Pu Erh Shu 2016

Pu erh Shu Cha. Yunnan, China. Lin Cang District.
Harvest 2016.

Coming from wild tea trees aged 50-80 years.

100g cakes

Pu erh Shu, is characterized by a post-fermentation and maturation of the cakes induced to accelerate the very slow times that we find instead in pu erh Sheng.
Pu erh Shu is an innovation from the '80s when the demand for Pu Erh exploded due to the antioxidant and fat-burning properties that this tea possesses.
But before the '80s, pu erh was only Sheng, that is, raw; teas that matured over time and refined their taste over the years and decades. A bit like wines.
To try to achieve the sweet and delicate notes of vintage pu erh Sheng, China invented a method of accelerated maturation that gives life to pu erh Shu. So unlike Sheng, Shu does not mature over time and does not refine its taste.
They have the same properties but the taste is different.

A good Pu erh is the careful work of wisdom, experience, and observation. This tea should be prepared according to the gong fu cha method, which involves small repeated infusions with the same leaves, of short duration with a greater quantity of leaves. Before proceeding with the infusion, the leaves should be rinsed with hot water. The best teapots for Pu erh gong fu cha are the Yixing.

Our Pu Erh Shu is a harvest from 2016, its notes recall the forest and tobacco, the autumn leaves in the forest.
 

HOW TO PREPARE A PU ERH

1. To prepare a Pu Erh teapot, first break the cake, this can be done with a knife, preferably with the Pu Erh knife. Obtain a piece of about 4-5g for a 200ml teapot. Try not to fragment the cake too much.
2. Heat the teapot with hot water which will then be discarded. This serves to heat the teapot and prepare it for infusion.
3. Insert the tea into the teapot and infuse for 10-15 seconds, then discard.
   This is the rinsing of the leaves which serves to open them and remove impurities and more bitter notes.
4. Proceed with the actual tea infusion which should not exceed 60 seconds.
5. After the first infusion, leave the leaves in the teapot (without water) for the following infusions.
   The second one is generally short (45-60 seconds) the following ones become gradually longer.
   Multiple infusions should be done in the same day, otherwise the tea oxidizes.

This infusion method follows the principles of gong fu cha, in which the quantity of tea in the teapot is increased and the infusion times are reduced. Its goal is to extract the best taste notes from the leaves.

Are you curious to discover other fantastic flavors of Chinese teas? Visit the page dedicated to these precious products from the East.