Culinary Specialties CooksShopHere- Pu-erh: Yongde Cha

Black

Oolong

Pu-erh
Yongde Cha

Yongde, Lincang Prefecture, Yunnan Province
Sheng 'raw' Pu-erh
Sun withered
Open-leaf style with some buds attached
Lightly woodsy Pu-erh flavor
Rich, earthy, clean aroma
Rich straw color liquor tending toward amber

4 oz	8 oz	16 oz
12.50 Buy	25.00 Buy	50.00 Buy

For tea enthusiasts looking for a refreshing tea to drink hot or iced, consider this light, refreshing, regional, loose-leaf interpretation of sheng Pu-erh.

It is made from the Dayeh variety of big leaf and was plucked in the Yongde region of Lincang Prefecture in southern Yunnan. The leaf has undergone short withering or withering, and a quick de-enzyming ( kill-green step ) in a tea firing pan. The leaf was then removed from the pan and rolled and twisted by hand to generate internal cell changes within each tea leaf. Finally, the leaf was given a partially drying in the shade ( to allow the residual moisture to begin natural fermentation ) and then final drying in the sun.

Yongde-cha is similar in appearance to mao cha, the semi-processed, stable leaf that is used to make Pu-erh, but the difference is that Yongde-cha is finished tea. For those who had the pleasure of drinking the charcoal-fired Ba Da Ba Ba Cha sheng Pu-erh that we had last year, this tea is reminiscent of that one, but it has a lighter, sweeter flavor and is without the influence of the charcoal-firing.

This tea is only lightly fermented and pleasantly so. In fact, the level of Pu-erh ‘taste’ in this tea is more like a flirtation than an exclamation point. It is delicious drunk plain as an easy-going, refreshing and light sipping tea.

Harvested from old-growth tea bushes during the spring of 2007, this tea has been stored in superb conditions. It has gained just enough age to have given up its youthful, woodsy astringency. Drink now or keep a year or two.

Use 1.5 Tablespoons (2-3 grams) per 6 oz of water.
Steep 2-3 infusions at 2 minutes.
Water temperature should be 185˚ - 195˚ F