Pu-erh Loose Leaf Tea (Shaiqing Maocha)

Introduction to Loose Pu-erh Tea

Loose Pu-erh tea is a type of Pu-erh tea, known for its abundance of buds and prominent white hairs. The grading of Pu-erh tea for loose tea typically includes eleven grades: Special Grade and Grades 1 through 10. These grades are mainly based on the tenderness of the tea leaves, with higher tenderness corresponding to higher grades.

Identifying Compressed Tea

To identify compressed tea, consider the following aspects:

1. Appearance: The tea should have a uniform and straight shape; the edges and corners should be consistent without missing parts; thickness and firmness should be even; the mold pattern should be clear with uniform, tight texture; and the color should range from black-brown to brown-red. Tea with mold spots or mildew is considered low quality.

Introduction to Loose Pu-erh Tea

Assessing Tenderness:

1. Abundance of Buds: More buds and prominent white hairs indicate higher tenderness.
2. Leaf Shape: The tea leaves should be tightly rolled and substantial, reflecting higher tenderness.
3. Color: The tea should have a bright and smooth appearance; a glossy and moist color indicates better tenderness, while a dry color indicates poorer tenderness.

However, for aged teas, factors like fermentation techniques and storage methods significantly affect the quality of the tea. A Grade 10 Pu-erh tea, if well-fermented and properly stored, may taste better than a Special Grade tea with poor fermentation and storage. Thus, the quality of Pu-erh tea should not solely be judged by grade. Generally, higher-grade teas are processed with more care, and their fermentation and storage are usually better than lower-grade teas.

Appearance of Pu-erh Tea

For compressed Pu-erh tea, there are several forms: cakes, tuocha (nest tea), brick tea, and square tea. Many people mistakenly think that cake tea is superior. Traditionally, grades 1 and 2 are used for loose tea, grades 3 and 4 for tuocha, grades 7 and 8 for cakes, and grades 9 and 10 for brick tea. However, the shape of Pu-erh tea no longer directly correlates with its quality. Brick, cake, tuocha, and loose tea can all vary in quality.

Therefore, when purchasing Pu-erh tea, do not rely solely on grade and shape. Use a comprehensive approach to assess quality by examining the appearance, tea soup color, leaf bottom, and taste.

Appreciating Loose Pu-erh Tea

1. Appearance: Look at the shape of the tea leaves—whether they are whole or fragmented, and whether the leaves are old or young. Older leaves are larger, while younger leaves are smaller. Smell the dry tea to check for aromas such as aged fragrance, medicinal notes, dried longan, mold, or camphor. High-quality tea should have a rich aged aroma without off-flavors, with a brown or reddish color and a glossy sheen. Poor quality tea may have a faint or unpleasant aroma, off-flavors, a dark and dull color, and a less pleasing texture.
2. Tea Soup Color: Assess the depth and brightness of the tea soup. High-quality tea produces a rich, bright red soup with a golden ring and an oily sheen on the surface. Inferior tea may have a less rich red color, lack brightness, and might have floating particles or even appear black or muddy.
3. Aroma: Evaluate the aroma through both hot and cold sniffing. Hot sniffing assesses the purity and intensity of the aroma, while cold sniffing evaluates its persistence. High-quality tea should have a strong, pure aged aroma with a long-lasting, pleasant smell. Poor-quality tea may have a mix of sour, moldy, rusty, or other off-flavors.
4. Taste: Focus on the smoothness, sweetness, and throat-coating sensation. High-quality tea should be rich, smooth, and sweet, with a pleasant aftertaste and saliva production at the base of the tongue. Inferior tea may taste flat, lack smoothness, have no sweetness, and cause discomfort or astringency in the mouth.
5. Leaf Bottom: Examine the color and texture of the leaf bottom. High-quality tea should have a bright reddish-brown color, be uniform, and maintain softness without being rotten or hard. Poor-quality tea may have a mixed, dull, or dark color and show signs of decay or hardening.

Pu’er Tea Overview

Pu’er Tea Definition: Pu’er tea, or Pu-erh tea, is a variety of fermented tea traditionally produced in Yunnan Province, China. In traditional Chinese tea production terminology, “fermentation” refers to microbial fermentation, not the oxidation process. This involves a controlled microbial process where tea leaves are fermented and oxidized until they reach the desired flavors. This tea is classified under 黑茶 (hēichá), or “dark tea,” which is different from what is referred to as “black tea” (红茶, hóngchá) in English.

Loose Leaf Tea: Loose leaf tea refers to tea that is not prepackaged in tea bags. The lack of confinement in a tea bag helps preserve the quality and aroma of the tea, offering superior health benefits. Loose tea is typically steeped using infusers like balls, baskets, or French presses.

Types of Pu’er Tea

1. Raw Pu’er (Sheng Cha):
   • Traditional Method: Made from freshly picked leaves that undergo minimal processing. The leaves are dried and then aged naturally over years or decades. The flavor changes and develops through this slow aging process.
   • Accelerated Aging (Wo Dui): Involves a faster fermentation method where the leaves are piled in moist rooms to speed up the process. This tea can be brewed multiple times, with each additional brew requiring an extra 15-30 seconds of steeping.
2. Ripened Pu’er (Shou Cha):
   • Fermentation Process: This type undergoes accelerated fermentation. The leaves are piled, moistened, and fermented more quickly than in traditional raw Pu’er.
3. Maocha (Rough Tea):
   • Definition: Maocha is the intermediate stage of tea production where the leaves are still rough and not yet fully processed. It is mainly used to describe tea that has been dried but not yet fully fermented or shaped.

Production Process

1. Picking and Handling:
   • Tender leaves are carefully picked to avoid bruising and unwanted oxidation. Optional wilting or withering of leaves might occur depending on the processor. This step involves spreading the leaves in the sun or a ventilated area to reduce water content. On rainy days, light heating is used.
2. Dry-Roasting:
   • Leaves are dry-roasted in a large wok, known as “killing the green” (杀青, shā qīng). This step halts most enzyme activity and prevents full oxidation. After roasting, the leaves are rolled, rubbed, and shaped into strands, then sun-dried. Unlike green tea, the leaves used for Pu’er are not air-dried after roasting, allowing for minimal oxidation during sun-drying.
3. Shaping and Pressing:
   • After drying, maocha can be pressed into various shapes to make raw Pu’er or undergo further processing to create ripened Pu’er. Sometimes maocha is sold as loose-leaf “raw” Sheng Cha and aged in this form before being pressed into shapes.

Key Characteristics

• Aging: Raw Pu’er develops complex flavors over years or decades, while ripened Pu’er matures more quickly.
• Flavor Profile: Pu’er tea can have a wide range of flavors, from earthy and robust in older teas to milder and fresher in younger teas.
• Tea Forms: Pu’er tea is commonly compressed into shapes like cakes (饼茶), tuocha (nest tea), bricks (砖茶), and squares (方茶), though it can also be sold as loose-leaf.

In summary, Pu’er tea is distinguished by its unique fermentation process and aging, which contribute to its distinctive flavors and characteristics. Whether raw or ripened, the careful handling and processing of Pu’er tea result in a complex and varied tea experience.