Puer Shu (ripe) Tea with Jasmine Mini Tuocha

The Puer Shu (ripe) Tea with Jasmine Mini Tuocha has a shape that may look unusual to us but it is quite a common thing in China and it is called Tuo. This word means bowl in Chinese and it describes the form assumed by the leaves of this tea after being pressed together.

The benefits of this shape are: obtaining and easy to carry product, providing a single dose of tea ready to brew and, above all, guarantee to the puer the best conditions to age and, so, going on to mature its flavors.

The Tuo, because of its advantages, is also produced in other sizes a way bigger than the one of this product. You can even find Tuo that weight a kilo or more.

In order to better understand this product, it is necessary to investigate the area of origin of its leaves as, in most cases, it is the place of origin itself that gives the tea its name and main organoleptic qualities.

This puer is specifically made by an harvest coming from the mountain area around the Menghai city in the West part of Autonomous Prefecture of Xishaungbanna, at the South of Yunnan.

In addition to the camelia’s leaves, during the pressing process of the Puer Shu (ripe) Tea with Jasmine Mini Tuocha, there is an addition of dried jasmine flowers that are one of the classic natural element used in China to scent a product.

The expression of these two elements in the tea firstly reveals on the palate an herbal flavor with a slight floral presence due to the jasmine and, then, the typical earthy and woody taste of the shu puer. Here, in particular, it will be really interesting to notice how the fermented camelia’s leaves influence the jasmine scent perception during the tasting.

In fact you’ll be able to recognize the flowery aroma only in the late sips where it will mange to stand upon the woody and full-bodied profile gives by the shu. It’s quite interesting to follow the flavors interactions in this scented version of shu puer because it can help you to take familiarity with this specific kind of tea characterized by a general strong and persistent taste.

We invite you to taste other scented product of us like the Puer Sheng (raw) Tea with Chrysanthemum Mini Tuocha.

Place of origin

Menghai County, Yunnan – China

Production

After the harvest the leaves of the Puer Shu (ripe) Tea with Jasmine Mini Tuocha whither under the sunlight for a certain period of time depending on the tea masters evaluations before going into the “killing of the green” phase which is similar to the practice adopted for green teas.

In this case, however, the leaves are heated in the iron wok with a lower temperature than the usual standards for a green tea so it is possible to preserve some enzymes capable of changing the the taste of the tea through the time.

Once cooked, the leaves are taken in large quantities and stacked to form large piles. The vegetable mass thus arranged is then moistened and covered with cloths in order to retain heat and to start the fermentation process. The producer here have to move and wet constantly the leaves in order to achieve an homogeneous fermentation on all the vegetal mass.

Once this process is completed, which can last from 20 to 70 days, the leaves are spread and left in contact with air so that the microorganisms responsible for the fermentation dry up and die leaving the finished product. Once here, one can (eventually) proceed to press the puer in order to give it the best conditions to be transported and aged.

To press the leaves mixed with the Jasmine flowers, the producer exposes a certain quantity of the product to a strong steam jet for few seconds in order softened the vegetal mass and then wrap all up in a kind of sock or sac to imprint the final, usually discoid, form.

To maintain the desired shape the sac is put under an heavy stones for several hours or under a mechanical press while the leaves loose the residual moisture caused by the steam in the previous phase.

Brewing instructions for the Puer Shu (ripe) Tea with Jasmine Mini Tuocha

We invite you to brew the Puer Shu (ripe) Tea with Jasmine Mini Tuocha in the traditional Chinese style (Gong Fu Cha) with a Gaiwan of an approximate capacity of 100 ml. Following this brewing technique you can, with two Tuo, do multiple infusions and have the most complete tasting experience of your tea.

After a brief rinse of the leaves in water at a temperature of 100°C you can do a first infusion of 20 seconds and, after that, maintaining the same water temperature, you can continue to push the product rising up the previous steeping time of 5 seconds (20 – 25 – 30…).

In order to have a more traditional brew in the Western style we suggest to steep one Tuo for one minute and an half, using water at a temperature of 100°C in a mug with an approximate capacity of 150 ml.

For a better tasting experience we suggest to filter the infuse as close as possible to the proper steeping time indication. The brewing time recommendations, however, can also be slightly adjust by your personal taste in order to obtain a strong or more delicate cup of tea.

Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.

Benefits of Puer Shu Tea (ripe)

The Puer Shu (ripe) Teas give and infuse quite helpful to reduce the fullness feeling after heavy meals. This is possible thanks to some substances that develop naturally in the leaves during the fermenting phase in the processing.

These teas from Yunnan, because of their taste and body, are also capable of suggesting a pleasant warm feeling, great to go through the cold seasons and also inducing a relaxed mood.

The Puer Shu (ripe) Teas, moreover, have a low content of caffeine, so, they are easy to drink every time during the day.