World's Priciest Tea Made Using Truly Gross Ingredient

Wildlife expert plans to use panda poo to make $36K-per-pound tea
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 15, 2011 10:18 AM CST
World's Priciest Tea Made Using Truly Gross Ingredient
Is this panda's rear a goldmine?   (Getty Images)

If you thought the world's most expensive coffee was disgustingly weird, you haven't seen anything yet: A wildlife expert in China is trying to make the world's priciest tea. The costly ingredient? Panda poop. An Yanshi plans to use the feces he has collected from a panda breeding center in Sichuan province as fertilizer, believing that it will impart a singular aroma. "Pandas have a very poor digestive system and only absorb about 30% of everything they eat," he explains. "That means their excrement is rich in fiber and nutrients."

It's also just plain rich—or can be. Yanshi plans to sell the resulting tea for up to $36,000 a pound, reports Australia's Daily Telegraph. What do you get for your money? "It has a mature, nutty taste and a very distinctive aroma while it's brewing." It's apparently not yet ready for sale. (More panda stories.)

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