What is Pu-erh Tea?

Welcome to the magical and mysterious world of puerh - a post -fermented "tea of happiness" that is meticulously crafted and aged, characterized by its unique flavor. Puerh is often found in pressed brick, birds nest (tuo) or disc form (bing) - traditional shapes that herald back hundreds of years to the times of the Tea Horse Road, when tea porters would carry their weight in tea by foot across mountain passes, trading tea for Tibetan ponies.

Good quality Puerh tea is made from the large leaf tea variety of Camellia sinensis var. Assamica  that grow in wild tea tree arbors in the high mountains of China’s Yunnan Province, far away from any industry and pollution. The oldest living tea tree is believed to be over 3,000 years old and living in Lincang county. The tribal people of the area revere it as a living ancestor.

Puerh tea made from wild old arbor tea trees are reputed to be more potent, containing strong Qi (translated as "life energy" or "life force") that boosts the blood flow and helps the body's circulation.

There are two main types of puerh tea – raw (sheng or “green”), and ripe (shou or “cooked” ).  Properly crafted and aged puerh can be as varied and complex as fine vintage wines, replete with ‘terroir’ and nuance. Many pu-erh aficionados find supreme enjoyment in the exploration, contemplation of this tasty brew.

Raw puerh tea is prepared from tea leaves that are briefly wilted then sundried into ‘maocha’ before being pressed into cakes or bricks. Over time, natural microbial activity changes its chemical constitution and it can take up to 5-15 years – some say 20 years – before the tea fully integrates. In Yunnan, sheng pu is often drunk young, even the current year's vintage! Flavors may include bitter, astringent, grassy, floral, fruit, camphor, honey, straw, smokey and most often, layered and delightfully complex. Raw pu-erh is stimulating, full of "chaqi" (life force energy), elevating to the spirit and best drink after a meal. New processing techniques are creating sheng puerh’s that do not need extensive aging and are ready to drink within a couple years time. In Chinese Medicine, raw pu-erh is considered “cooling” to the system.

Ripe puerh is prepared with the same leaves as a raw puerh but instead is piled high, undergoing a fermentation process that could last up to 60 days before the leaves are packed into cakes or bricks. Ripe puerh is usually characterized by pronounced earthy notes of mushrooms, dirt, wood, tobacco or moss. Dark chocolate, leather, tar, honey, camphor, cream, rose or sweet jujube date flavors and aromas are also common in shou puerh. It is usually much darker in color and less caffeinated than Raw Puerh. If sheng pu is "yang", shu pu is "yin" and often enjoyed for it's grounding, calming and centering effects. Ripe puerh is said to be warming to the stomach and spleen channels in Chinese Medicine thereby aiding in digestion.
 
PREPARING PU-ERH TEA:

Puerh can be prepared in a few different ways. In Yunnan Province, it is common practice to boil the leaves and strain before drinking. It is very popular nowadays, however, to prepare pu-erh in the traditional Gongfu style of Guangdong, China (see our Brewing below), using small, porous Yixing clay pots and pouring multiple infusions. Puerh can also be enjoyed European style with 5-7 grams of tea in a pot covered with boiling water, left to steep for 5-10 minutes.

Some things to consider when preparing pu-erh:

*5-7 Grams of tea, or about the size of a quarter makes about 3-4 cups of puerh, depending on desired strength
*Use purified spring water only, whenever possible
*Generally, cover the tea with boiling water for the best infusion -  starting with steeping for 15 seconds, and up to 10 minutes in later infusions, depending on vessel and to taste.
* Jasmine blossoms, organic rose buds, chrysanthemum, lavender herbs are nice additions to puerh in small amounts.
*Purple Bud and “Lao Tou Cha” (tea nugget puerh) are more concentrated than other puerh; try using less.

One could spend a lifetime learning the art of making tea.
Tea sage, Yu Lu, wrote a book about the intricacies of making a perfect cup called the Cha Ching or the Classic of Tea, and dedicated 24 implements for the making of tea. Yet tea embodies the spirit of simplicity; all that is needed to make a beautiful cup is premium quality tea leaves, a peaceful mind and pure spring water heated to proper temperature.

Teaware is not only a matter of aesthetics, but is considered an important element in tea preparation. In the Gongfu style of tea preparation, a clay or porcelain tea pot or gaiwan is used for the ultimate contemplation of the many layers and nuance premium teas are known for.

BREWING GUIDE:

WHITE TEA  1-2 T per cup  water at 175F    steep 3-4 minutes
GREEN TEA  1 T per cup    water at 180F    steep 3-4 minutes
JAPANESE GREEN TEA    1T per cup    water 160-180F    steep 2-3 minutes 
ROLLED OOLONG    1t per cup    water 190-200F    steep 2-4 minutes
LOOSE OOLONG    1T per cup    water 190-200F    steep 2-4 minutes
BLACK OR 'HONG' TEA    2t per cup   water Boiling    steep 3-5 minutes
PUERH TEA    2t per cup    water Boiling    steep 3-6 minutes
HERBAL TEA    1T per cup    water Boiling    steep 4-5 minutes

Water  -  Spring or well water is best. avoid tap and distilled water if possible
Our instructions are only general guidelines - please experiment with steeping times, water
temperature and amount of leaves for your ultimate enjoyment.

To decrease caffeine levels, flash rinse the tea by pouring hot water over the leaves,
let sit for 3-5 seconds, then pour the tea water off. This serves to clean and loosen the tea as well.
Wait 30 seconds to a minute and take a moment to enjoy the aroma before proceeding

BREWING TEA GONGFU STYLE:

Weigh 5-7 grams of tea - about a quarter size - for a small pot or gaiwan.
Bring water to appropriate temperature.
Flash rinse tea (see above). Wait one minute for leaves to open up; enjoy aroma.
Pour boiling water over tea leaves and let steep for 7-10 seconds; strain and serve.
For successive brews, increase steeping times according to taste, adding time gradually.
White, green and oolong teas can be brewed up to 5-8 times; puerh 8-20 times.

Ingredients:

100% young raw/sheng Pu'erh Tea

Size:

100 grams. Twelve squares to a bar.

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