Shanghai people has a tea-leaf consumption of 800 grams per capita every year, and the total amount in Shanghai tops 10,000 tons a year, with the number quadrupling from ten years ago, eastday.com reported today.

Shanghai has become the largest tea-leaf consumption and circulation center in East China area.

More and more Shanghai people like to buy top grade tea-leaves, which triggers the surge of the tea-leaf prices. The top grade Longjing tea was only sold at 32 yuan (US$3.9) every 500 grams ten years ago, and the price has surged to 1,500 yuan now, or increasing 46 times. However, the tea-leaf market is still booming, especially for the high-end products, with the price of Longjing New Tea up 10 percent this year from the year before.

Tea leaves have specified restrictions in location, and season, and even the same kind of tea leaves have different quality, which reflecting in prices, said an insider. The Longjing tea, Shanghaiese's most favorite, has the top products in Meijiawu, much better than that produced in other areas of Zhejiang province, said he.

The high-end Longjing tea has been pasted the anti-bogus bar code this year.

(Eastday.com 04/04/2001)