contact working in construction years ago, so it is a real concern.

If the Pu Er is being stored in a place where asbestos is being handled, then that is potentially dangerous, as ingesting asbestos is much worse than inhaling it.

I have to admit I don't fully understand asbestos, but it did worry me. Also, I will note that not all Pu Er tea producers had asbestos lying around. I went to a nice plantation on Jinuo Shan where the buildings were entirely made of wood and bamboo, and the factory part was very clean.

Anyway, I'm just throwing this out there for you all to peruse.

[Peacedog]

The main issue is inhaling large amounts of airborne particulates over time. And it takes quite a lot of this to happen. Which is why asbestosis took so long to figure out.

I can't imagine eating it is good for you, but I also think very little would make it into the tea.

[mixjourneyman]

Slipshod is the word I would use to describe Chinese regional tea culture.
For those of us deeply involved in the Chinese tea industry, I think a common opinion is that it really takes a great deal of skill to sort through the almost infinite amount of bad and even dangerous tea.
I remember one time in Shanghai, my teacher gave me a week long class on Wuyi rock tea. Each day we would taste about three fake Wuyi teas and about two real ones of each popular cultivar (rou gui, shuixian etc...) and she warned me that at the end of the week I would have pimples. Surely enough, by the weeks' end, we had both developed pimples on our faces from drinking the overcooked fake rock tea and getting our pores clogged. Mull that over in your mind for a second...

Fujian has a comparatively rich and well organized tea industry, so imagine the antics that go down in Yunnan and all destinations west!!
The offences of the Chinese tea industry are innumerable and tremendous.
Having said that, the Taiwan industry really isn't any better at all, and the Japanese industry is also quite terrifying.
If you have contacts, you know tea, and you care, then you can get amazing tea from all of these places, but for the average customer both in and outside of Asia, I really feel a lot of worry for their physical well being.
Much worse than the esbestos problem is that of uncontrolled Pesticide use in Fujian and Guangdong (as well as the Viet side of the Taiwan tea industry), and the haphazard workmanship practices involved in making fermented pu'er, just to mention a few.

Anyhoo, the silver lining is that there are many really great organic farms in every part of Asia, and there are also a number of ethical tea sellers in North America, some of whom actually understand tea culture and respect it beyond the perspective of simply doing business.

[chenyaolong]

Slipshod is the word I would use to describe Chinese regional tea culture.
For those of us deeply involved in the Chinese tea industry, I think a common opinion is that it really takes a great deal of skill to sort through the almost infinite amount of bad and even dangerous tea.
I remember one time in Shanghai, my teacher gave me a week long class on Wuyi rock tea. Each day we would taste about three fake Wuyi teas and about two real ones of each popular cultivar (rou gui, shuixian etc...) and she warned me that at the end of the week I would have pimples. Surely enough, by the weeks' end, we had both developed pimples on our faces from drinking the overcooked fake rock tea and getting our pores clogged. Mull that over in your mind for a second...

Fujian has a comparatively rich and well organized tea industry, so imagine the antics that go down in Yunnan and all destinations west!!
The offences of the Chinese tea industry are innumerable and tremendous.
Having said that, the Taiwan industry really isn't any better at all, and the Japanese industry is also quite terrifying.
If you have contacts, you know tea, and you care, then you can get amazing tea from all of these places, but for the average customer both in and outside of Asia, I really feel a lot of worry for their physical well being.
Much worse than the esbestos problem is that of uncontrolled Pesticide use in Fujian and Guangdong (as well as the Viet side of the Taiwan tea industry), and the haphazard workmanship practices involved in making fermented pu'er, just to mention a few.

Anyhoo, the silver lining is that there are many really great organic farms in every part of Asia, and there are also a number of ethical tea sellers in North America, some of whom actually understand tea culture and respect it beyond the perspective of simply doing business.

