Puer Shu (cooked) Qiao Mu Tea is made mainly from the type of large-leaf tea typical of the high mountains of Yunnan, China. It is a traditional tea processed with specific techniques to bring it to full fermentation. The expertly selected leaves ensure a very pleasant, enveloping taste with a strong woody flavor and soft notes of wet earth.
Discover the Puer Tea Soul tea selection.
Location of Origin
Yunnan, China
Production
After harvesting, the leaves of Puer Shu (cooked) Qiao Mu Tea are left to wither in the sun for a certain amount of time depending on the producer before going through the "green killing" stage, which is purportedly similar to that used to produce green tea.
The special feature, in this case, lies in not heating the leaves as much as is done for a green tea so that certain enzymes capable of modifying the flavors over time are preserved.
Once cooked, the leaves are taken in large quantities and stacked to form large piles.
The plant mass thus arranged is then moistened and covered with cloths so that heat can be retained and the fermentation process can begin. Here the producer will have to skillfully move the leaves around and wet them lightly as he goes to ensure that the fermentation progresses steadily and is as evenly distributed as possible.
On completion of this process, which can last from 20 to 70 days, the leaves are expanded and left in contact with the air. At this point one can (eventually) proceed to press the puer so as to give it the best conditions to be transported and aged.
To press the leaves they are passed through for a few seconds by a strong jet of steam so as to be made soft externally and, subsequently, they are collected in a sock or sack that will give the product its shape, usually discoidal.
To ensure that this structure remains fixed over time, the sack is left under a stone or mechanical press for hours while the leaves lose that residual moisture taken up by the steam in the previous stage.
Preparation of Puer Shu (cooked) Qiao Mu Tea
We strongly recommend infusing this tea in the traditional Chinese method (gong fu cha) to best enjoy these leaves. Following this preparation, 5 grams of leaves (about 5 teaspoons) can be used in a gaiwan of about 150 ml to obtain multiple infusions with different tastes.
After a quick rinse of the leaves in water at 95°C, a first infusion of 20 seconds can be made, after which, keeping the water at the same temperature, the time can be increased each time by 5 seconds from the previous infusion (20 - 25 - 30 ...)
This tea has a longevity of about 7 infusions.
For a classic preparation according to the Western style, we recommend 3 grams of leaves (about 2 teaspoons) in a 200 ml cup with water at 95°C for an infusion time of 3 minutes.
The tea can be filtered for ease when tasting and also the infusion times given above here are meant to be purely indicative so you can also adjust according to your personal taste.
It is recommended to be stored in a cool and dry place away from direct sunlight.
