Pu-Erh

Pu-Erh is one of the oldest varieties of tea, originating in the Yunnan province of China, the very birthplace of tea, where the first tea plants were discovered in the wild and later cultivated. The truly unique, earthy, mineral-laden flavor of Pu-Erh belies its definitive smoothness. Pu-Erh is one of the only teas to undergo an aging process, sometimes even in Himalayan caves. During the aging process, a culture is introduced to the tea and over time enzymes develop in the tea, which are purported to be the cause of its digestive properties. When consumed with or after a meal, it has remarkable powers for breaking up oil and fat in the digestive track, not to mention soothing the sting of spice. Due to the minimal tannic content in Pu-Erh, it rarely becomes bitter when steeped for long periods like other tea and is intended to be steeped multiple times. Today, Pu-Erh is a staple in the diets of many people in Yunnan, Tibet and Nepal.

Tuocha – A cooked Pu-Erh that is shaped into small nest-like cakes and wrapped in paper, Tuocha is one of the most popular forms of Pu-Erh – cooked or raw. Earthy and smooth. Come in for a pot after your next big meal.
Pot: 4.75 Large Cup: 2.75/ Small: 2.50 Loose: 3.50/oz

Golden Pu-Erh - A darker and fuller-flavored brew than the Tuocha, Golden Pu-Erh is a cooked loose leaf Pu-Erh exhibiting an earthiness reminiscent of clay. Surprisingly smooth, this tea stands up to several steepings.
Pot: 5.75 Large Cup: 3.25/ Small: 3 Loose: 4.50/oz

Jing Mai Bing Cha, 2003 – This greener, semi-cooked Pu-Erh comes from Jing Mai Mountain in southern Yunnan, where tea is wild-crafted from several-hundred-year-old tea trees. The mature leaves are sun-withered, hand-kneaded, wood-fired, wok-roasted, steamed and then shaped into round cakes by putting the leaves into cloth bags and placing the bags under a stone mold upon which the tea-makers stand, applying their weight in a rotational motion to achieve the desired circular shape of the tea cake. The flavor is bittersweet and brings to mind breathing in the air close to a river nestled in a forest. This tea is intended for several steepings, with the “heart” of the tea’s character usually apparent somewhere around the 3rd or 4th steeping.
Pot: 7.75 Tasting Set: 5 Large Cup: 4.25/ Small: 4 Loose: 7.75/oz