The latest pu-er fashion

These are dry pu-erh branches with a leave and a bud. They are the latest creation of a renowned, high-end tea store in Taipei. They are sold by litlle packs of 10-15 branches. The total price may be low (around 6 USD), but when you consider the light weight, they are quite expensive. I guess they are stored next to the cashier, like the sweets in supermarkets.

There is a reason why they are not sold in bigger quantities. We found that out with Teaparker last Sunday. The taste is not right. It's too acid and hurts the empty stomach. The open leaves were too green, a little bit like this excellent green tea (made of pu-er leaves!):

When the color is so green, the pu-er will not age well. Young pu-er must have an orange color to age well (my 2004 green pu er):

You may also check the color of the tea in the wonderful cup presented in the post below.

The conclusion is that in the ancient field of tea, what is new must be met with suspicion.