What Is Pu-erh Tea?
Originating in Yunnan, China, Pu-erh tea (普洱茶) has been produced for many centuries, with roots in the ancient tea-growing regions of Southwest China. Like Champagne or other regionally specific foods and beverages, Pu-erh is a geographically indicated product. Under the Chinese national standard, Pu-erh can only be made from sun-dried leaves of the large-leaf Yunnan tea variety grown and processed within designated areas of Yunnan Province – similar large-leaf tea trees also grow in neighboring regions of Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, where Pu-erh-style teas are produced, but those are not covered by the official Pu-erh geographical indication.
Pu-erh is a post-fermented tea. And although nowadays it’s possible to find Pu-erh in loose form, its most common shapes are brick, cake, or “bird’s nest.”
This helped to not only preserve the tea through the span of many years but also to transport it through the Ancient Tea Horse Road to far away parts of China and Tibet where the tea was especially popular with monks for staying awake during long meditation hours.
If you are only starting to get into the vast and somewhat mysterious world of Pu-erh, chances are you’ve been purchasing samples. The samples are an excellent way to get acquainted with the tea and see what you like before investing in a whole cake. An entire Pu-erh tea cake can be pricey, but it is well worth it if you find one that you want, as it will last you for many months, if not years, and in many cases, only gets better with age.
After you purchase your first cake or brick, the next step is to break it into a size suitable for one tea session. For this, we use specially designated Pu-erh tea needles.
First, don't break a Pu-erh tea brick by hand. Not only will it be challenging, but it will most likely result in the brick breaking unevenly into disproportionate pieces, and this will not end up in a tasty brew.
How To Properly Break Pu-erh Tea
A Pu-erh brick or cake has two sides to it — the front and the back. The front of a cake usually has a tag showing the manufacturer, while the back has a hollow in the middle.
Many prefer to start from the back, as it will keep the front of the cake looking nice.
front size of a Pu-erh tea cake
back side of a Pu-erh cake
Steps for breaking a cake:
- prepare your surface (this can just be the Pu-erh wrapper laid out to catch the small leaves and crumbs from the cake)
- find the softest spot around the hollow on the backside and try to carefully stick your needle in through the side, not directly in the middle (you may need to try several spots before finding the easiest, loosest one)
- once you have found the right place, insert the needle and gently wiggle the tea loose (try not to force it)
- you may have to insert the needle one or two times closer to the first hole and repeat the previous step
Take your time and be patient; the piece that will break off should ideally resemble a Pu-erh tea sample in size. If the tea leaves break off in one big piece with little crumbs falling, the resulting brew will be better and smoother.
the sample size. This is approximately how it should look
There is a difference in handling Sheng (raw) Pu-erh and Shou (ripe) Pu-erh. Sheng Pu-erh tends to be more delicate, while Shou Pu-erh may require slightly more force due to its denser, fermented structure.
Steps for breaking a brick:
The technique is similar to breaking a cake.
- first, find which corner of the brick is the softest and try inserting your needle into that corner
- if the needle goes in, try to gently wiggle it to loosen the tea
- next, insert the needle 1-2 more times close to the first place of insertion and repeat the previous step
Notes:
- Many Pu-erh bricks and cakes are well compressed and can be pretty hard to break, especially if it’s your first time. The most important thing is to be patient and gentle, try to find the softest spot first, rather than forcing it to break.
- Be very cautious of the positioning of your hands! Needle accidents are not uncommon when breaking pu-erh. Just make sure you are not rushing and place your hands somewhere they can’t easily be injured.
- Never stick the tea needle directly into the tea cake or brick from the top. Ideally, it should be inserted in the direction of leaf layering. Each layer of pu-erh is different; a well-broken piece will offer you the widest variety and depth of flavor.
- Do not forget to properly store your broken Pu-erh tea cake or brick, limiting the air access to prevent it from turning stale.
Most importantly, be patient – practice makes perfect!