26 January 2009

What a coincidence!

Even though I haven’t purchased tea for some time, I still check HouDeAsianArt regularly. And few days ago I noticed a new beeng from Chen-Guang-He Tang in stock.

2005 Chen-Guang-He Tang
Source: HouDeAsianArt.com


I knew that wrapper, I see it somewhere before. But it took me some time to realize, that I have a beeng like this in my possession. Good beeng, by the way. I took a picture of this cake to remind you, how it looks like.

2005 Pu-Erh Tea Fair

First beeng is produced by Chang Tai Tea Factory; the other one is made by Chen-Guang-He Tang, both being made in 2005. Could it be a coincidence?

Update: After MarshalNs comment I made some deeper research on connection between these two beengs. When I wrote this blog I believed, that there is no connection, they are separate products of Chang Tai tea Factory and Chen-Guang-He Tang Tea Factory. Later I learned, that the 1st Pu-Erh Trade beeng (bottom one) was produced under supervision of Mr. Chen Zhi Tong, owner of Chen Guang He Tang (top beeng). Still I did not expected him to use the same wrapper design on two such distinctive beengs.

7 comments:

Hobbes said...

I was wondering the same.

However, $120 for a cake which is worth < $30 (Western prices) is so criminal that I didn't consider it further.


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

Hobbes said...

(Happy New Year, sir!)

Tuo Cha Tea said...

Happy New Year to you, Hobbes (and everyone else), too!

I agree with you, $120 is very high price, especially when considering other Guangs offers - with same or even lower price.

MarshalN said...

I've tried both -- very different cakes, and the leaves used are 100% different. The one Guang is selling now is much, much stronger in taste/strength, while the other one is quite mild in comparison.

I thought about buying some of the one that Guang has now when I was in Taiwan, but decided against it.

Happy new year! :)

MarshalN said...

I should add...

The one Guang is selling now, according to my source in Taiwan, was NOT made by him. He merely bought up a whole order of the cake from a factory in Yunnan and relabeled it into his name. He basically had nothing to do with its production.

The other one he did blend.

Tuo Cha Tea said...

Hi MarshalN,

happy new year to you, too!!

Now I understand the connection. Still, it's a mystery for me why did he used same design on his own beeng and on the one produced by other tea factory.

MarshalN said...

Well, the words on the wrapper are completely different.