Watch outPolyester is routinely sold as silk at silk prices. Real silk burns to ash and smells of hair; synthetics melt into a bead. Ask the seller to test a thread.
Best time: Daily; the pre-Qingming harvest in late March and early April is the prized one
Cost: Mid–Luxury
Tip: Ask to see and smell the dry leaf and to taste before buying. Price varies enormously by picking date, and the difference is real.
Watch outTea from other provinces is sold as Longjing throughout the area, and roadside 'farmers' flagging down cars are usually resellers. Buy inside the village from a shop with a name.
