Talk:24 flavors

Confusing
This article is confusingly written. Is this a brand name, a nickname for a particular type of tea made from a specific species (like 五味子)? Badagnani 17:38, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
 * This is merely a stub for future tea experts. I hope more people chip into this article.  To my knowledge this one is not a brand name.  Benjwong 18:10, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

Romanizations
Romanizations should not be hidden in the box. The yellow and green bars clash horribly with the blue. Badagnani 17:40, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

The romanizations still should not be hidden in the box. Also, the yellow and green bars clash horribly with the blue. Badagnani 03:34, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Region
Is it from Guangzhou or Hong Kong? Is it used by people in other parts of China (i.e. not Cantonese)? Badagnani 18:32, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

More ingredients
Are these accurate? (From http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/tarot-cat/article?mid=303)


 * 廿四味
 * 涼茶是粵港民間常用治療輕微不適的複方劑, 配方多為土產草藥, 性味辛苦寒涼, 故稱為廣東涼茶. 40, 50年代香港醫療制度沒有今天的完善, 勞苦大眾多以便宜的涼茶作主要保健飲品或治療藥物, 做就了涼茶業的全盛時代. 而涼茶既要針對廣大不同病證, 同時要有療效, 所以動輒會用上十多廿味組成. 例如有解表的; 化濕利尿的, 清熱解毒的, 健胃消滯的, 涼血等等. 市面上廿四味味數可由十多味至廿七八味不等.其中苦梅根，相思藤，水翁花，布渣葉，救必應，黃牛茶及鴨腳木為主要原料


 * 1)崗梅根
 * Ilex asprella


 * 2)金櫻根
 * Rosa laevigata


 * 3)布渣葉
 * Microcos nervosa


 * 4)黃牛茶
 * Cratoxylon ligustrinum


 * 5)金錢草
 * Desmodium styracifolium


 * 6)水翁花
 * Cleistocalyx operculatus


 * 7)苦瓜桿
 * Momordica charantia


 * 8)鴨腳皮
 * Schefflera heptaphylla


 * 9)木患根
 * Sapindus mukorossii


 * 10)九節茶
 * Sarcandra glabra


 * 11)山芝麻
 * Helicteres angustifolia


 * 12)火炭母
 * Polygonum chinense


 * 13)冬桑葉
 * Morus alba


 * 14)相思藤
 * Abrus precatorius


 * 15)救必應
 * Ilex rotunda


 * 16)露兜根
 * Pandanus tectorius


 * 17)五指柑
 * Vitex cannabifolia


 * 18)三椏苦
 * Evodia lepta


 * 19)千層紙
 * Oroxylum indicum


 * 20)地膽頭
 * Elephantopus scaber


 * 21)葫蘆茶
 * Pteroloma triquetrum


 * 22)白茅根
 * Imperata cylindrica


 * 23)淡竹葉
 * Lophatherum gracile


 * 24)海金沙
 * Lygodium japonicum


 * 25)蔓荊子
 * Vitex trifolia


 * 26)青蒿
 * Artemisia scoparia


 * 27)荷葉
 * Nelumbo nucifera


 * 28)野葛根
 * Pueraria lobata


 * 29)蒲公英
 * Taraxacum officinale


 * 30)蘆根
 * Phragmites karka

Badagnani 18:27, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
 * If you want to throw it in the article, feel free. It's a starting point.  Even people I know who have drank this enough times in the past aren't exactly sure about the ingredients or why the name stopped at 24. Benjwong 19:22, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

The ingredients of this one are quite different than those given in the zh:Wikipedia article, so this may just be one idiosyncratic recipe. Badagnani 20:22, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

Rename?
I think the unofficial rule is to use British spelling in Hong Kong-related articles. Plus, the name is really a proper name. So I suggest we move the article name to "24 Flavours" or "Twenty-Four Flavours". Opinions? Hong Qi Gong (Talk - Contribs) 04:53, 9 August 2007 (UTC)


 * How do you know it's a proper name? It seems to me there are various "home brew" versions of this and the number of ingredients vary widely. Badagnani 04:54, 9 August 2007 (UTC)


