Tuesday 20 March 2012

Chinese Man Grows World's Most Expensive Tea from Panda Dung


Written by Anil Singh
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You can say two things for sure for any Fad product – a product which is believed to be exclusive in nourishment or taste AND sells at high prices – One, it’s produced in extremely small quantities AND second, it boasts of a certain ingredient in its creation process, which surprises everyone.

Take this for instance, a Former calligraphy teacher in China, An Yanshi, who has been cultivating a special green tea that is grown almost exclusively in the excrement (dung) of the Giant Pandas.

But before you get too excited about trying a cup of this exotic brew, consider the price—about $1,500 - $3,000 per pound (or Rs 75000-1,50,000 per 422 grams). Just exactly how much you pay depends on the grade. The first harvest in early spring will be the priciest and most prized by tea lovers. Watch the video below:




Interesting Facts:

According to An Yanshi, Panda Tea Creator, Panda dung makes for an excellent organic fertilizer, because Pandas only absorb about 30% of the nutrients from the food they consume, which leaves the other 70% left in the feces and available to nurture plant life. That apart, Pandas eat a diet composed exclusively of wild bamboo.

In An Yanshi’s far, only one panda is helping him grow world’s most expensive teas. Just like elephants, whose digestive and absorption abilities are not good; Pandas too keep on eating most of the time they are awake. Thei routine is just the same as elephants, keep eating and keep producing feces. In short they are like a machine that is churning out organic fertilizer.

The limited first batch of tea grown from panda dung is the most expensive. The next most expensive type would be the premium tea collected from the second picking to before the Qingming Festival. They would be sold for around 20,000 yuan (3,165 U.S. dollars or Rs 1,50,000) per 500 grams. Tea collected after the Tomb Festival would be sold at around 10,000 yuan (1,582 U.S. dollars or Rs 75,000) per 500 grams. But still, these prices are not considered expensive as compared to organic tea sold in China.


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