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So, I heard about this “Wuhan Sea Selection Tea Tasting” event, and thought, okay, let’s see what this is all about. Sounded kinda official, maybe a good place to actually find some decent leaves, you know? Not just the usual stuff you get everywhere.
Getting Started with the “Sea Selection”
I actually went down there. First impression? Crowded. Like, really crowded. They called it a “sea selection,” and it felt like wading through a sea of people before you even got near any tea. My plan was to be methodical, really taste and compare. I prepared a little notebook, ready to jot down my thoughts, the aroma, the aftertaste, the whole shebang.
The setup was basically rows and rows of tables. Each table had a bunch of teas, sometimes just numbered, sometimes with a fancy name I’d never heard of. You moved from one to the next. The idea, I guess, was to quickly sift through a massive number of options. They poured small cups, you sipped, you thought (or tried to), and then you moved on.
The Thick of It: Tasting and Trying to Keep Track
After the first ten or so, things started to get a bit blurry. My palate was getting overwhelmed. I was trying my best to cleanse my palate between sips, you know, with water, but it’s tough when you’re just bombarded. Some teas were clearly duds. Others were okay. A few actually made me pause and take a second sip.
It wasn’t just about the tea, either. It was the whole process. You had to be quick. There were other people pushing, trying to get their taste. It felt less like a discerning tasting session and more like a free-for-all at a buffet. I watched some folks who seemed to be “pros,” they had their own little spitting cups and looked very serious. Me? I was just struggling to keep my notes straight. My notebook started looking like a mess of scribbles and question marks.
- Drank probably fifty tiny cups of tea in the first hour.
- Tried to talk to some of the vendors or organizers, but they were mostly busy.
- Felt my initial enthusiasm sort of drain away with each new, often mediocre, sample.
You see, the reason I was even putting myself through this whole ordeal wasn’t just for kicks. My old Aunt Mei, bless her heart, she’s got this thing for tea. But she’s so particular, it’s insane. She’d sent me on this quest, like, “Find me something new, something amazing from Wuhan.” She heard about this “sea selection” and got it in her head that this was the holy grail. So, the pressure was on. I couldn’t just walk away after a few sips. I had to really try.
The “Selection” Process and What I Found
The “selection” part of it felt a bit like a lottery. You’d taste something, and if you liked it, you could, I guess, inquire more? Or maybe it was for bigger buyers, not for a random guy like me looking for a gift for his aunt. It was all a bit vague. Lots of tea, not a lot of clear information or guidance for the casual taster. It was a real hodgepodge, some good, some bad, some just… there. Kind of like when you try to fix something with whatever tools you have lying around, and it sort of works, but it ain’t pretty.
I spent a good few hours there. I tasted more tea than I thought humanly possible. My tongue felt like sandpaper. Did I find that “amazing” new tea for Aunt Mei? Well, I picked out a couple that seemed promising, or at least, less offensive than the others. I bought small packets of them, mostly to show I made an effort.
Honestly, the whole “Wuhan Sea Selection Tea Tasting” felt more like a test of endurance than a refined tea experience. I walked out of there with a caffeine buzz that could wake the dead and a feeling that sometimes, too much choice is just too much. Maybe Aunt Mei will like what I got. Or maybe she’ll send me on another wild goose chase next year. Who knows?