 * Err... It's a proper name because that's the name of the drink...?  I've never heard the term used as an adjective to describe a drink.  This is not like Curry chicken, where the term is formed from "chicken" that is "curry".  But I suppose it's not a big deal whether or not we capitalise the "f".  How about using British spelling though?  To be honest, my most preferred name would actually be the Cantonese romanisation of 廿四味, (Yeh sei mei).  It should be noted that the name specifically does not use 二十四, and instead uses 廿四, which is more slang-like in Cantonese.  It's indicative of the drink having very folksy origin.  Hong Qi Gong (Talk - Contribs) 05:10, 9 August 2007 (UTC)


 * Is it a Chinese classic herbal formula, then? I agree with you that if the English name isn't generally used or known, then the better known Cantonese name should be used. How does it appear on packaging when given in roman letters? We wouldn't call Shou Wu Chih "leading black liquid extract," for example, as it is known as "Shou Wu Chih" in English-speaking areas (because that's what it says on the package, in roman letters). It would be good to get more input from the other editors interested in Chinese/Cantonese/Hong Kong topics. Badagnani 05:20, 9 August 2007 (UTC)


 * Could we examine some photos of this via Google, to see how the name is given? Badagnani 05:23, 9 August 2007 (UTC)

Packaging? I've never seen this drink packaged. I've only had it at traditional herbal drink shops in HK. And I've never seen an English name for the drink, at least not in real life. Hong Qi Gong (Talk - Contribs) 01:01, 10 August 2007 (UTC)


 * It's always best to search 1 search 2 as well as rely on personal experience. If no romanized name is common (as Shou Wu Chih) has, then I'd support moving to the well known Cantonese name (ya sei mei?). Is this tea also common and well known in non-Cantonese-speaking regions? If so, which regions?  Badagnani 01:33, 10 August 2007 (UTC)
 * Really not sure if the drink is common or popular with non-Cantonese Chinese. I didn't click on all those images you found, did you notice any English names on them?  Hong Qi Gong (Talk - Contribs) 02:18, 10 August 2007 (UTC)


 * The packaging seems 100% in Chinese. Badagnani 02:46, 10 August 2007 (UTC)

I checked with someone who has seen this on the street in English as "24 flavours". Perhaps we should move the page as such. Benjwong 02:40, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

You mean to add a "u"? I didn't find anything online in English so I think the Chinese name is prevalent, as this item seems unknown in English-speaking regions. Badagnani 02:48, 9 September 2007 (UTC)
 * I think HongQiGong meant "24 Flavours" as in the British spelling. Benjwong 03:22, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

That's what I said when I asked "you mean to add a 'u'?" But I don't think this item uses an English name prevalently, or is known in English, so it should probably be titled under its Cantonese or Mandarin name (whichever is more prevalently used in regions with Chinese populations who use it). Badagnani 03:25, 9 September 2007 (UTC)
 * There is no point in using a pinyin name if English names have been used in the real world/outside encyclopedia. With or without the "u" I really have no preference as long as it is "24 flavXXXX" . Benjwong 03:41, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

I really don't think it's called in English prevalently and haven't seen any evidence to that effect. Thus, like Siu mei, Shaomai, or Wonton, I'd advocate using the most prevalent name among Chinese people (whether Cantonese or Mandarin). Badagnani 03:43, 9 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Using Siu mei, shaomei, wonton as examples, if there were anything close to a real English name I would consider using it. Problem is that they have loose names like BBQ meat and shrimp dumplings, those cannot be legit.  But 24 flavors (English) is really used in the streets according this person I was talking to.  Benjwong 03:53, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Among all those, we see them spelled in roman letters like that on menus. The only one that could be anglicized is probably siu mei (Cantonese barbecue or Cantonese roasted meats), though I wouldn't advocate that. I'd still like to see evidence that "24 flavors" is a widely used and well known name in English and not just a very rare example someone found somewhere. Badagnani 03:55, 9 September 2007 (UTC)
 * This tea is rare enough to begin with. You're not going to find much of a consensus outside maybe a few people. Anyhow I trust this person way more than any search engine on food subjects.  At least I'll say that much in all honesty. Benjwong 04:34, 9 September 2007 (UTC)