Vietnamese "jasmine" tea (new acquisition)
stePH
fascination with tea and brought me a bag of some that her friend
supplies.
It first came in a foil bag, looking to be about 3-4 ounces in
quantity. The leaves were dark green, thin twists (somewhat resembling
the leaves of Adagio's "green pekoe" but smaller) and brewed up quite
tasty, though more astringent than Adagio's offering. She said she
could bring more, for a dollar a bag. My reply: "I'll buy that for a
dollar!" :-)
So last week she brought me five bags, which turn out to be 100g each.
They are also in small cardboard box/envelopes proclaiming the contents
"Jasmine Tea" from "TRAMCOR" Trade of American Corp. and furthermore,
"Product of Vietnam".
If there's any jasmine in this, it's too subtle for my nose. I quite
like it though, and can get three infusions from a spoonful of leaf so
it's certainly economical (hey Space Cowboy, it's at your
"penny-a-gram" price point :-)). I'm still waiting to find out what
other offerings her friend has.
There is contact info for "Tramcor" on the box,
247 SW 41st Street
Renton, WA 98055, USA
Tel: 1-866-571-5719
fax: (425) 656-9103
but I find nothing googling the company, and the website
www.hooktea.com is a dead link. I haven't tried dialing the phone yet
but I'm not hopeful.
Good tea, though. I'll buy more of it for as long as her friend has a
supply.
stePH
--
I'll brew another pot of ambiguity
-- King Crimson, 2002
Travel Vietnam
-------------------------------------------------
Vietnam - www.waytovietnam.com/culture.asp
Scott Dorsey
>So last week she brought me five bags, which turn out to be 100g each.
>They are also in small cardboard box/envelopes proclaiming the contents
>"Jasmine Tea" from "TRAMCOR" Trade of American Corp. and furthermore,
>"Product of Vietnam".
>
>If there's any jasmine in this, it's too subtle for my nose. I quite
>like it though, and can get three infusions from a spoonful of leaf so
>it's certainly economical (hey Space Cowboy, it's at your
>"penny-a-gram" price point :-)). I'm still waiting to find out what
>other offerings her friend has.
A lot of Vietnamese teas seem to be sold as jasmine in the US, even though
they are clearly not. I have a can here from "New Japan International"
in LA that reads "Jasmine tea" in English, "Tra Sen Co Do Hue" in Vietnamese,
and has some Chinese characters. "Tra Sen Co Do Hue" means "Hue style
lotus tea," which it actually is. I have not deciphered the Chinese but
there is at least the character for lotus in it.
Anybody opening up the can and expecting jasmine tea will be getting a
very rude shock.
I have seen a couple unscented green teas in the markets, also with
"Jasmine Tea" in English, but with accurate description in Vietnamese
below.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
Lewis Perin
> [...]
>
> A lot of Vietnamese teas seem to be sold as jasmine in the US, even
> though they are clearly not. I have a can here from "New Japan
> International" in LA that reads "Jasmine tea" in English, "Tra Sen
> Co Do Hue" in Vietnamese, and has some Chinese characters. "Tra Sen
> Co Do Hue" means "Hue style lotus tea," which it actually is. I
> have not deciphered the Chinese but there is at least the character
> for lotus in it.
Have you tasted it? Is it good?
And what do they mean by "lotus tea"? Are there lotus blossom pieces
in the can?
Would you like to load and link to a photo of the Chinese characters?
/Lew
---
Lew Perin / pe...@acm.org
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html
Space Cowboy
next trip to Chinatown. I usually shop the big Chinese markets with
plenty of parking and don't shop the smaller Vietnamese stores where
parking is limited.
Jim
stePH wrote:
...snip here...snip there...
Scott Dorsey
>klu...@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) writes:
>> [...]
>>
>> A lot of Vietnamese teas seem to be sold as jasmine in the US, even
>> though they are clearly not. I have a can here from "New Japan
>> International" in LA that reads "Jasmine tea" in English, "Tra Sen
>> Co Do Hue" in Vietnamese, and has some Chinese characters. "Tra Sen
>> Co Do Hue" means "Hue style lotus tea," which it actually is. I
>> have not deciphered the Chinese but there is at least the character
>> for lotus in it.
>
>Have you tasted it? Is it good?
Oh, yes, of course.
>And what do they mean by "lotus tea"? Are there lotus blossom pieces
>in the can?
Yes. This is a traditional Vietnamese tea and you'll see it served all
over Vietnam, though it is not as popular as the Jasmine. I've been drinking
it for decades. It is very heavy stuff.
>Would you like to load and link to a photo of the Chinese characters?
