Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Dongguan Buddha Tea Tasting: Tips and Guide for Beginners

Well, let me tell you somethin’ about this tea tastin’ thing in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Dongguan. It ain’t as fancy as them city folks make it out to be, but it’s somethin’ alright.

First off, lookin’ at the tea. Yeah, just like you look at a melon to see if it’s ripe. Them tea leaves, they gotta look right. If they’re all dried up and crumbly, that ain’t no good. Good tea, it’s kinda springy, you know? Like when you poke a fresh vegetable. That’s what they say, anyhow. I just look to see if it looks like somethin’ I’d wanna drink.

Then comes the smellin’. You stick your nose in there and take a good whiff. It should smell…well, like tea, I guess. Some smell kinda flowery, some smell kinda earthy. Just gotta see if it smells good to you. Don’t matter what them fancy folks say, if it smells like horse manure, you ain’t gonna drink it, right?

Now, the tastin’ part. That’s the important one. They say you gotta take little sips, big sips, all sorts of sips. First sip, small, just to get your tongue wet. Then a big gulp, to really taste it. And then another little sip, to see if the taste stays with ya. Me? I just drink it. If it tastes good, it’s good. If it tastes like dirt, well, then it ain’t good.

And then there’s the touchin’. I ain’t so sure about this one. They say you gotta feel the leaves, see how they feel in your hand. But I say, what’s the point? You ain’t gonna rub tea leaves all over your body, you gonna drink it! So, I mostly skip this part.

They got all sorts of teas out there, ya know? Green tea, white tea, yellow tea, red tea, that oolong stuff, and that dark tea, the puerh, they call it. I don’t know the difference, to be honest. They all taste like tea to me. Some stronger, some weaker. Some bitter, some sweet. Just gotta find what you like.

Now, if you wanna buy tea, you gotta go to the tea market. They got a big one in Fangcun, they call it the Tea Market of the South. Lordy, that place is somethin’ else. Miles and miles of tea shops, all sellin’ different kinds of tea. You could get lost in there, I tell ya. And they got all sorts of tea things too, cups and pots and whatnot. Enough to make your head spin.

• Guangzhou Tea Market: Big place, lots of shops. You can find any kinda tea you want there. Mostly for them big buyers, but you can sneak in and buy a little bit for yourself too. They got this Liuhua Teahouse, the biggest one in Guangzhou they say, but I don’t know, they all look the same to me.
• Shenzhen Tea Market: Shenzhen’s a big city, so they gotta have a big tea market too, right? I ain’t been there myself, but I heard it’s just as crazy as the one in Guangzhou.
• Dongguan Tea Market: Dongguan, well, it’s kinda in between Guangzhou and Shenzhen. They got tea markets too, smaller maybe, but still got plenty of tea.

And let me tell you, these tea folks, they take their tea serious. They got these tea ceremonies and all that. Holdin’ the cup with two hands, sippin’ it just so. It’s all a bit much for me. I just wanna drink my tea in peace, ya know? But hey, if they wanna make a fuss about it, that’s their business.

So, if you ever find yourself in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, or Dongguan, go check out the tea. It’s an experience, that’s for sure. Just don’t let them fancy tea folks fool ya. At the end of the day, it’s just tea. You drink it, you enjoy it, and that’s all that matters. Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Dongguan Buddha Tea Tasting, they call it. Sounds fancy, but it’s just plain folks drinkin’ tea, far as I can tell.

And one more thing, don’t go spendin’ all your money on fancy tea. The cheap stuff tastes just as good, most of the time. And don’t let them tell you that you gotta drink it a certain way. You drink it however you want. It’s your tea, after all.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go make myself a cup of tea. None of that fancy stuff, just plain old tea. The kind that warms you up on a cold day and keeps you goin’. That’s the best kind, if you ask me.