It's scary shit really. And all this makes China a frustrating place to live... constantly sifting through shit looking for gold. This is just as true for tea as it is martial arts or any traditional art/skill

[Bao]

Pu'er should be one of the least risky teas to consume. ...That's what I believe anyway. ...but I know a guy who owns one of those mountains (well, actually rents it as no ground can be owned except for the state).. So maybe I could ask him about how much asbestos he use?

[TrainingDummy]

Slightly off-topic, but can anyone recommend a good tea shop in Hong Kong?

I'm moving there this week and I was totally uninspired by the local tea culture last time I was there.

[chenyaolong]

The main issue is inhaling large amounts of airborne particulates over time. And it takes quite a lot of this to happen. Which is why asbestosis took so long to figure out.

I can't imagine eating it is good for you, but I also think very little would make it into the tea.

My granddad has a very rare form of cancer from ingesting asbestos... he has no idea how that came about.... the main problem with this cancer is early on it doesn't manifest as a simple lump so it's so hard to find. He had problems with this stomach for almost a year before doctors realised it was cancer, and by that time it was too late to do anything. They gave him a few months, but it's been almost a year now and he's still going.... and I put that to his incredible mental strength.

So that is why the asbestos use is so concerning to me, had this not happened in my family, I probably wouldn't have even thought twice about it

[Bao]

Slightly off-topic, but can anyone recommend a good tea shop in Hong Kong?

I'm moving there this week and I was totally uninspired by the local tea culture last time I was there.

Most old, local store, tes shops etc have closed down due to extreme rents

[Peacedog]

Chenyaolong,

Well that is a different issue. In your case I would either minimize the amount of time I spent there or get the hell out of there quickly.

Best of luck to your grandfather.

Peacedog

[Graculus]

I think this point is quite relevant to many of us.

I remember a Chinese acquaintance I had in Japan whose parents were high up in the Chinese political world – she wouldn't drink tea without rinsing it first (and advised her friends to do likewise). This was about ten years ago, but it shows there was awareness of this kind of situation in certain circles.

In contrast, Chinese students I have had subsequently, although some came from very well-off families, did not seem to take such precautions, despite a general awareness and worry about pollution of various kinds.

Graculus
http://www.ichijoji.blogspot.com

[chenyaolong]

Yes rinsing the tea is proper practice, and with Pu Er some people rinse it twice.

Peacedog, I don't live in Yunnan, was just visiting. I live in Shanghai. Thanks for your wishes towards my grandfather, he is pulling through so far.

My 8 years in China has given me a lot, but only time will tell if the pollution I'm breathing in, and the chemicals I'm ingesting will have a long term affect on my health. All I can do is exercise as much as I can and eat as much greens as I can, and hope after I leave China, my body will repair.

[chenyaolong]

Yes rinsing the tea is proper practice, and with Pu Er some people rinse it twice.

Peacedog, I don't live in Yunnan, was just visiting. I live in Shanghai. Thanks for your wishes towards my grandfather, he is pulling through so far.

My 8 years in China has given me a lot, but only time will tell if the pollution I'm breathing in, and the chemicals I'm ingesting will have a long term affect on my health. All I can do is exercise as much as I can and eat as much greens as I can, and hope after I leave China, my body will repair.

[MaartenSFS]

I don't know anything about tea, but this is a concern of mine as well and the biggest reason why I won't be staying much longer..

[chenyaolong]

I don't know anything about tea, but this is a concern of mine as well and the biggest reason why I won't be staying much longer..

Shanghai has amazing restaurants... some of the best food I've eaten anywhere in the world. But it's damn expensive. Normal affordable food is very low quality. Fruit and vegetables, unless you go to the fancy import supermarkets are colourless and flavourless. And I won't even go into the meat.....

There's so many reasons I couldn't live in China long term... and in a way it's a shame, coz I can see so many opportunities here.

[MaartenSFS]

I hear you, but we do what we must to survive until we can get out of here..