I may be able to scan and e-mail as a pdf. Would you be okay with that?
Dominic T.
> >And what do they mean by "lotus tea"? Are there lotus blossom pieces
> >in the can?
>
> Yes. This is a traditional Vietnamese tea and you'll see it served all
> over Vietnam, though it is not as popular as the Jasmine. I've been drinking
> it for decades. It is very heavy stuff.
There is a Tazo brand Lotus root green tea that is actually pretty good
and nice and light. I've come across a few lotus flavored teas and I'm
always up for them, I'll have to track down some of this Vietnamese
lotus tea... we have a few Vietnamese groceries around here. I
generally don't shop in them because they are both very dirty and stuff
is thrown everywhere. and used bowls from their lunch are sitting on
the same shelf as new ones for sale.
- Dominic
stePH
Travel Vietnam wrote:
> How much do you want, for office use or business?
Are you offering up some for sale?
stePH
in cup: rooibos peach (from Teavana)
Travel Vietnam
you said " I 'll buy as long as her friend supply"
However, i'm vietnamese, so if you really want to buy for making a
business (because I know that jasmine tea is verywonderful and it';s
almost only in Vietnam), i may find a supplier for you (without any
charge, just help).
Anybody know how to make jasmine tea? I will tell you the story iin
the next.
-----------------------------------------------------
Vietnam Culture - www.waytovietnam.com/culture.asp
stePH
Travel Vietnam wrote:
> ... (because I know that jasmine tea is verywonderful and it';s
> almost only in Vietnam) ...
I wonder if you've ever heard of a little country called "China" ;-)
It's actually not far from Vietnam.
stePH
--
I'll brew another pot of ambiguity.
-- King Crimson, 2002
Travel Vietnam
I say almost, not only. China is a big country of tea. But for the same
type of tea, there're different in making and using from VN and China.
For example, jasmine tea in Vietnam, produced by let jasmine flower
under tea with morning dew on the sieve, and only in early moring,
before the sun shining, to make sure that it spice is best. But in
Chine, it's not the same, they can make at any time in day.
Have you ever been one tradition jasmine tea-production family in Ngoc
Ha, Ha Noi?
-------------------------------------------------------
Vietnam Culture - www.waytovietnam.com/culture.asp
Michael Plant
23:02ace...@earthlink.net
>
> Travel Vietnam wrote:
>> ... (because I know that jasmine tea is verywonderful and it';s
>> almost only in Vietnam) ...
>
> I wonder if you've ever heard of a little country called "China" ;-)
> It's actually not far from Vietnam.
>
>
> stePH
Come on, StePH. Leave the guy a little national pride.
Michael
Scientist
This is the one I told you about in NY. As I said before this one is "lotus
flavored" - C. Sinensis tea somehow flavored with lotus apparently not
unlike jasmine. There is also a lotus tea - made of lotus flowers produced
(at least) around ChengDe.
I usually not very fond of "flower teas" as well as "flavored teas" , but I
liked both. The lotus flower I bought in China, the Vietnamese
lotus-flavored - here in Reno.
Sasha.
"Dominic T." <dominic...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1141074412.2...@v46g2000cwv.googlegroups.com...
Lewis Perin
> [...]
>
> I may be able to scan and e-mail as a pdf. Would you be okay with that?
Thanks for sending the PDF of a photo of the can. There are four
characters, and unfortunately I was able to figure out only the first
three:
Cha = tea
Xin = pith
Lian = lotus
To visualize the fourth character, think of quadrants. What you see
is:
NW = river (3 strokes)
NE = head (9 strokes)
SW = person (2 strokes)
SE = spoon (2 strokes)
Anyone know what character that forms?
Lewis Perin
> [...lotus tea...]
>
> This is the one I told you about in NY. As I said before this one is "lotus
> flavored" - C. Sinensis tea somehow flavored with lotus apparently not
> unlike jasmine. There is also a lotus tea - made of lotus flowers produced
> (at least) around ChengDe.
> I usually not very fond of "flower teas" as well as "flavored teas" , but I
> liked both. The lotus flower I bought in China, the Vietnamese
> lotus-flavored - here in Reno.
I wonder if the reason for the confusion about jasmine vs. lotus is
that the Vietnamese, like the Chinese, often just refer to "flower
tea" in their own language without being specific. Then, when they
make a label for a tea being exported, they might get careless about
which flower it is?
Rick Chappell
> If there's any jasmine in this, it's too subtle for my nose.
That's interesting. I've tasted many jasmine teas - some good, some
horrible, some just a way to give flavor to very cheap tea - but I've
never had to complain about subtlety. Could Vietnamese use "Jasmine"
in another sense, to indicate a nice aroma but not, necessarily, due
to the flower? Like jasmine rice?
