Foreign matter in Liu Bao

Puerh and other heicha
faj
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Sun Dec 06, 2020 12:30 pm

I recently purchased a few Liu Bao teas from a vendor.

A couple of days ago, I noticed there was something that resembled a little stone in the leaves. About 2mm or 3mm in size. Upon closer inspection, it looked like underneath a layer of dirt it was somewhat crystalline, with a few tiny dots shining under the light, a bit like you would expect from a small chunk of salt. I removed it and did not pay further attention to it, thinking it was probably just some random foreign object.

Yesterday, I found another one, very similar in size and appearance, but from a bag of another tea. I set it aside to take a picture, but unfortunately someone in the house threw it away before I did.

Finding the same thing two days in a row in two different teas seems like a bit too much of a fluke for me to consider it a random occurrence. I saw nothing else unusual in those two teas.

Does anyone know what that could be?
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Stephen
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Sun Dec 06, 2020 12:56 pm

I think someone once referred to stuff like that as a "bonus prize." Was that you @mrmopu?

Probably some bit of rock, cement or dirt from processing. I prefer those to the chicken feathers, hairs or cigarette butts that I've found before :shock:
faj
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Sun Dec 06, 2020 1:24 pm

Stephen wrote:
Sun Dec 06, 2020 12:56 pm
Probably some bit of rock, cement or dirt from processing. I prefer those to the chicken feathers, hairs or cigarette butts that I've found before
Not knowing what it is bugs me. Also, the fact that it was found in two different teas might hint that this was intentionally added. It probably is harmless, but...
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Stephen
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Sun Dec 06, 2020 1:30 pm

faj wrote:
Sun Dec 06, 2020 1:24 pm
Not knowing what it is bugs me. Also, the fact that it was found in two different teas might hint that this was intentionally added. It probably is harmless, but...
I hear ya! Well, maybe you'll find another and can take a closer look. Many of these teas are processed in outdoorsy or semi-outdoorsy settings leading to added materials. Rustic shall we say.
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wave_code
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Sun Dec 06, 2020 2:04 pm

are both teas from the same factory? I doubt either was added intentionally since its not really good for business to gross out customers or cheat them out of weight in tea with rocks, which is what it sounds like you got. I've had a few pebbles show up here and there in a couple different liu baos. as @Stephen points out you could do much worse. I'll take a pebble or tea seeds in my tea over someone's cigarette any day. but if you are finding lots of them in those teas, thats something else.
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mbanu
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Sun Dec 06, 2020 2:26 pm

Was this in the brewed leaves or the dry leaves?

If in the dry leaves, a good thing to try is to pour boiling water on it. If it dissolves, then my guess would be that it is an adulterant. If it doesn't then maybe just a sign of poor refining.
faj
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Sun Dec 06, 2020 3:16 pm

wave_code wrote:
Sun Dec 06, 2020 2:04 pm
are both teas from the same factory?
Same vendor, cannot tell about the factory.
mbanu wrote:
Sun Dec 06, 2020 2:26 pm
Was this in the brewed leaves or the dry leaves?
The first I noticed in the dry leaves. The other one I noticed after rinsing the leaves, because I shook the pot to spread and smell the leaves, and it made a sound against the wall of the teapot. It only spent a few seconds in hot water, but it did not seem to readily dissolve, at least.
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pedant
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Sun Dec 06, 2020 4:12 pm

haha

it's not intentionally added. just random debris.

ever seen two pebbles that look alike? :mrgreen:

but if you really want your mind blown, go outside and look at pebbles on the ground. you'll see that they're actually all identical. we live in a simulation. (just kidding) 🛸

edit: if you find a third unusual looking pebble, post a pic. i'm curious now.
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Stephen
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Mon Dec 07, 2020 12:29 am

@wave_code exactly! my least favorite find was a cigarette butt that i found after emptying a teapot that i fully steeped. it was so compressed in the brick that i didn't even notice it!
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mrmopu
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Mon Dec 07, 2020 5:50 am

Stephen wrote:
Sun Dec 06, 2020 12:56 pm
I think someone once referred to stuff like that as a "bonus prize." Was that you mrmopu?

Probably some bit of rock, cement or dirt from processing. I prefer those to the chicken feathers, hairs or cigarette butts that I've found before :shock:
Yeah probably. Either that or unexpected treasure! :mrgreen:
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Baisao
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Fri Dec 11, 2020 2:30 am

My dad referred to misc debris in food and beverages as “flavor crystals”. It was a riff on a silly product fad in the 80s to advertise beverages as having “flavor crystals” rather than just, well, flavor.

So yeah, cigarette butts, a human tooth, hair, a stone: flavor crystals!
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Stephen
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Fri Dec 11, 2020 2:42 pm

Flavor crystals, treasures...a prize in every cake :mrgreen:

@Baisao A tooth! Oh my. You found that??
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Baisao
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Fri Dec 11, 2020 2:55 pm

Stephen wrote:
Fri Dec 11, 2020 2:42 pm
Flavor crystals, treasures...a prize in every cake :mrgreen:

Baisao A tooth! Oh my. You found that??
The tooth may be urban legend but that’s what I’ve heard. Like a Cracker Jack prize!
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Stephen
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Fri Dec 11, 2020 8:35 pm

Baisao wrote:
Fri Dec 11, 2020 2:55 pm
The tooth may be urban legend but that’s what I’ve heard. Like a Cracker Jack prize!
Haha. Yes, I was thinking of Cracker Jacks. My prizes include cigarette butts, rocks, chicken feathers, hair, corn, dead bugs, dried mushroom, and plastic bag threads. No teeth thankfully. That's where I draw the line!
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belewfripp
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Mon Feb 22, 2021 4:03 pm

I didn't want to start a new Topic as I figured people find odd debris in aged/compressed tea on a not infrequent basis, but I don't see a dedicated thread and this seems to be the most-recent and also the one that devolved the most into a general commentary on "Cracker Jack prizes" found in hei cha of various kinds.

This morning I was testing some new teaware and water recipes with a tea I know pretty well, the 2002 Yiwu Huangpian from white2tea. I bought the brick knowing that I may find foreign objects within, as it states so right in the description. It therefore hasn't been a surprise to find some...things...while drinking an otherwise decent tea.

However, this morning's surprise was more interesting as, after decompressing a flattened pink object, roughly the size of a fingernail, it became clear it was filled with white powder of some kind. Curious if anyone has any thoughts here? I obviously ditched the object and the powder. Part of me thinks it's probably just an old pixie stick, part of me thinks someone in the factory was doing lines...part of me says it's ok to keep drinking the tea and part of me is significantly more freaked than if it were a nail or hair or piece of gravel.

I have attached photos with the object, decompressed and minus foreign substance, next to a pen cap (which to my dismay I notice is chewed) for reference. Any reassurances that I'm probably not going to die of an accidental cocaine overdose very much welcome :lol:
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