Yunnan Puerh

A lovely introduction to this ancient Chinese tea: smooth, very earthy, with a rich flavor and aroma. Brews up black as sin.

Ingredients:
Southwest China Puerh, peppermint, clove and licorice root.

Puerh is an aged black tea from China prized for its medicinal properties and earthy flavor. Puerh is the only deliberately aged tea. In theory: the older it is the better and the more valuable it is. It is rich, earthy, and can be very strong. Puerh has active bacteria that interact with the leaf (much like yogurt) and deepen the flavor of the tea.

Hot tea brewing method:
Traditional Method:
Measure 1 tsp. of tea to 6 oz of water. Pour 208-212 degree water over the leaves, and steep for 10-20 seconds. Pour off the water. This is called rinsing the leaves. It removes impurities and allows the leaves to begin opening. Pour in another 6 oz of 208-212 degree water, steep about 30 seconds and serve. The same leaves can be re-steeped in a similar fashion 4-8 times, perhaps adding 15-30 seconds to each steeping time.

Western Method:
Many westerners prefer a stronger brew. Using the same proportions of tea and the same water temperature, Puerh can be brewed almost indefinitely: five minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, even 50 minutes. When Puerh is steeped a long time it can become as full-bodied and dark as coffee, but it never turns bitter, acidic, or astringent. It just gets stronger, thicker, fuller, and sometimes sweeter. This is a very untraditional preparation method.