Best,
Rick.
Alex Chaihorsky
May be some local geographical name.
Sasha.
"Lewis Perin" <pe...@panix.com> wrote in message
news:pc7y7zv...@panix1.panix.com...
Travel Vietnam
In our country, Jasmine and Lotus is not the same, but isn't it in your
language? So, when you say "jasmine tea", what do you mean?
In Vietnam, we use Jasmine Tea for Tea which has been processed with
Jasmine flower, and Lotus Tea for tea which has been processed with
Lotus flower. So, they 're different and make difference flavours, of
course.
Scott Dorsey
>May be.
>In our country, Jasmine and Lotus is not the same, but isn't it in your
>language? So, when you say "jasmine tea", what do you mean?
>In Vietnam, we use Jasmine Tea for Tea which has been processed with
>Jasmine flower, and Lotus Tea for tea which has been processed with
>Lotus flower. So, they 're different and make difference flavours, of
>course.
Right. However, when that tea is sold in the US, sometimes it is all
marked "Jasmine Tea" on the box, no matter whether it is Saigon jasmine
tea or Hue lotus tea or something else. I think the problem is either
with the export markings or the importation on this side, but it is not
unique to one company.
Travel Vietnam
All companies always want to mark their trade -marks on products. So,
you can understand where the tea was made from the company name.
When you see the tea-box with label Jasmine Tea, you should know that
it is' made from Jasmine flower with tea, exactly, not from Lotus at
all.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Vietnam - www.waytovietnam.com
Michael Plant
03:03i...@waytovietnam.com
> I can't guess this truth.
> All companies always want to mark their trade -marks on products. So,
> you can understand where the tea was made from the company name.
> When you see the tea-box with label Jasmine Tea, you should know that
> it is' made from Jasmine flower with tea, exactly, not from Lotus at
> all.
OK, so you have answered a very important question: It is not the custom in
Viet Nam to use the phrase "jasmine tea" to mean that the natural tea has a
flowery aroma and taste; you use it to mean precisely that it contains
jasmine flower or the essence of jasmine flower. Thanks for clarifying that.
We were looking for some explanation for the labels beyond just sloppy
labeling.
Michael
Space Cowboy
which I think is a locale in Vietnam. I know the locale in Vietnamese
but can't absolutely be sure the two are the same.
Jim
PS I couldn't find anything on Lew's character.
Scott Dorsey
>I can't guess this truth.
>All companies always want to mark their trade -marks on products. So,
>you can understand where the tea was made from the company name.
>When you see the tea-box with label Jasmine Tea, you should know that
>it is' made from Jasmine flower with tea, exactly, not from Lotus at
>all.
However, I have a box of tea which says "JASMINE TEA" on it in English,
but it says "Tra Sen Co Do Hue" in Vietnamese, and the contents are very
clearly lotus tea.
There is a lot of this kind of thing showing up in the US.
Travel Vietnam
OK, so you have answered a very important question: It is not the
custom in
Viet Nam to use the phrase "jasmine tea" to mean that the natural tea
has a
flowery aroma and taste; you use it to mean precisely that it contains
jasmine flower or the essence of jasmine flower. Thanks for clarifying
that.
There're some misunderstands here, i think.
In our country, Jasmine Tea (or Chè Nhài), Lotus Tea (Chè sen) are
types of natural tea is procecced with these flowers to have specified
aroma, and they are different.
------------------
Mr Scott Dorsey
I have a question for you, when you read the box with label: Jasmine
Tea, which type of type you will think in it, according to your custom.
If there is any different between your custom and ours, i will try to
notice the exporter.
Some companies use english without caring the custom of the country
where their products will be exported, i think. You can help us by
provide the Name and Address of company in your box, i will give them a
sugguest about this problem. And hope that will be appreciated to
improve our export.
Thank you verymuch on behalf of them.
-------------------------------------------------
Vietnam Custom - www.waytovietnam.com/
Scott Dorsey
>Mr Scott Dorsey
>I have a question for you, when you read the box with label: Jasmine
>Tea, which type of type you will think in it, according to your custom.
>If there is any different between your custom and ours, i will try to
>notice the exporter.
The one that I have on my desk here was imported by New Japan International
at 4560 Worth Street in Los Angeles. It also says "Hu'o'ng Vi Ha~o Ha.ng'"
underneath that. Sorry, I have no accents on this 1978-vintage DEC terminal.
I have seen this on a couple other boxes of tra sen, however, from other
vendors. Maybe it is an attempt to get it through customs more easily?