Nov 13
Lynn’s Teaview Snapshot
 | "As I sipped my tea, waiting for the third pot to steep, I found myself wondering how on earth anyone ever came up with the process that produces pu-erh? Why did that seem like a good idea? It’s like the first person to eat a lobster. Was it on a dare?"
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9/10
According to the Drink the Leaf website, Pu-erh tea comes from Yunnan, China, is initially produced into either green or black tea, pile-fermented with controlled moisture and temperature levels, and then aged. The leaves are then either pressed into dense cakes or left loose. The tea at hand is of the latter sort. According to a Chinese friend of mine, pu-erh is very good for weight loss and upset stomachs.The light colored leaves aren’t exactly golden, at least not the gold I would associate with a Yunnan Gold, but they are lighter in color than many pu-erhs I’ve seen. Dry, they have an earthy, vaguely sour smell, rather like mulch. Following the purveyor’s instructions, I brewed one and a half teaspoons of the leaves in six ounces of 212F water for five minutes, and was rewarded with a dark, rich, red tea with an earthy fragrance. The flavor followed suit, very earthy, very rich, and quite smooth. While there was no mistaking that this is a pu-erh, it was mellower than some others I’ve sampled, with overtones of wood and tannin. It had pull, and a mild bitterness in the aftertaste that was not at all unpleasant. It left a bit of a tingle, too, that lasted for some time as I brewed the second cup. Really, this is a particularly nice pu-erh.
I returned to the pot for a second steeping. The wet leaves smelled like—well, wet leaves! And also like plant roots, mushrooms, and freshly disturbed soil. (And I say that as someone who grew up playing in the Maine woods) Really, is there anything in the world that embodies the word ‘earthy’ better than pu-erh tea? A five minute steeping yielded an equally robust cup in every way: rich, smooth, earthy, and astringent. I noted that that tea smelled like leaves now, and that the wet leaves smell like roots. Interesting juxtaposition.
As I sipped my tea, waiting for the third pot to steep, I found myself wondering how on earth anyone ever came up with the process that produces pu-erh? Why did that seem like a good idea? It’s like the first person to eat a lobster. Was it on a dare? But I digress. The third cup was a bit lighter in color, and smoother than the previous two, while sacrificing little in the way of flavor.
And all that from a mere teaspoon and a half of leaves. This tea is not only an outstanding drink, but an economical one, as well. Highly recommended!
— To purchase Drink the Leaf Golden Pu-erh, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.
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November 13th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Puerh was first produced by fermenting on its own during journeys to take it far away and sell it on the Tea Horse Road. The Chinese simply recreated what happened naturally when people decided it could be quite appealing.
November 13th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Thank you Jason! That certainly makes perfect sense.
November 13th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
That sounds lovely. I am replete with tea currently–I went on a biying binge when the royalty check came in–but I will bear this in mind for later.
November 13th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
But what better use for royalties, eh?