How to choose and how to brew pu-erh in tablets

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

In our country, tea has long been a national drink. The Russians also fell in love with exotic pu-erh tea. Reviews about it can be heard very different: someone just enjoys the unusual taste, someone takes it as a cure for many diseases, and someone even tries to lose weight with it. In any case, pu-erh is actively entering our lives. The purpose of this article is to talk about its features, how to choose the right tea, how to brew pu-erh in tablets, as well as the nuances of making loose and pressed tea.

How to choose pu-erh

1. If you do not have much experience in choosing tea, it is best to contact a connoisseur who is well versed in this matter. But when this is not possible, you need to pay attention to the year of manufacture and the name of the plant that manufactured the product. Today, tea varieties produced in China in the 80s of the 20th century are especially popular. Factories "Xiangguan-Chaguang", "Kunming-Chaguang", "Menghai-Chaguang", "Lincang-Chaguang" are known for their responsible attitude to the production process and attention to tea aging.
2. Look at the lookpressed tea. Pu-erh of many years of aging should have a red-brown color, but sometimes light brown shades are also found. The dark brown color of the tea may indicate the quality of the long-aged product.
3. Special requirements are also imposed on the form of pu-erh. Before buying, make sure the quality of the pressing - the leaves should be tightly compressed, and there should not be any foreign inclusions.
4. Tea that has been stored for more than ten years is lighter in weight and becomes brittle. If the edges of the pu-erh are dense and difficult to break off, then its exposure is not too long.
5. In quality loose tea, all leaves should be soft and about the same size. The presence of whole buds indicates good quality of pu-erh, while a dull color and the presence of foreign debris indicate poor quality.
6. The aroma of real tea should not include impurities and flavors.

How to brew pu-erh in tablets

Usually pressed pu-erh is sold in bars of different sizes and weights. At home, it is convenient to use small tablets, since each of them is one serving.

Before brewing pu-erh tablets, it is important to prepare the water. In order not to spoil the taste of raw pu-erh, you should not fill it with boiling water. The water should be about 90 degrees. Remember to pre-steam the teapot by pouring hot water into it for a few minutes.

So, crush the tablet with a knife and pour the mixture into the teapot. Traditionallyuse ceramic, clay or glass teapots. The first time pu-erh is poured with water for only a few seconds and then it is poured out. This is done in order to clean the old tea from dust and dirt. Each subsequent brew lasts a few minutes longer, there can be ten in total. However, it must be remembered that the longer the tea is brewed, the more bitter it becomes.

How to brew pressed pu-erh

If you like traditional pu-erh, you can stock up on it for future use by purchasing large pressed plates. Before brewing pu-erh, pressed tea should be divided with a special knife. The main thing you need to know is that tea tiles cannot be cut. The knife is used to break off sheets of two or three square centimeters, and the separation process must be started from the edge of the plate. The number of brews will have to be determined empirically until the optimal option is reached. Next, pu-erh is brewed in the manner described above in the section "How to brew pu-erh in tablets". As you can see, there is nothing difficult.

How to brew leaf pu-erh

Lovers and experts highly appreciate loose Chinese tea Pu-erh. How to brew this type of tea to fully reveal its taste? First of all, you need to correctly calculate its quantity. For one person, one heaping teaspoon per 500 ml of water is enough. Next, tea is placed in a steamed teapot and allowed to brew. In this case, you do not need to pour out the first tea leaves, and after a few minutes you can already enjoy the taste of this wonderful drink. It is known that such tea can be brewed six or seven times, but you do not need to leave it for a long time. After an hour, its taste will become tart and bitter. The Chinese consider this tea harmful and do not recommend drinking it.

Some useful tips

1. For Pu-erh, it is better to purchase a separate teapot, as the special taste is absorbed into the dishes and will subsequently be mixed with the taste of other varieties.
2. Do not spoil the taste of the drink with sugar.
3. It is not recommended to drink pu-erh before going to bed due to its strong tonic effect.
4. You can drink tea only fresh, as over time its benefits disappear.
5. Store pu-erh in a dark place at room temperature. Different varieties should be kept separate from each other.
6. Do not forget that tea perfectly absorbs odors, and subsequently it is impossible to get rid of them. Therefore, pu-erh should be kept away from spices, flavorings and coffee.