About Pu'erh
"Pu-erh tea
is a post-oxidized tea that is mainly sourced from the Yunnan province
of China. The tea is commonly aged for several years to develop
complex flavor characteristics. Pu-erh tea is a true tea made from the
large leaves of the Camellia sinensis tea plant. Pu-erh tea is most
commonly made from the Assamica variety of the tea plant. The leaves
are harvested and then separated depending on which type of pu-erh tea
they will become. There are two types of pu-erh teas: raw pu-erh
(Sheng) and ripe pu-erh (Shou). Raw pu-erh is made from green tea
leaves that are harvested, roasted, sun-dried, and steamed for
compression into cakes and balls. The tea cakes are then aged to
further develop flavor. Pu-erh tea is unique from oolong tea and black
tea as the oxidation occurs because of bacteria rather than due to
enzymes in the leaves. The production process of pu-erh tea is known
as shai qing mao cha. Ripe pu-erh leaves are made from black tea
leaves..."
-
Read more at Sencha Tea Bar
Back to Top
How It's Made
Discover the careful process followed to make this popular drink
Steep Tips
-
Step 1
Take either your tuocha, (smaller premade cylinder for a few servings), desired about off of your Pu'erh brick, or, for leaves, about 2 tsp per cup for a strong steep; 1 tsp for a light steep. One Tuocha should be able to be resteeped 4-5 times.
-
Step 2
Heat some water (purified for best results) to about 200℉. Take your mug and pour some of the heated water into it to prep the cup for optimal steeping. Reheat the water again in case the temperature fell.
-
Step 3
Finally you can start steeping the tea!
Take your tea, either place it in a small tea strainer for individual or smaller servings (i.e. this, , this, or this);
or, put it into a steeping pot that has a strainer on top already. Let it steep for at least 5 minutes, but not more than 10 minutes. It really depends on your tastes, and if you steep it longer the first time, your next steep will be weaker.
-
Step 4
If it's in a mug infuser, or detachable infuser, take out the tea infuser and place it on a dish to the side. If it is in a pot with a fixed strainer, either remove the leaves immediately to save for another steep, or pour out all of the contents directly.
